Hi Scott, could tell us about you your journey in technology? What challenges did the Covid-19 pandemic pose for your team?
As a statistician, technology has always been key to my job, from Minitab at university, through a long love affair with SAS to new tools like R and Python. Now that I don’t “do” very much, the key for me on tech is about how it drives efficiency.
There were two main pandemic impacts:
- How do we ensure everyone can work as effectively from home (a tech and connectivity issue) and
- How do we ensure we keep the money coming in to pay everyone!
I think we dealt with both very well: it wasn’t easy but it was necessary.
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What sets the Read Group apart from the competition?
We have a lot of competitors who do very similar to what we do. Clearly good people are always a differentiator, but everyone would say that. Where we win at present is generally around openness and transparency, particularly on the data we provide.
How do you envisage Market Intelligence and Insights sector evolving, in the years to come?
It’s odd in that 30 years after I started in this industry, people with the ability to both do the insight and present are still well sought after. The key question for the sector is how does that problem get solved – split the roles? Better tools for presenting outcomes? More automation of tasks meaning more time for analysis and presentation? I feel like this problem has not been solved but should be – maybe in my lifetime!
What 3 things that business owners can do to optimize their digital outreach?
Listen – what do your customers want from you?
Interpret – be honest about what you hear.
Learn – by combining these two things, what should I focus on? Know your audience, know what interests them and stick to where you can help.
Overall, too many businesses want to be everything to everyone but your customers don’t want that, they want you to be great at the thing you do for them.
As a business leader, what metrics do you use to define success?
A mixture of hard and soft metrics. I like a balanced scorecard (I’m a statistician after all) but always fear that just looks at what can be measured. It is also important to try and understand the softer metrics – how are people (staff and customers) feeling? What concerns are bubbling? Are we listening enough?
How do you see Marketing Automation impacting the traditional Sales and Marketing funnels?
Massively. I feel like we have barely scratched the surface here, we have been inching forward on automation for years but the biggest crisis is still lack of bodies! The tech is threatening to take over, but maybe we are still too reluctant to let to happen.
Could you name one person from the MarTech sector, that you would like to see featured here?
Nuala Kennedy, Chief Data Officer at People’s Postcode Lottery.
Could you name the Top 5 apps/platforms that you use for marketing?
Apteco FastStats
Tableau
SAS/R/Python
Adobe
Pearlfinders
What advice would you give to someone who aspires to be a Business Leader?
Be true to yourself. If you try and live up to others’ expectations, you will probably fail. Set your own goals, live to your own morals and treat others like you would like to be treated. As a general rule, business lacks humanity.
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