Includes index.

Foreword x Acknowledgments xii About the Author xiv Introduction 1 Why This Book 2 Who It's For 5 Where It Fits 6 How to Use It 7 How It's Organized 8 Part I Improving Your Odds: Eco-systemic Conditions for Analytic Success 11 Chapter 1 Strategic Alignment-First You Need to Agree On What to Ask 13 Framing Your Focus Beyond the Answer Itself 14 Three Perspectives for Marketing and Sales Analytics 15 Venus 16 Mars 17 Earth 19 Applying the Three Approaches 20 Reconciling Organizational and Cultural Perspectives 22 Packaging for Balance: "The Analytic Brief" 26 Visions for the Analytics Capability to Serve These Needs 27 Chapter 2 Access to Data-Too Often Taken for Granted 29 Getting to Data: Historical Models and Patterns 29 The Paleo-Analytic Era 29 The Meso-Analytic Era 31 The Ceno-Analytic Era 32 Modern Times 33 Moving Forward 34 Lenovo's "Analytic Maturity Model" 35 Building the Data Warehouse 37 The BENS "BRN" Story 38 Implications for Big Data Investments 40 (Aside: What's Big Data?) 42 Supporting Ad Hoc Approaches to Defining Data Requirements 44 Managing External Sources 46 Chapter 3 Operational Flexibility-Don't Analyze What You Can't Act On 49 A "Common Requirements Framework" 50 Targeting 51 Content 52 Channels 53 Analysis and Testing 54 A Summary Picture 55 What's Right for You? 55 Integrating Analytics into Operational Capability Planning 56 Chapter 4 People and Organization-Cultivate "Analytic Marketers" 59 Recruiting 60 Skill Mix 62 Developing 64 Organizing for Analytics 65 Part II Practical Analytics: Proven Techniques and Heuristics 71 Chapter 5 Practical Frameworks-For Getting On the Same Page 73 The Analytic Brief 73 Chapter 6 Practical Research-Beyond Studies for Studies' Sake 89 Chapter 7 Practical Analytics-Knowing When to Say When 95 Evaluating Performance 95 Do the Math 99 Proceed Iteratively 100 Interpolate Estimates 101 Model Iteratively 103 Assessing Solution Tradeoffs 104 Chapter 8 Practical Testing-An Underused Approach to Insight 107 Chapter 9 The Importance-and Limitations-of Storytelling 111 Chapter 10 Managing Bias-Like Air, Invisible and Everywhere 117 Part III Making Progress 123 Chapter 11 Managing Pace and Results-Momentum Is Strategic 125 "Time is the fire in which we burn" 125 Keeping Score 127 Investing in Capabilities vs. Harvesting Results 128 Chapter 12 Governance Models-Because Analytics Are Political 133 Chapter 13 "Culturelytics"-A Practical Formula for Change 137 Part IV Conversations with Practitioners 141 Chapter 14 Conversations with Practitioners 143 Paul Magill, Abbott 143 Doug Collier, La-Z-Boy Incorporated 147 Scott McDonald, Conde Nast Publications 154 Melanie Murphy, Bed Bath & Beyond 161 David Norton, MDC Partners, Harrah's 166 Rob Schmults, Talbots 171 Annemarie Frank, HSN 177 Judah Phillips, SMARTCURRENT 182 Latham Arneson, Paramount Pictures 190 Mohammed Chaara, Lenovo 193 Belinda Lang, Belinda Lang Consulting, Aetna 199 Thomas White, TIAA-CREF 206 Perry Hewitt, Harvard University 210 Todd Purcell, The Hartford 214 Ben Clark, Wayfair 219 Index 225.

Solid ideas and experiences, well-told, for executives who need higher returns from their analytic investments. Captures many best practices that are consistent with our own experiences at Bain & Company, helping clients develop actionable strategies that deliver sustainable results.”

MARK310