Judith Middleton, CEO, DUO Marketing, South Africa – a PlexusPR Network Partner
We all know data is important for the evaluation of activities. Yet it’s easy to become short-sighted or to become too reliant on one seemingly convenient version of the truth. Marketers and their agencies must work collaboratively to continually develop their data maturity and enable hyper-Targeted Marketing and PR. Each activity should build on what came before, adding to a shared pool of knowledge that can drive commercial insights and results.
Data isn’t bought like airtime; it’s gathered from a range of sources like Google Analytics and social media platforms. Discrepancies are common, and deep analysis helps get closer to the truth. This approach enables us to offer commercially viable solutions by understanding where clients’ customers engage. Real-time analytics, industry insight, and agility are crucial for success.
Understandably therefore, the prerequisite for today’s agency is deep expertise in all digital marketing verticals. This subsequently enables us to tap into a broad spectrum of skills to drive value. The focus is on tight feedback loops with clients, teams, and campaigns, ensuring real-time understanding. Unlike the past, where intuition and relationships dominated, today’s reality seeks measurability and accountability. The combination of hard data and consultative expertise guides actionable insights.
In the B2B space it is vital for client and agency to earn the mutual trust that allows for low-risk experiments, trialling new platforms, messaging or activities. Prior experience and intuition can take you so far. However, only real deployment can provide the hard data on what will best for that specific goal, with that particular audience, in each different circumstance.
Lastly, in the race to understand data, design should not be overlooked. Well-designed visuals enhance engagement and simplify complex stories. Decisions on copy, colours, storytelling, and more should be intentional. Well-designed visuals, relevant and customized for campaigns, outperform random choices.
We’re all surrounded by data and choices but must avoid failing to see the wood for the trees. Ultimately, our goal is to use data to connect brands with people, recognizing the importance of relatable imagery and authentic content.
