Jonathan Westley, Chief Data Officer, Experian UK&I
“We have entered an exponential age”, as writer and technologist Azeem Azhar said. Ours is the first era in human history in which technology is constantly accelerating, while society and businesses struggle to keep pace.
The digital world is fast becoming a cornerstone of our global society. Almost everything we do – whether that’s work, socialising, or learning – is being reframed by how we embrace technology. I strongly believe developments in Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) mean we are on the brink of a transformative change in how our society functions, similar, or perhaps greater, in scale to the introduction of electricity. However, if we are to unlock the true potential of this digital future, we must change how we think about the fundamental building blocks of technology: data.
It is no overstatement to say that data has the capacity to transform society by distributing decision-making throughout every part of an organisation. But the positive potential of data for consumer experiences and the greater good often falls through the gaps. Many believe it is a technical, specialist subject that requires years of study to understand. At worst, it can make people think about cybercrime and big tech corporations harvesting personal data through opaque means. This in turn discourages individuals from potential careers in data or embracing data within their organisation.
Government, businesses, and the education sector have to work together to address these misconceptions and bring data out of the realm of specialists, and into the real world. The UK’s National Data Strategy is a step in the right direction, setting out a clear vision of “digital Britain” and a framework to make data more usable, accessible and available across the UK economy.
Here are four key opportunities to encourage businesses and consumers alike to embrace data.
Demonstrate the value of data for personalisation
We must highlight the business benefits of using data collection to create truly personalised and seamless customer experiences. Too often, businesses’ data processes are not joined up – leading to a clunky and interruptive experience for customers. Brands that can’t recognise individuals across channels waste spend, messaging and targeting. Seeing the same advert for a product you bought last week isn’t productive for the company or consumer.
For these companies, the challenge isn’t access to data, it’s about using it cohesively to provide a smoother digital experience. To drive buy-in for the value of data within a business, it helps to demonstrate that using data to improve personalisation is likely to boost customer experience and, ultimately, sales.
Simplify how we talk about data
Seeking consent and letting customers know what their data is being used for is already mandatory, but many companies rely on procedural and complex language to explain their data management processes. This strengthens the myth that data is a specialist field that is too complicated for the average person to engage with. We need to simplify and reframe how we talk about data management processes to consumers if we have any hope of helping people to perceive it as an accessible and interesting topic.
Using simple language to explain clearly why data is being collected feels more authentic, meaning it’s more likely to be persuasive. A polite, honest and simple explanation can inspire more trust, even when the data is being collected for marketing purposes.
Tackle ‘data career myths’
Changing attitudes to data should start in schools and universities, where many students disregard a career in data due to key misconceptions about the industry. Experian’s research found that 68% of students believe qualifications in maths or science are needed to succeed in a data role, while 72% believe specific data skills are required to apply for a data-related job. Gender also plays a role in the apprehension over data jobs, with men more likely to consider a data-related field (60% compared to 48% of women).
The reality is that in the digital economy of the future, the majority of jobs will involve data, with 234,000 vacancies currently available for data roles in the UK. To fill them, we need to dispel the myth that everyone must become a data scientist or a coder. Rather than seeing data interpretation as a specialist skill that few have, we need to shift mindsets so that it is viewed as a foundational skill. In fact, there are many data roles that do not necessarily require advanced data analytics qualifications, including data security and governance, data processors and data engineers. Even AI solutions can now be created via AI tools for non-coders.
To widen the candidate pool and ignite students’ interest in data, we also need to combat the outdated perception of data roles as ‘boring’ – in reality, many cutting-edge brands, like Google and Tesla, are based on innovative use of data. Consideration around how to broaden the appeal of data roles to entice students from a wide range of backgrounds and offer them a range of career paths will also be vital. Universities should no longer be seen as the sole source of all data candidates.
Show off the global, positive impact of data
Finally, data is too often considered in the abstract by the public. People need real-life examples to engage with, and data gives us those very insights needed to inspire public support and willpower for real action.
There’s no better way of demonstrating data’s impact on the real world than showcasing how it is helping humanity to address global crises, such as COVID-19 and climate change.
Take Experian DataLabs, which helped the NHS plan for future waves of COVID-19 cases by modelling the disease characteristics with daily updated public information. Data scientists used advanced technology and more than 10 public and proprietary data sources to create a simulator that forecasts when and where the next wave of the virus was likely to have an impact on hospital resources – helping the NHS to plan distribution and supply chain.
If we really want to inspire a change in attitude to data, we must spotlight these relatable, impactful data case studies with a clear positive societal outcome. Changing how businesses communicate about data will collectively improve society’s understanding, and our willingness to embrace its full potential.
