Do Marketers Have to Rely on Data at all?
Almost fifty years ago, information was readable on digital computers. Twenty years ago, information was reachable through the internet. Ten years ago, search engine was developed enough to deliver any information. Nowadays，we have massive database and strong models and AI. The models people created and Al people designed make data alive. If the data is big enough, the numbers can speak for themselves. Somebody even say: “data without a model is just noise.” It seems like who has the better data and better analytical tools would win the game.
Data and AI do make people’s life and work more efficient and more convenient. More and more people concern that they will be replaced by AI somehow because it seems like with enough date and good models, non-industry professionals can also deal with problems successfully without relative academic experience and skills. For example, Google can translate any languages without actually knowing about the language and culture itself. Websites can pop up advertising you may have interest in without knowing who you are. Some marketing decisions can be made without knowing the market situation. Although data has played an important role in marketing, do marketers have to rely on data at all? I do not think so.
First of all, it’s hard for us to trust every bit of data we get. Data is huge and the model we create is complex. Every single mistake in the process may cause the result we get deviate from reality. Additionally, data is sensitive to timeliness especially in marketing field. Society develops so fast. An professional marketer will not make future marketing decisions totally based on past data we collected. The work for marketers are usually creative which can not be accomplished perfectly by relying on data and AI.
What’a more, it’s a disaster using AI in human to human interaction when it comes to customer service. People need real communication with real human not robots. I can not remember how many times I was so desperate to talk to a representative instead of a robot on the phone. Only a real person can feel your emotion and get right reaction to it. Data and AI can not provide service that is good enough for everyone.
Last but not the least, it’s difficult for marketers to collect data in some fields. I would like to talk about casino as an example. People are used to spending cash in the casino, but cash is hard to track. There is nearly no record when people spend cash. Therefore, marketers hardly analyze consumer behaviors in the casino by using just data and model. Here comes another problem, some third party sell date to marketers by invading customers’ privacy. They collect data from the ATM machines to know customers’ activities. Not only in the casino but also in the mobile device and social media we use, people’s privacy is breached everywhere in use of marketing. Some companies even skirt the requirements of the law to sell people’s data.
I do admit that data and AI can complete some missions that people can not achieve by themselves. However, there still some work that people can do but AI can’t. Data and AI can help marketers do a better job. However, no dependence is necessary. Marketers do not have to settle for it.
