Summary In today's episode, I tackle a listener's question about the level of data quality required for AI success, reframing the issue as one of risk tolerance rather than perfection. Here's what this means for you. You'll gain a practical framework for evaluating whether your data is good enough by comparing AI to something as…
Maria asks, “I need to create a zip code territory map with each area represented by a different color (that I can pick). It will be exported as a graphic file. Are there any free/low cost options for this that are easy to use?” Download all the ZIP codes from the USPS/Data.gov and then code…
Mike asks, “My former partner/creative director is looking for a layman-accessible tool for doing cool animations with simple data sets. (Think Hans Rosling.) Do you know any tools or people who can make information beautiful?” There are tons of tools out there that do data animations. I’d suggest looking at Google’s Data GIF Maker as…
Summary In today's episode, I walk through a spectrum of data visualization tools ranging from simple animation makers to professional-grade software for creating beautiful information graphics. Here's what this means for you. You'll find the right tool for your skill level and use case, whether you're a beginner sketching quick visuals or a seasoned analyst…
Summary In today's episode, I encourage you to dream up small but meaningful improvements to your marketing workflow and then figure out how to make them real. Here's what this means for you. You gain permission to pause, identify problems worth solving, and turn everyday wishes into actionable builds or frameworks. You'll also learn these…
At my MPB2B talk this week, one of the attendees (I didn’t get their name) asked, “What are your suggestions for visualizing qualitative data in dashboards?” First, you can render some of it as-is; in text, for example, one of the most popular and least helpful visualizations is the word cloud. Second, all qualitative data…
Summary In today's episode, I preview an upcoming B2B marketing talk about why most analysis fails to drive decisions and what you can do about it. Here's what this means for you. You stop dumping data on someone's desk and start delivering insights that move your business forward. You'll also learn these concepts: the three-question…
Dennis and Kim ask, “Is it possible to be an ethical marketer and still use data to inform the ways we interact with our customers? Or are we crossing a line that puts us in opposition to our audience?” In short, yes, it’s possible. A few principles come to mind: – Be clear and honest…
Summary In today's episode, I share the number one most important management lesson you can learn, which is believing the data even when it challenges what you want to be true. Here's what this means for you. You gain the ability to make sharper marketing, hiring, and strategic decisions by trusting what you measure instead…
What does it mean to be a data-driven company? Companies generally aren’t created as data-driven, data-centric entities from the beginning; for most companies, it’s an evolution in their culture and strategy, a journey that can take years. To become data-driven, companies evolve through five stages: Data-resistant Data-curious Data-aware Data-savvy Data-driven Data-Resistant The mantra of the…
