Dave Trott wades into data debate

Another week, another adman sticks his oar into the age-old debate over data versus creativity, with Dave Trott declaring that “the data won’t do it for you”.
In a blog-post on the Gate Worlwide site, former Madison Avenue chief Trott – who co-founded GGT and Bainsfair Sharkey Trott – uses his trademark John Steinbeck-style to pose and then answer the questions surrounding the issue.
Echoing the sentiments of John Hegarty, who recently claimed “data creates nothing”, Trott writes: “Data is a tool. A really useful tool. But like any tool it doesn’t actually do any work itself. It needs someone with creativity to do that. Data doesn’t do anything on its own.”
He adds: “Many years ago, data told Bill Bernbach that VW were selling very few cars in the USA. Data told him most people wanted big cars from Detroit. The data didn’t tell him how to make people want Volkswagens.
“Data told Steve Jobs most of his sales opportunities were in iPods. Data made absolutely no mention of mobile phones. How could it, Apple didn’t even make mobile phones? Data didn’t tell Steve Jobs he should start making mobile phones.
“We’re always looking for the next new thing that will give us an advantage over our competitors. But the trouble is, as soon as we’ve got it they’ve got it. Then it’s back to doing the difficult bit, the hard work. Out-thinking our competitors. And the data won’t do that for us. Creativity will, and that is all about what we do with the data.”
Most people in the data-driven marketing industry would be hard-pushed to disagree with his views. The real question is, however, who is best placed to find the nuggets from the data – adland or the data industry?

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