When you think of Big Data and data mining, the process of gathering information that people freely give online, you think cutting edge. In a company’s perspective, cutting edge may be exciting, or it could be disastrous. Carpe diem may be only useful for the few bold people who choose to do it, but for companies there’s more at stake. Companies have constituencies like employees, shareholders, consumers, groups whose livelihood may depend on the outcome of a company’s choices. The New York Times may have crowned this era “The Age of Big Data”, but the field itself may not be conducive to all companies. In order to help understand the relationship between Big Data and two big Atlanta companies Dr. Shamp’s NMI graduate class took a rare field trip into the belly of the beast.
For Moxie Interactive in Atlanta, GA, the future of Big Data could not be more exciting. The digital advertising agency has created campaigns for some of today’s biggest brands including Coca-Cola, L’Oreal, and Verizon Wireless. Their work focuses specifically on online ventures like digital ads and social media, and their sleek, industrial warehouse space reflects the urban coolness of their campaigns. For them, Big Data is the future, but it’s up to the companies to opt in or not.
Moxie’s inspiration comes from companies like the South Korean grocery store, Tesco, whose radical digital approach means that South Koreans can drag their smartphones over pictures of grocery store items plastered on a subway wall, and those items will be shipped to their house. It’s a “virtual store,” and it’s a trend that Moxie has definitely taken notice of.
It’s Moxie’s job to keep up on all the latest developments in online media, and they use this information to give their clients a wide array of options that could best fit whatever brand a campaign is focused on. Clients like Verizon Wireless, whose brand is built on cutting edge technology, may be interested in using untested methods like Big Data and data mining, but Moxie understands that all companies may not have the resources or desire to take that leap.
This is the case for a company like Chick-fil-A, who has all the resources but none of the need to branch out into Big Data. After traveling to the Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, GA, Dr. Shamp’s class could see why its employees never want to leave. Chick-fil-A has built its brand on caring about people, and its employees are no exception. In addition to providing free Chick-fil-A food for breakfast and lunch, it also provides free additional food options at their cafeteria, including truffle mac and cheese, oven roasted chicken, and the best salad bar you’ve ever seen. It provides healthy options as well and a free gym with boot camp classes during the week. So in short, Chick-fil-A won the class over pretty quickly.
Working at the Chick-fil-A headquarters comes with a lot of benefits, because Chick-fil-A strives to keep the core values that started the company. Still family-owned, Chick-fil-A is built on Christian values and great sandwiches, so the field of social media can be a little tricky. Chick-fil-A believes that a personal experience happens in person, so social media shouldn’t be the primary way of reaching people. Big Data and data mining may not be in line with Chick-fil-A’s mantra, but that doesn’t mean that Chick-fil-A ignores the changing times. The company actually has multiple social media platforms, and Chick-fil-A communicates with customers on all of them. They also respond to customer concerns, like the environmental issues with using styrofoam cups. Because of the social media chatter, Chick-fil-A now has an environmental stewardship that focuses on the recycling and sustainability of all of Chick-fil-A’s products.
Big Data is a relatively new field of customer relation. It’s an exciting opportunity, but for many companies, it may cross the line in the sand. Digital advertising agencies, like Moxie Interactive, can always give their clients the option and the trend report, but for conservative companies like Chick-fil-A, it may not matter, and they may not need it.
