Data Refinement:The missing link between data collection and decisions

Stephen H. YuData Strategy & Analytics Consultant

What we will cover

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• Database Marketing Landscape

• Analytics and Models

• “Model-Ready” Environment

• Data Summarization & Categorization

• Delivery: Scoring & QC

• Closing the Loop

Big Data, Small Data, Neat Data, Messy Data

How is the "Big Data” working out for you?

2.5 quintillion bytes collected per “day”1 quintillion (exabytes) = 1 billion gigabytes

• Did all this data improve your decision making process?

• Do you have the results to show for?

• Information Overload? You bet!

Harness insights, drop the noise

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Raw Data• Demographic / Firmographic

• RFM

• Products & Services Used

• Promotion / Response History

• Lifestyle / Survey Responses

• Delinquent history

• Call / Communication Log

• Movement Data

• Sentiments

Marketing Answers• Likely to buy a luxury car

• Likely to take a foreign vacation

• Likely to response to free shipping offer

• Likely to be a high value customer

• Likely to be qualified for credit

• Likely to upgrade

• Likely to leave

• Likely to come back

Refined Answers

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Custom Models for every stage of Marketing Lifecycle

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• Most modern databases optimized for massive storage and

rapid retrieval, not necessarily for predictive analytics

o Relational databases

o NoSQL databases

• Need “Analytical Sandbox” (or Database/Data-mart)

o Structured & de-normalized

o Variables as descriptors of model targets

o Common analytical language (SAS, R, SPSS)

o Must support “in-database” scoring

Unstructured to Structured

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It is not just about modeling, but all surrounding services as well

10 essential items to consider when outsourcing analytical projects

1. Consulting capability: Translate marketing goals into mathematics

2. Data processing: Conversion, edit, summarization, data-append, etc.

3. Pricing structure: Model development is only one part; hidden fees?

4. Track record in the industry: Not in rocket science, but in marketing

5. Types of models supported: Watch out for one-trick ponies

6. Speed of execution: Turnaround time measured in days, not weeks

7. Documentation: Full disclosure of algorithms, charts and reports

8. Scoring validation: Job not done until fully scored and validated

9. Back-end analysis: For true “Closed-loop” marketing

10. Ongoing Support: Periodic review and update

10 essential items to consider when outsourcing analytics

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