Company Updates

Five Insights on the “Now” Frontier of Marketing

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By now, we’ve all heard the statistics that prove marketing and big data are converging and digital technology – social media, predictive analytics – has transformed marketing as we know it. Truth is, technology has disrupted the way we all do business and it’s everyone’s responsibility to understand how to use the power of digital and social innovation to better listen, understand and engage with our customers.

Ari Lightman speaking to a group of Dell employees

I recently hosted Professor Ari Lightman, Distinguished Service Professor, Director, CIO Institute, Carnegie Mellon College, at Dell to increase our savvy on digital marketing. Here are the top five insights we learned from the discussion:

  1. A vast majority of the data we collect is irrelevant – Don’t collect data for data’s sake. Make sure that it offers additional insights in improving the customer experience.
  2. No matter how much data we have, the old scientific adage applies – correlation still does not imply causation – While our ability to capture data has dramatically improved, we still need to focus analysis on the data points that can be measured for creating impact.
  3. Millennials are creating the most data in the digital space– We must meet our customers of the future where they are and engage in sustained conversations; transactional, one-way communication is not effective for reaching millennials.
  4. Employees are the best advocates, but also the top security issue for organizations – Security is a critical piece of the customer experience. Policies and governance must be a top priority for a successful digital marketing initiative. 
  5. Community building for large companies depends on both business and user objectives – Simply put, the customer rules. For any business to connect with stakeholders, they have to be at the center.
  6. Ultimately, the “now” frontier of marketing is all about the customer. Digital, social and data analytics simply offer new and exciting opportunities to support and improve the customer journey.

What do you think? Tweet your thoughts on the “now” frontier of marketing by using #DellDigital. You can also see Dr. Lightman’s full presentation here. 

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About the Author: Bryan E. Jones

Bryan E. Jones has spent over 30 years in the technology industry, the last 20 with Dell in a variety of executive positions within Sales and Marketing. He is currently Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global OEM & IoT Solutions. In this role, he has global responsibility for all aspects of delivering technology for customers to integrate into solutions that they take to market with their customers. Bryan’s responsibilities include Sales, Marketing, Solutions Engineering, Product Development, Operations and Finance. The OEM and IoT Solutions Division is focused on leveraging Dell Technologies’ seven strategically aligned businesses to offer customers a comprehensive set of technologies and solutions that make their products and offerings more competitive, aligning to their business goals and objectives. Leveraging a background that spans across Sales, Marketing and IT Practitioner, Bryan focuses on the outcomes customers are seeking to drive for their solutions and products that deliver value to their customers and shareholders. A New York Giants fanatic and committed audiophile, Bryan is also known for his eclectic obsession with shoes and the sneakerhead culture. He resides in Leander, Texas with his wife, Jenn, and is the proud father of one daughter, Lauren. Bryan currently serves on the regional board for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is involved in fundraising for music and musicians in the Austin area.