Grow VC Group
  • Home
  • Group
  • Team
  • FAQ
  • Join Us
  • Trainee Program
  • Contact
  • News

Data must be an enabler, not an optimizer

11/5/2017

Comments

 
Everyone today knows data has a lot of value. Ten years ago, we developed a market slogan for our then data analytics company - “data is the black gold of the 21st century.” Nowadays, almost all companies share that sentiment. But it is not so simple. Oil became the black gold because it enabled freedom. The data business must achieve the same.

“We try to collect all possible data, and then we find a model to monetize it, maybe sell to advertisers,” is a common sentence in many business plans. “We help companies monetize their data,” is another typical value promise. “Let’s offer our solutions for free, if we can get the data,” is a ‘sales strategy’.

Is it so simple that you offer software, apps, and services to consumers and companies, utilize their data and create a big business? It really isn’t that simple anymore, because
  1. so many parties want that data,
  2. most users are becoming smarter with their data and asking more questions about their data,
  3. data doesn’t have uniform value,
  4. authorities create rules about the use of data, and especially
  5. most data utilization is marginal optimization, not real value to customers.

Let’s think about some examples. Media companies and their analytics partners seem to be very keen to utilize all data they have from their subscribers and online visitors. Then they use this data to target their own marketing activities, but especially offer better targeting to advertisers. This is mainly outside the consumer’s control, and media companies possibly try to claim that the value the consumer gets is more relevant advertising. But I wonder how many consumers really feel they are provided value by getting more targeted boring banners or an ad video. No wonder consumers hate it when these media companies talk about monetizing their data.

Retail loyalty program analytics became popular globally particularly based on Tesco’s success story in the UK. Tesco doesn’t do so well anymore, and its competitive advantage based on loyalty program analytics has disappeared, when many others do the same and when competitors offer lower prices always to everyone; why would you follow personalized discounts?

Finance institutions and credit scoring companies collect data specifically to manage risks, for example, to decide, if a customer is allowed to get a loan. There are several new credit scoring companies, especially in the emerging market, but also in developed countries, that collect much richer data, e.g. social media, mobile and finance apps data. Typically, consumers don’t even exactly know what data is collected and how it is used. Or the consumer learns about the data when hackers steal it, like from credit rating agency Equifax. One could also say that the use of this data is very one-sided. Finance institutions use this to make decisions about customers and product offering for them, but it doesn’t really help customers to find the best deals.

Read the whole article on Prifina Blog.
Picture
Comments

    About

    Est. 2009 Grow VC Group is building truly global digital businesses. The focus is especially on digitization, data and fintech services. We have very hands-on approach to build businesses and we always want to make them global, scale-up and have the real entrepreneurial spirit.​

    Read the latest Grow VC Group  FinTech, distributed and crypto finance, and blockchain report
    Read the AI, Asia and FinTech report - including comments about potential trade wars.
    Download

    Research Report 1/2018: Distributed Technologies - Changing Finance and the Internet 


    ​Research Report 1/2017: Machines, Asia And Fintech:
    Rise of Globalization and
    Protectionism as a
    Consequence


    Fintech Hybrid Finance Whitepaper

    ​Fintech And Digital Finance Insight & Vision Whitepaper


    Learn More About Our Companies:
    • Difitek
    • Prifina​
    • RE Bearing
    • Token Index Fund
    • Startup Commons
    • Lost in Translations
    • Robocorp
    • Nodi Liber​

    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    Difitek
    Grow VC Group
    Robocorp

    RSS Feed

Digital Intelligence Globally
Picture
© 2009-2023 Grow VC Operations Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Group
  • Team
  • FAQ
  • Join Us
  • Trainee Program
  • Contact
  • News