“Every customer touchpoint can create data,” said Adam Gitlin, head of data at Annalect, during a spirited conversation at Advertising Week in New York. “We all know that the data’s out there. The question is how we find it and then connect it.”
The panel discussion, entitled “Is Your Data Making You Sick: How to Resolve the Marketer’s Identity Crisis,” tackled prevailing industry data questions—head on. Delving into a number of topics, such as the definitions of specific types of data and the number one data challenge, each panelist brought a unique perspective on using data to solve problems. Here’s an interesting snapshot of that dialogue:
“Let’s first define the different types of data. First-party data is straight-forward; it’s collected by the entity. Second-party data is collected by one company, and then often used by another. Third-party data—that’s the data that’s distributed by a broker. At least that’s how we look at it.”— Gitlin
“Understand that all data sets are growing, especially first-party data because it provides real-time value.”—Matt Zilli, worldwide head of segment marketing, Marketo
“Unifying data is what adds the special sauce [to marketing]. Blow away the former view about data and know this is really about having conversations. As we unify the data we can have those important conversations [with customers]. We can mix the information from all of the touchpoints, like email and social. That data will then support and inform.”— Jeff Nimeroff, CIO, Zeta Interactive
“Customers are expecting us to understand who they are. We run the risk of annoying them if we don’t. We [as marketers] still think in channels; that’s not how customers think. Data is the way to solve that. Meet the customers where they are.”—Zilli
“There’s a data continuum of where we are today and where we want to be. We’re always learning.”— Rob Gatto, SVP of sales, Neustar
“From a targeting perspective, more data adds value. It’s becoming the foundation of pace and finesse.”— Nimeroff
“We all know that the data’s out there. The question is how we find it and connect it. How do we start to incorporate data sets? The real challenge is trading data across ecosystems.”— Gitlin
“Goal number one should always be to break down silos. Even if it means that perfect data is no longer perfect. Bring the wall down to be more effective and holistic.”— Zilli
