Big data has transformed the way we do business. It’s changing the game of marketing to the point that long-held maxims are no longer true.

Previously, marketing was considered a fixed cost. But thanks to constantly incoming data, marketers can use instant feedback to pivot campaigns. The success of coupons used to be judged based on how many were redeemed; now we can see that even customers who don’t use the coupons they’re sent increase their spending. And television advertising isn’t dead: It improves the effectiveness of paid search and display ads down the line.

In this Three Things video, Darden Professor Raj Venkatesan explains how big data is shattering major myths about marketing.

 
About the Expert

Rajkumar Venkatesan

Ronald Trzcinski Professor of Business Administration

Venkatesan is an expert in customer relationship management, marketing metrics and analytics, and mobile marketing.

Venkatesan’s research focuses on developing customer-centric marketing strategies that provide measurable financial results. In his research, he aims to balance quantitative rigor and strategic relevance.

In 2012 Venkatesan published “Coupons Are Not Just for Cutting Prices” in Harvard Business Review. He also co-wrote “Measuring and Managing Returns From Retailer-Customized Coupon Campaigns,” published in the Journal of Marketing in 2012. He is co-author of the book Cutting-Edge Marketing Analytics: Real World Cases and Data Sets for Hands-on Learning.

B.E., Computer Science, University of Madras, India; Ph.D., Marketing, University of Houston

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