It's an undeniable fact that over the past 10-15 years, data has evolved into a key element of all marketing and advertising efforts. And the sophistication of data collection and analysis has advanced at a level similar to that of a hockey stick.
But as head of data technology at holding company IPG, Arun Kumar, perhaps one of the most important executives who helped bring this data era into the buying and selling equation, is missing out on all the data initiatives. I think the elements are: ethics.
In his book, The Data Deluge, which will be published next week, Kumar argues that as data and its collection and analysis became more sophisticated, ethics took a backseat somewhere along the way.
“Ethics is actually a huge motivator for excellence,” said Kumar, who left IPG in early 2023 and is now a consultant. What we were doing really worked very well to benefit the people it was intended for. ”
The book explores the dysfunction between media agencies and clients over data usage and ownership, using the example of an anonymous airline client and agency trying to work together to reach new audiences. is depicted from the perspective of an insider. He despises this word because it is a vehicle for agencies and brands to ignore the needs of real customers. Data misuse and data hoarding by various parties are the main reasons why consumers end up being bombarded with messages and ultimately lose interest in brands, he said. Ta.
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.
In your discussion of consumers and viewers, you talk a lot about consumers and viewers, but you point out in several places in the book that in reality their concerns are tertiary at best. I'm doing it.
We have a fundamental belief that when they have access to our products and brands, we are doing them a service. That's not true. A., We haven't spent enough time thinking about whether these datasets have helped us really understand people better and give them something they couldn't have without that data. . and B. When we interrupt someone, we have never really thought about the situation they are in. Is the environment appropriate for that person? We have distorted technology and subsequent data for our own benefit. By myself, I mean the industry as a whole, including the platform.We never thought about intentions. [consumer] I have seen your ad 5 times and have not received any response. Maybe they've already acquired it. Or maybe you're not the company they're interested in. we hardly think about it. We spray and pray. Then create a model to prove to yourself that there was an uptick.
Personally, I have no problem provoking consumers to view ads. But if they are clear in their hearts that they are not the savior they claim to be. Don't take a sanctimonious attitude like, “I'm interested in my audience because I want to give the consumer what they want.” What a consumer wants is for him to see an ad no more than two or three times.
At various points in this book, you raise your hand and claim that you are part of the problem. So at what point did you realize that you didn't want to be anymore? What changes led you to write this book?
Data does not exist without a subject. If you don't exist, the data trail doesn't exist. That is, the data does not exist. In other words, the data is what we create. But we don't have the protections and policies that, for example, the oil and gas industry has. You need to make sure you get the right value out of it, but you also need to be aware that the data you generate has an impact.
I would like to focus on minimization. In fact, I started reading about his 1920s German Bauhaus school of art. So they were talking about how to not only minimize, but also scale up so that more can be produced, how to standardize without losing money. I started learning about it. What about form and function? I think there are a lot of similarities in what we can do, but all we need is to have some standards in place. And we need to stop treating data as a means for one to overcome the other. It has to be about what you do with the data that should become your product, not the fact that you have the data or someone else has it.
You mention the need for standards, but also argue that some regulations are already going too far. What is a good middle ground?
Regulations have been framed in ways that help exactly the companies and players who make the most money. So we've pretty much created a set of laws that in effect promote monopolies. What was surprising to me was that even though laws have been enacted so many times over the years, I don't see people slamming big tech companies, and yet I don't see them calling it fair competition. It's just that I somehow don't understand how to make it a condition.
The area they should focus on is: What is the standardized privacy policy that they need to create? What language should I use? How will my data be processed? First of all, we must recognize that advertising and marketing are fundamental economic activities of society. Without acknowledging that, we can't pass big laws that have no basis in how the advertising and marketing industry actually works.
If you were to make a change to start over in your career, what would you do differently?
I would be looking for the opposite of what I thought my briefs would be eight or 10 years ago. [which was] How much can we store for all people? [I’m focused on]How can I get more? How can I find out more? Now let's do the opposite.? What is the bare minimum you need to collect to make a positive impact on someone's life? …In our pursuit of granularity, we can sometimes forget about the results. As a result, you can increase sales for your brand without offending people in the process.
And I feel like it's achievable. Some of the younger CMOs that are actually emerging are more focused and understanding of areas where performance is not working as well and where the brand is needed. There are some too. I think performance-oriented people understand brands better than most brand people do.