One factor can predict a campaign’s success — it’s not what you think
Known’s Chief Technology Officer Nathan Hugenberger explains the art of data science and why it’s crucial to optimizing your creative work.
Nathan Hugenberger, Known’s CTO and EVP, Science, recently appeared on the Driven by Data podcast. He discussed with host Kyle Winterbottom why the scientific method is mandatory, how creatives and data scientists work together, and the infinite trove of information at researchers’ fingertips.
Here are four takeaways from the conversation.
The scientific method is the backbone of everything we do at Known.
While the phrase “scientific method” may bring to mind beakers and test tubes, it’s just as important a process to follow and elevate in data science. “One big part of it is just the importance of experimentation and the scientific method and having explicit hypotheses that then you’re testing,” says Nathan. “The way you learn what works, the way you learn what’s true is by following that scientific method. And that’s certainly a component of data science, but it’s something that isn’t necessarily always celebrated or paid attention to.”
Leverage the full body of scientific knowledge, not just the client’s first party data.
“If you’re working in the marketing and advertising space, part of it needs to be knowing the science of advertising and knowing the science of marketing,” says Nathan, but human understanding is necessary too. “Ideally you’re not limited to just what is findable in the data set in front of you. You’re operating by knowing what we do know about how all these things work, about how advertising, marketing and, frankly, how humans work.”
Creativity is vitally important — enhance it with data and science.
Creativity supported by data brings the best of both worlds. “I think what resonates with [our clients] is the story of the combination of the art and the science and the creativity and the data,” Nathan explains. “They want to hear that you’re following the data and looking at what works and optimizing for that, but they still want it to be all beautifully expressed. And to be creative and catchy.”
Clients aren’t the only ones who value this relationship between art and science. Colleagues understand its importance as well. “When we think about science and data our partnership with our creative team is vital, and it’s also critically important that they’re calling and saying, ‘Well, which one did well? What should we make more of? Tell us what the data’s telling us to do and where we should go from here,’” says Nathan.”You want to create beautiful expressions of people’s brands and beautiful campaigns, but you also want them to be effective. And you want it to matter.”
You aren’t limited to just the data you have already — your campaign will create useful new data.
When the scientific method is the backbone of an organization’s research philosophy, it allows for both clients and researchers to explore questions and add to their knowledge bases. “In building momentum and energy around doing more experimentation that’s aligned to testing these important things, what you’re essentially doing is creating new data,” Nathan argues. “You’re creating data you didn’t have before then now you get to analyze and interpret and use to make things better. It’s all part of data science, but it’s making sure you’re not stuck with what data you had on day zero.”
Listen to the entire conversation on Spotify. And while you’re there, check out Known’s podcast playlist to hear more insights from Knowners.
