Data Vs. Culture
Where to look for insight
"Data tells you what happened. Culture tells you what’s beginning."
– A quote I love from Rob Norman, formerly the Chief Digital Officer at GroupM. I stumbled across this and couldn’t agree more.
Data is needed to extract powerful insight. The modern world is built on it. It’s the new superpower. But it is just one side of the coin.
In brand world, it’s common to see data being used as a post-decision validation. Rather than true learning. At best, if brands understand their data, and distil useful insight, it’s unfortunately taken as gospel as the right direction of travel for the future. The reality is, it’s simply an illustration of the recent past. A meter reading.
Remember to take it with a pinch of culture. Look to what is beginning, what is emerging and taking root in the edges of art, music, architecture, community experiences, habits, and human emotional tension.
Use eyes more than stats.
Data is vital for patterns. However, it’s the new in society where you’ll find what’s next.
