Michele Kiss, Director of Digital Analytics, Red Door Interactive
San Diego, February 2012

I work in Digital Analytics. We are a relatively new field (or at least, a relatively new application of analytics) and one where I sometimes feel we don’t leverage enough of what’s been done before. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I headed off to the Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit in San Diego, to learn from a wider variety of industries, and see what they were doing with predictive analytics.

Here were a few of my key takeaways:

It’s not about the tools

I honestly thought this was just an affliction of the digital analytics industry, but it turns out, this is an issue in all area of analytics.
It’s not about the tools, it’s about two things –

1. The talent. Talent matters more than the tool. The “best tool” is one that you can hire great people to use. People are what will make analytics successful, not the tool.

2.Your needs. The “best tool” is the one that suits your business needs – not the most popular, the most expensive, or even the one with the most features. (If you don’t need those features, what’s the point?)

It is about strategy, and culture …
Success with analytics isn’t driven by the tools you buy, the process you implement, or the technology you have – it’s about culture.

The creation and hoarding of data is not what will make you successful with analytics. What matters is the consumption of analytics by the organization, and allowing data to challenge beliefs and theories. It’s not about big data – it’s about using it to make big decisions.

Case in point? Improving the efficiency of a predictive model is only worth a few percentage points in your model’s accuracy. But nailing your fundamental strategy? That’s where success comes from.

… and about communication …

Analytics is also destined to fail if it’s not communicated well. This is often where hiring for analytics fails: too often, analysts are hired who can’t communicate with others in the organization. If anyone walks out of a meeting after an analytics presentation and doesn’t know the outcome or the next steps, that’s not their fault – it’s our fault.

Businesses today are in a difficult situation – we have too much data, yet too little knowledge. Analytics is critical to helping to understand what’s important, draw insight out of volumes of data, but without the right people and the right communication, you’ll never see that value.

Digital Measurement: Current Challenges and Emerging Opportunities

How does your comprehensive digital program measure up?

During any recession, the need to measure the profitability of online initiatives becomes even more important for your business. What types of traffic acquisition are working? Is your business converting potential customers into sales or leads? Are visitors engaged on your website? What is the overall profitability of your online efforts?

Because the online world changes fast, there will always be new digital measurement challenges. Are my social media efforts successful? From desktop to tablet to smart phone to gaming device, how can I track my customers? Is my buget best spent on traditional or online or social media branding and acquisition initiatives? How will the proposed “Do Not Track” and consumer privacy regulation affect your ability to measure your business?

In this lively discussion, our panel of experts will discuss the successes, challenges and opportunities in measuring online acquisition through website, mobile and social media behavior to get a 360 degree view of our customers. They will also will discuss and share what they are doing to prepare for the potential regulation of online tracking and data collection.

Topics Include:

• Website analysis and optimization
• Measuring mobile initiatives: successes, challenges and opportunities
• Data overload? How to identify what you should measure
• New analytics tools and capabilities
• Social media: moving from just getting involved to measuring your success
• Potential consumer privacy regulations and what they mean for your company

SAVE THE DATE
The San Diego event will be held on Tuesday, April 12th; and the Denver event will be Thursday, April 14th.

8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:00 – 10:00 AM Presentation & Questions
10:00 – 10:30 AM Networking

Who Should Attend: Digital Analytics professionals, Marketing execs, CMOs, Marketing Managers, Social Media Managers, Product Managers & Brand Managers for national consumer brands and retailers.

Red Door Interactive is excited to kick off the year with the first of our Speaker Series events for 2011. Our event will focus on Practical Approaches to the Vast Possibilities in Mobile.

Think deeper than 2011 being the year of mobile.

We’re living in a unique moment in time where new mobile technology is reaching an adoption level that opens the door to tremendously powerful business opportunities for the future. Join us for a compelling and informative session that will provide examples of the truly pioneering, as well as, practical possibilities in mobile marketing and offer specific tools, techniques and strategies to help you create or advance your successful mobile strategy.

Topic Points:

• The vast and practical possibilities in mobile
• When does mobile make more sense than existing marketing efforts?
• Developing a mobile strategy
• Tools and resources that are available in mobile from free to enterprise level
• Putting it all together to create or advance your mobile strategy
• Metrics that brands are using to measure ROI
• What won’t be around in 2 years?

SAVE THE DATE
The San Diego event will be held on Tuesday, January 25; and the Denver event will be Thursday, January 27.

8:30 – 9:00 AM Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:00 – 10:00 AM Presentation & Questions
10:00 – 10:30 AM Networking

We look forward to seeing you!

Learn how to develop a Twitter-specific social media strategy from concept, to execution to measurement with Red Door social media strategist, Crosby Noricks.

Do you crack jokes that include the words “fail whale?” Find yourself spending Sunday nights tweeting away about the latest episode of #trueblood? It might be a bit embarrassing to admit it to your significant other, or explain it to your CEO, but used correctly, Twitter has some pretty serious benefits for businesses and individuals alike.

