Fighting Data Dragons Together
Data Clouds are the Marketer’s Opportunity to Bet on Facts
Like an overtold dad joke, I often retell my teams: “I’m so old that my first big marketing job was helping consumers migrate from writing checks to using plastic at the grocery store.” Some might ask, What’s a check? or even What’s plastic? I go on to explain my next big challenge—getting people to trust shopping online. Around that same time, I first partnered with our analytics team to learn how to build targeted mailing plans and pilot look-alike models. The year was 1999, and Britney Spears’ "...Baby One More Time" was topping the charts.
Fast forward to 2020’s, and Taylor Swift updated "All Too Well" with a line that many marketers can relate to amid the relentless pace of change we’re experiencing today: “Time won’t fly; it’s like I’m paralyzed by it. I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it.”
There’s an infectious energy about it all though - much like attending an Eras Tour concert. Data, technology, and AI are speeding things up, changing the game. Diving in, singing along, and understanding it all too well has become essential for success.
A few years ago, I began leaning into the concept of data clouds and data platforms—learning what they are, what they can do, and how to best leverage them. For me, the easiest way to unpack complex ideas is through analogies (and song lyrics). As the wife of a stroke survivor, I’ve learned a bit about the brain’s Ring of Willis, the network of arteries that regulates blood flow, adapting as needed when circumstances change.
In a business context, a data cloud system functions much like the Ring of Willis. It circulates data—the lifeblood of any modern organization—seamlessly and securely, powering informed decision-making at every level. Just as the brain relies on the Ring of Willis for steady blood flow, organizations depend on data clouds to channel critical information to their operational "brains," creating an agile infrastructure that adapts to fluctuations in demand or risk.
Much like the Ring of Willis offers redundancies to guard against disruptions, a data cloud system enables consistent data access, even during high demand or unexpected challenges. With robust integration, data flows from every department—marketing, sales, finance, customer service, and more—into a centralized repository accessible in real-time. This empowers companies to act quickly, as data can be analyzed, processed, and transformed into actionable insights on the spot. The system’s flexibility allows for dynamic scaling, accommodating increasing data volumes and complex queries, ensuring decision-making remains smooth and uninterrupted.
In addition to redundancy, a data cloud system provides a form of “automatic adaptability,” akin to how the Ring of Willis redirects blood flow as needed. This adaptability is built on the cloud’s ability to run complex algorithms and machine learning models, processing vast quantities of data to detect emerging patterns, potential risks, and new opportunities. For instance, a marketing team might gain insights into shifting customer preferences, while the finance team simultaneously analyzes transaction data for operational inefficiencies. When these insights reach the organization’s “brain”—its executive leadership or data science team—they guide decisions that can enhance competitive advantage.
Security is another key feature of modern data cloud systems, functioning like the protective role of the Ring of Willis. By encrypting data, managing permissions, and constantly monitoring for unusual activity, data clouds create a safe environment for storage and access. This security ensures compliance with data privacy regulations and reduces the risk of breaches, allowing companies to handle sensitive information with confidence.
Finally, data cloud systems streamline workflows to optimize performance across departments, much like the Ring of Willis maximizes circulatory efficiency. With data unified in a central cloud platform, teams can draw from a “single source of truth,” eliminating the silos that traditionally slow down insights. The entire organization can make faster, more informed decisions, minimizing costly errors and maximizing growth opportunities.
In essence, a data cloud system is the vital infrastructure that keeps a business’s data flowing smoothly, mirroring the functions of the human brain’s Ring of Willis. By supporting secure, adaptive, and continuous access to data, it serves as a company’s central nervous system, ensuring insights reach every part of the organization, keeping it agile, resilient, and prepared for whatever challenges or opportunities arise.
What’s Next for Marketers?
As we build our own “Ring of Willis” for data, the process requires time and collaboration. Alignment is key, as is teamwork across the organization to create a shared understanding around data and primary sources. Then comes identifying the use cases that pull together multiple data sources, leverage trusted layers of AI, and ultimately help us connect with customers on a deeper level. Building out your data cloud could be the key to scaling growth in the future.
Let’s fight some data dragons together. Long live all the magic we can make.
