Strategically Communicating

The need for people who can crunch numbers and explain them is growing. Well, more like exploding and it’s doing  so at such a rate that the McKinsey Global Institute predicts a shortage of 190,000 data scientists within five years.

According to the New York Times, data scientists “crunch the data, use mathematical models to analyze it and create narratives or visualizations to explain it, then suggest how to use the information to make decisions” (Miller). Forbes suggests that data science is in essence, the “coupling of the mature discipline of statistics with a very young one–computer science.” The Harvard Business Review went so far as to call data science “the sexiest job in the 21st century.”  (That might be a stretch.)

Corporations can’t get enough data scientists to handle the volume of big data they want to manage and academia are just beginning to define it and develop the curriculum. Those institutions that already have analytic degrees or certificate programs are finding their graduates are being snapped up by companies offering an average salary of $89,000, to upwards of $100,000 for those with experience.

The next logical question might be what does this mean for communicators? PRNews says “If you’re a up-and-coming communications pro with a penchant for math, statistics and science, a data-science focus sounds like a winning career path. ” Yes it does. However, those who are not “number crunchers” naturally can still be highly successful if they are taught to think strategically about analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data.

I recently learned something about big data: more data doesn’t always lead to more reliable results. Just ask Nate Silver. As we all know, Nate Silver is the number-crunching guru who most recently predicted the outcome of the 2012 presidential election for all 50 states without error. He told Fast Company that, “‘the flood of data means more noise (i.e. useless information) but not necessarily more signal (i.e. truth).‘” According to Google chairman Eric Schmidt, every day we create more information than all of history created before 2003. Silver’s point is that all that data is useless unless you know what to do with it. You have to ask the right questions, write the correct algorithms, and utilize the best statistical methods. Computers are powerful, logical tools, but, without human creativity, they cannot make sense of the complex, illogical world we live in. This creativity, “finding ways to approach and solve problems,” as he explains it, is what makes Nate Silver so good at what he does. And it’s also what makes his blog (FiveThirtyEight.com), and everything else he does, so interesting. By creatively intertwining math, prose, and infographics, he makes boring masses of data fascinating to the masses.

You probably realized that every time you rate a movie on Netflix , the information is stored and used to make Netflix a better program. But did you realize that every time you hit play, pause, rewind or fast-forward, that information is captured and considered valuable consumer information? Though this might seem a little intrusive, in the end it is what ensures all of the movies under the category “Period Drama with a Strong Female Lead” are ones that you can’t wait to watch.

A recent article in the New York Times titled, “Giving Viewers What They Want” explored how Netflix used “Big Data” to determine that their original show “House of Cards” would not only be watched, but would be a huge success (see infographic). Jonathan Friedland, Netflix’s chief communications officer, said, “Because we have a direct relationship with consumers, we know what people like to watch and that helps us understand how big the interest is going to be for a given show. It gave us some confidence that we could find an audience for a show like ‘House of Cards.’ ” According to the article, “House of Cards” is now the most streamed content in the United States.

I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to become more and more unnerved knowing my every move on the web is being recorded. As a customer do you see yourself becoming more private in what you do or don’t do on the internet or is this just going to become second nature to all of us?

In our reading for tonight’s class, “Linking Consumers to Your Cause with QR Codes,” by Waters, and MacDonald from the book Cause Marketing for Dummies, we learn that QR codes, which use RFID tags to operate, are a great way to get information about a cause. QR codes use RFID tags to work. Just take a picture of those abstract art-like-squares and they’ll magically redirect you to a web page, calendar event or gelocation.

These RFID tags are becoming ubiquitous in our lives. Already, says the site How stuff works, “Outside the realm of retail merchandise, RFID tags are tracking vehicles, airline passengers, Alzheimer’s patients and pets. Soon, they may even track your preference for chunky or creamy peanut butter.”

There are advantages. I’d love to install one on my keys and my work badge. In fact, I just used the Find my iPhone app today before I rushed off to work.

But this Orwellian advancement can have some unintended consequences, as everyone from Homeland Security to the State Department begins using them. This recalls something Intel Futurist, David Johnson, who spoke at the PRSA conference said a few weeks ago. Technology is neutral. It doesn’t care whether you turn it on or off, so don’t be afraid of it. But do have those conversations around the best use of it. A question: How do we use technology to better our lives without surrendering ourselves to it?

QR Codes are seemingly everywhere: in magazines, in television commercials, on business cards, and even on websites. When the technology first came out, people were very enthusiastic about the prospect of integrating the real world with online content. However, the design limitations inherent to ugly, pixelated QR Code images forced marketers to use other physical content linking methods. Television advertisers have started including onscreen prompts to open mobile apps, such as Shazaam or SoundHound, which decipher embedded audible cues to link users to additional content on their mobile devices. Still, this isn’t the most elegant solution. 

The most recent issue of Fast Company features 2013’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. Number 85 on the list is Grace Woo, founder of Pixels.IO, the company responsible for engineering the Video Response (VR) Code. VR Codes embedded in the invisible flickering of digital screens direct viewers to additional content. Programmers and designers can incorporate VR Codes into digital content, such as live TV shows and tablet magazine articles, without obtrusive icons or imagery. Until the technology catches on, content creators will have to clearly indicate their use of VR Codes, but Woo hopes that one day these new codes will be seamlessly incorporated into all digital media.