Twitter is a powerful communications tool that every business can leverage and is becoming a core component of many brand’s overall promotional strategy. Businesses are successfully using twitter to build community, better connect with customers, and participate in brand conversations online. These insights help a smart business glean valuable information to inform future strategy.

We invite you to join us and the San Diego Ad Club on Friday September 25! Our social media strategist Crosby Noricks will teach you how to develop a Twitter-specific social media strategy from concept, to execution to measurement. Learn how companies, including several here in San Diego, are successfully using Twitter to meet their online business objectives.

You will learn:
• Key questions to ask when developing a Twitter strategy
• The different between a Twitter strategy and a Twitter campaign strategy – and why you need both
• Recommended management, monitoring and measurement tools
• How to integrate Twitter into an overall social media or online promotional strategy

When: Friday, September 25, 2009 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Where:
Courtyard by Marriott
595 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, California 92108

Things to do Fridays is a weekly post of local events in San Diego for the week ahead. If you are interested in submitting your event, please email cnoricks[at]reddoor.biz for consideration.

February 27 - San Diego’s longest running SciFi and Fantasy convention CONDOR starts today at the Handlery Hotel and Resort

February 28 – Juno Award Winning and Grammy Nominated 5-member Canadian folk-rock-Celtic-old time-bluegrass group, The Duhks, play Acoustic Music San Diego

March 1 – First annual Doggie Street Fair: entertainment, exhibits, pet obedience demonstrations, vendors with pet related products and services, contests, including best dressed dog, best pet trick, and owner pet look-alike competition. Breed specific rescue groups and local shelters will have booths and information on pet adoption.

Keep the family fun going and head over to Coronado for opening night of The Wizard of OZ

March 5 - AEA San Diego: “More Than a Color: Learn Best Green HR Practices from Local Executives Leading the Way”

March 5,6 – Gather at the independent La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas to watch The Present, a surf film by Thomas Campbell, maker of Sprout and The Seedling. The Mattson 2, who performed at the Red Door holiday party, has songs featured in the film and will perform live. For tickets and more information, visit the the Cardiff Patagonia store.  Speaking of Patagonia, corporate has a Twitter @cleanestline

Things to do Fridays is a weekly post of local events in San Diego for the week ahead. If you are interested in submitting your event, please email cnoricks[at]reddoor.biz for consideration.

December 21 – Flashing. Lights – it’s your last opportunity to see the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. Fireworks begin at 5:30pm and the Light Parade begins immediately following fireworks.

December 24/25 – Christmas! If you don’t have plans or don’t celebrate the jolly ho ho ho, check out which San Diego resturaunts will be open that day and enjoy a tasty meal. Also consider one of the 11 movies that are set to open around the 24-26.

December 28 – This is the last night to catch Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! at the Old Globe, as well as It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the Cygnett Theater. The San Diego blog has details.

Happy Holidays from Red Door!

Things to do Fridays is a weekly post of local events in San Diego for the week ahead. If you are interested in submitting your event, please email cnoricks[at]reddoor.biz for consideration.

December 12 - If you are lucky enough to be a Red Door employee or count one among your closest friends, you just might be spending Friday night at the House of Blues’ Delta Room for the annual RDI Holiday Party.

December 14 -  Holiday gift shop while supporting local independent fashion designers at THREAD. Over 1500 people have already purchased tickets for the hourly fashion shows (12-4p.m.) and are ready to storm the Sheraton for 80% off.

December 16 - PRSA New Pros is designed for professionals in the public relations industry with less than five years experience. Head over to Las Hadas in the Gaslamp for their A Holly Jolly Holiday Mixer.

December 17 – The Salvation Army Kroc Center’s Jingle Bell Kroc Christmas Festival starts at 4:30 pm and is FREE with the donation of a new unwrapped toy. Ice Skating, Arts and Crafts, Hot Chocolate, Photos with Santa, Figure Skating Show, Cookie Decorating…a pretty good reason to leave work early no?

Things to do Fridays is a weekly post of local events in San Diego for the week ahead. If you are interested in submitting your event, please email cnoricks[at]reddoor.biz for consideration.

December 5 – December Nights launches its 31′st consecutive season, starting at 5 p.m.at Balboa Park. More than 300,000 people are expected over the 2-day event so show up early and be prepared to park in the outskirts of Banker’s Hill if you don’t! For extra information, follow @decembernights on Twitter.

December 6 – Enjoy more San Diego community fun and support local businesses at the South Park Holiday Walk About. If you go, stop by the JUNC boutique (next to Citizen Video) to check out the “Partridge in a Pear Tree” art show, where a certain Red Door employee has a painting on display!

December 10 – Take a break from all the holiday hoopla and support local media at the BizSanDiego Annversary Party, hosted by StartupSD. The party kicks off at the swank Jsix at The Hotel Solamar at 6 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear red and make a donation to the American Heart Association.