Magic Numbers: Vanessa Watts on Balancing the Art with the Science

Vanessa, EVP, head of media, data & analytics at LC, has over 25 years of media experience spanning social, digital and traditional media buying and planning, for high-profile agencies (both integrated and media independent), as well as client-side. She has extensive experience working with CPG, food & beverage and heritage brands, as well as retail, tourism and financial services industries. She loves to travel far and wide, and began her career in Sydney, Australia.

LBB> What’s the number one question that clients are coming to you with when it comes to how they can better use data to enhance the creativity of their content and experiences?

Vanessa> I think there are still a lot of clients that don’t even know where to start. That puts us in a strong position to add value and be helpful. We’ve used data to tell us what’s working, what’s not, what customers are wanting. Data can tell us when creative is no longer driving the response that we’re looking for – and it can inform what type of messaging/content we think will be most motivating.   

LBB> How can you make sure that data is elevating creative rather than forming a wind tunnel effect and knocking all the interesting or unique edges off that make something distinctive?

Vanessa> Data can/should be used to enhance a campaign concept that already exists. Data can inform how a campaign can be translated into digital and social. For example, how do we take the main idea and translate it into different creative formats? How do we take the main message and use data to inform variables like the call to action? And then data can be used to inform optimisations over time. It’s about balancing the art with the science which is how we’ve always approached it – but now the science is just more robust!

LBB> Can you share with us any examples of projects you’ve worked on where the data really helped boost the creative output in a really exciting way?

Vanessa> For Jewelers Mutual insurance – we used 1st party data to identify a new opportunity audience, which allowed us to design a new campaign and message specific to this target. This new audience drove a significant increase in engagements and ended up accounting for 30% of new policy growth.

We’ve also used social data to identify trending topics – which has informed our organic content strategy for Vienna Beef. We’ve seen tremendous success with recent posts – and have increased the company’s social community by double digits.

I didn’t work on this (I wish I had) – but one of the most fun and effective uses of data-informed creative has to be “Spotify Wrapped.” The Spotify Wrapped site generates your most-listened-to songs, albums, podcasts and artists of the year – giving you a personalised deep-dive into how your listening stacks up against the masses. It also curates a playlist so you can relive your year in music. In 2022, Wrapped included new features like a Myers-Briggs style “listening” personality type and a tracker of how a listener's musical mood changes over the course of a day – tapping into the very real truth that we love to learn about ourselves. The insights gleaned from the data came to life in the creative campaign – which generated fantastic results – with 425MM tweets about Spotify Wrapped in just the first three days of launch and engagement rates that were up double digits over 2021’s Wrapped. 

LBB> More brands are working to create their own first party data practice - how can a brand figure out whether that’s something that is relevant or important for their business?

Vanessa> Every brand should be investing in a first party data practice. Full stop. First party data is marketing gold. Your customers are actively sharing their likes and dislikes, their habits, their needs – it's a goldmine of information. Not only that – but with the proliferation of cookies, first party data will be essential for effective digital engagement. 

LBB> We talk about data driving creativity, but what are your thoughts about approaching the use of data in a creative way?

Vanessa> You need a starting point to understand what kind of things we want to learn about creative performance – and how we are going to use those insights. It’s not just about having lots of data – but making that data useful.   

LBB> "Lies, damned lies, and statistics" - how can brands and creative make sure that they’re really seeing what they think they’re seeing (or want to see) in the data, or that they’re not misusing data?

Vanessa> First of all – you need to start with a statistically significant set of data – so you aren’t drawing insights and conclusions from a small pool of numbers. Second – you can validate initial theories with A/B testing or focus groups, etc. You no longer have to produce an entire campaign and see how it goes – the digital sphere has made it easier to float new ideas to see how people react. 

LBB> What are your thoughts about trust in data - to what extent is uncertainty and a lack of trust in data (or data sources) an issue and what are your thoughts on that?

Vanessa> You should always be somewhat sceptical of data – because nothing is perfect or 100%. However, that doesn’t mean you can assume that all data points are wrong or untrustworthy. By understanding HOW the data was collected and analysed, you can gauge your confidence in the insights you’re seeing.

LBB> With so many different regulatory systems in different markets regarding data and privacy around the world - as well as different cultural views about privacy - what’s the key to creating a joined up data strategy at a global level that’s also adaptable to local nuances?

Vanessa> You have to plan for the most strict regulatory rules – and then adapt from there for local conditions. That way you’re covered at the most basic level. For clients, having a data compliance policy in place is also essential – it ensures that clients are adhering to customers' privacy demands and also provides transparency.   

LBB> What does a responsible data practice look like?

Vanessa> It’s all about ethical and transparent practices. That’s how you build and maintain customer trust. 

LBB> In your view, what’s the biggest misconception people have around the use of data in marketing?

Vanessa> Using just a single source or type of data – and not ensuring your first party data is regularly updated. Incorrect customer data is a waste of money – and can lead to ineffective marketing efforts across the board. And not investing in new sources of data collection or ways to use that data is just as much of a concern. 

LBB> In terms of live issues in the field, what are the debates or developments that we should be paying attention to right now?

Vanessa> The use of AI in creative analysis deserves attention now. There are companies that are investing in tech that can identify differences in visuals – to identify the impact of those differences. This can allow advertisers / agencies to understand the performance impact of things like tone of voice, the number and type of people in ads, etc. This is a whole new ball game for creative analysis and can expand the type of personalisation that can be delivered to the end user.