IMPACT COMMUNICATION
AND INNOVATION
AND INNOVATION
On Monday, the 20th, writer and speaker Martha Gabriel, an expert in digital marketing, innovation, and education, led the workshop "Research Methodologies Using Big Data" in partnership with the TIDD (Intelligence Technologies and Digital Design) graduate program at PUC-SP. The author of the bestseller "Marketing in the Digital Age" discussed the importance of academic researchers having access to tools and methodologies focused on measurement through big data—that is, large volumes of unstructured data that require computational analysis to reveal trends, patterns, and associations.
Martha began by explaining that measurement is only possible once metrics are defined, meaning that a critical eye and precise specifications are essential for analyzing data within its proper context. Regarding social media, she noted that some applications of big data involve monitoring and analyzing content to create specific strategies or manage crises. She pointed out that because the internet places all users on a horizontal playing field, crises are becoming increasingly frequent.
Martha highlighted the problem of misinformation generated by this horizontal nature of internet users, which is the context behind today's fake news. In a series of content pieces produced in partnership with LinkedIn, the writer comments on this current moment of stupidity we are experiencing:
During the 20th century, studies show that IQ consistently increased worldwide, by an average of three points per decade—a phenomenon known as the "Flynn Effect." However, evidence from IQ measurements in the UK, Denmark, and Australia shows declines over the last decade, indicating a reversal of the process, dubbed the "Reverse Flynn Effect." The situation is compounded by a study conducted by the University of Hartford, which points out that study conducted by the University of Hartford, which points out that the IQ has been declining for much longer.
(...) Another justification for the drop in IQ is related to technological evolution: with techno-social advancement, life has become easier and safer, no longer requiring improvements in intelligence to ensure survival. For example, an analytical error while hunting for food in prehistoric times could mean death; today, a mistake while shopping at the supermarket tends to be insignificant in our lives. Some more radical schools of thought believe that the peak of pure human cognitive capacity (analyzing, facing, and overcoming an unknown problem) occurred long before the digital revolution—about a hundred years ago, according to researcher Michael Woodley, or even thousands of years ago, according to biologist Gerald Crabtree. This makes sense if we consider that technological advancement gradually simplifies and facilitates our lives while, paradoxically, also increasing the complexity of the world. The result is that individuals find it increasingly difficult to understand and master the processes around them on their own, leading to a diminished holistic view and a reduced capacity to solve novel problems, creating segmentation and specialization.
Martha points out that due to the conveniences brought by technological evolution, we have not only seen a decrease in our IQ (which, while not an absolute metric for quantifying human intelligence, is still a reference point) but we are also becoming less critical. This is her justification for why critical thinking, even more than creativity, is the most important quality a professional of the future must possess to overcome competition from machines. "We live in a scenario of information overload, and that information is fragmented. We receive messages and content on WhatsApp, Facebook, email, Twitter... It's impossible to pay attention, so the strategy becomes making content easier to consume, and as a consequence, we generate a 'dumbing down' of people," the speaker commented, adding the comparison that a speech by American President Abraham Lincoln used to be written with a level of complexity understandable to a 17-year-old. Today, however, Donald Trump's speeches are understandable to 9 or 10-year-olds.
In this sense, the importance of monitoring online content allows us to better manage the scenario we are in or wish to study as researchers. Martha cites Peter Drucker, who said, "You can't manage what you can't measure." Insights generated from this monitoring serve to create strategies that persuade people to act, track performance (for example, of a campaign or published content), and provide information to avoid or manage image crises. Although this was not the main topic at the time, Martha emphasized that, ultimately, if a person publishes a lot of high-quality content, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to get caught in an image crisis because detractors get lost in a multitude of positive references.
Furthermore, measuring on the internet also means creating more opportunities to develop or improve products, as it is possible to better understand the audience and then plan more accurate communication and marketing actions. Finally, monitoring online content also helps identify influential people and, based on them, outline a communication strategy that reinforces what and whom is most convenient, even when that means monitoring the competition to learn from them and apply new solutions.
Martha reinforces that today, in terms of reputation, the brand is much more valuable than the company itself—it accounts for about 84% of an organization's value, meaning an image crisis can lead to a loss of about 15% in net value. With the internet, and especially social media, it has become much easier for people to get closer to brands and institutions, which has created an environment of intimacy with an audience that is no longer passive, but also a producer of content. To address this, Martha brings up the book The Cluetrain Manifesto, which addresses the power of the internet to subvert hierarchies, hence the fear institutions have of becoming more intimate with their consumers and/or having a sense of humor regarding their interactions. As the researcher points out, however, it is not about suggesting a humorous stance for the institution, but rather a lighter presence, with humility, honesty, values, and a point of view.
Now, regarding tools, Martha commented that it depends a lot on the objective, but some well-known examples are eLife, MKT2easy, Google Alerts, Web Analytics, and search engines themselves: the autocomplete feature always ends up indicating the main terms people are searching for. A tip is to try performing these searches in an incognito window, for example, so you don't end up getting results biased by the Google algorithm trained on your profile.
