Dump the Pie Charts and Embrace the Marimekko Chart

Presenting data to your audience is key to influencing. Since 1987 professionals have been using M.S. Powerpoint. It is my observation audiences are bored with 30 years of pie charts.

Marimekko Charts offer an elegant alternative and the ability to layer in more information. A Marimekko chart is a bar chart derivative with varying column widths. Relative sizes of different data points are easily seen and understood. Similar to pie charts the area size in Marimekko Charts relates to the size of the data points.

MARIMEKKO EXAMPLE — HEALTHCARE PAYEE

For Marketers who are creating Market Landscape Maps, beyond the size of the sub-markets, I recommend to my clients they try to layer in the following:

1. Growth Rates — best with a color scale as it typically forms an insightful heat-map for team discussions.
2. Market Share — best with overlayed text. A true marketer must understand their targets and their current penetration. By stating your share per sub-markets you now have a clear KPI visual that anyone can understand.
3. Participation Levels — best with a typical stop-light color scale to illustrate areas of team focus and areas of team divestiture.

MARIMEKKO EXAMPLE — FOOD PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

Displaying data this way drives to focus and action. Your teams and management will be impressed with the clarity provided as they see their target and adjacent markets well defined and structured.

Looking to create your first one or struggling to get the visualization just right?

• There are many (free and paid) tools out there to help you create Marimekko Charts.
• Treemaps are a great alternative and have been integrated into MS Excel.
• Or just ping me with the idea/problem. Will do my best to help you present that data like a star.