At the Altar of the Future: How to Successfully Wed Creativity to Data
What
does it mean to be human (and a marketer) in a world where even the most
creative and intuitive endeavors are being turned into automated, optimized,
and streamlined processes?
With the onslaught of stories
about the launch of new, fantastic pieces of software or technological
advancements that'll make life simpler and computers able to make essential
data connections, it seems that we're quickly entering a full-blown
"Artificial Intelligence Age."
At the root of AI are perception and cognition, which also happen to be two of
the fundamental tenets of the marketing industry. It's no surprise, then, that
software, algorithms, and AI applications are consistently used to help
marketers and make their job of "adaptive persuasion" more effective
and efficient.
Far from being a substitute for
the creative process, though, data is empowerment. By offering deeper and more
comprehensive consumer insights, data fuels curiosity and raises enlightening
questions that help creatives cultivate the emotional connections essential to
impactful marketing.
Data is in fact invigorating,
then, and much more relevant and necessary for marketers today than ever
before.
Algorithms and Creativity: Made for Each Other
At a base level, algorithms and
data sciences provide essential details about consumers that enable the
creation of meaningful and impactful campaign stories. Beyond story, they also
reveal those individuals who are most receptive to a company's mission and
goals. They further allow businesses to deliver messages across devices and in
the proper consumer context while improving overall effectiveness—making the
time and money invested work much harder.
Powerful human insights, when
combined with data that bolsters creative interpretation and imagination, can
create bold and meaningful advertising and marketing solutions.
Every statistically significant
test—whether a data test, such as a new segment, or a creative test, such as
design elements—is educational. Of course, there are always a lot of
"ifs" and "buts" in these tests. But because algorithms are
now a key component of how companies strategize and perform, data scientists
can use them to arm creative teams to make informed leaps.
What, then, is the best
possible way to marry the scientific mind with the creative one?
The
Real-World Benefits of a Wedding
By working in lockstep with
data scientists, creatives can better understand who their targets are; what
they desire; and what their challenges, behaviors, and motivations are.
Creatives can then devise more actionable and efficient marketing solutions and
influence consumers' decisions.
In a time when people are
looking beyond information for relevant, timely, and focused content, insights
from data enable more direct messaging that fosters decision-making. Moreover,
a brand that can connect to a specific consumer need or emotion strengthens its
relationship to the market and therefore grows.
Nivea's sunscreen print advertisement is a perfect example of
this connection. The ad expanded the notion of "beach protection" by
supplying parents with a removable bracelet they could use to monitor their
children's locations. Fitted with a built-in locater that featured geotracking
technology and synced to a mobile app, the bracelet fused intricate data
systems with very raw emotions.
Using data in this way enables
companies to inform and improve the consumer experience. But only by funneling
it through creative minds that are powered by innovative thinking and have the
courage to try something new are they able to design the appropriate consumer
experience and craft long-lasting brand narratives.
Three
Strategies for a Successful Marriage
As companies hope to further
engage with their customers, getting creatives and data scientists to unify is
essential—so that data folks begin to think creatively, and creative minds get
comfortable with data.
That goal may seem overwhelming
right now, but understanding that this is an evolving and unconventional
partnership, and that it's a collective process, will maximize the inherent
value a marriage would offer. Focus on the following three strategies to
cultivate it.
1.
Foster a connection
Both teams should physically
work together with each other. Each can create something insightful on its own,
but through collaborating, even before the briefing process starts, the teams
have the potential to ignite a spark that will grow your company-consumer
relationship.
For
creatives: Creatives need to be excited about data and appreciate the
new possibilities this revolution, in empowering their creativity, affords
them. Data scientists help them embrace this mindset. Creatives must also
recognize that those scientists, as humans, are consumers and therefore have a
point of view on their creative work.
For
data scientists: Most of their job responsibilities and workday might be
with numbers, but while collaborating with the creative teams they can learn to
"talk human" by being exposed to different tools, such as embedding
and contextualizing the numbers in the larger consumer/business narrative.
Ultimately, it is the behavioral insights that enhance and differentiate a
creative brief. Working together also enables data scientists to better
understand the other team's expectations.
2. Enhance communication
Sometimes, even with collaboration, it can seem like your teams are speaking different languages. The thing you, as a leader, need to do is help them invest in the relationship by encouraging communication and building trust.
For
creatives: They should play the role of devil's advocate and give
constructive feedback on things like the design of the measurement and optimization
process. In this way, data scientists know that they are "thinking with
them." Likewise, creatives should ask questions about, and become actively
involved in, the data mining and harvesting process, which will help those
scientists devise relevant, thought-provoking questions and enhance the
information gained.
For
data scientists: It's their job to wed the creative's gut to the
theoretically crafted test design and its parameters in order to optimize the
entire journey. By sharing the measurement and optimization process and
delivering test results with constructive feedback, they can help creatives
logically understand what's working and what's not.
3.
Create unity
Only after both teams
successfully collaborate and learn to trust each other's abilities and
intentions can unity be fully achieved, so leaders should align their teams
through a shared vision.
For
creatives and data scientists: Continuing to discuss and
celebrate each other's points of view helps both teams appreciate the other's
credibility within and outside the workplace. Such an inclusive environment
could not only unlock the missing puzzle piece that everyone has been looking
for but also mean that neither team will have to create in a vacuum moving
forward. And although cohesive processes are certainly important, structuring
around a shared vision ensures that you're ultimately unifying goals.
Marketing is in the business of
creative solutions, not in the data business. AI and machine learning tools
that are making major advances in perception and cognition are simply offering
a new way of doing that same business we're in—but helping us get better at our
jobs.
And
that's something we should embrace.
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