When the circumstances around us become so intertwined that it becomes difficult to predict the future, it is common to look to history for answers. You can understand the future by analyzing history. Is that really the case?
Learning from history = analysis?
In order to get hints for their own actions, many people read historical novels, especially analyzing the actions of Sengoku period warlords and using them as models.
The wisdom of our ancestors is undoubtedly great.
However, historical novels are simply novels based on historical facts.
Therefore, I think that in order to enjoy the story, there are often some dramatized parts included.
Furthermore, even works that depict the same historical facts can have very different impressions depending on the setting of the main character and the level of granularity with which historical facts are captured.
For example, even in “Nobunaga’s Great Deeds”, is the story told from Nobunaga’s perspective, or is it seen from the perspective of Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, and Mitsuhide, or is it a story that exposes Nobunaga from the background of the time? It seems that the information you can get will change considerably depending on the story.
In this way, even a single historical fact is unstable and has various interpretations, for example, can we say that what is derived from the information provided by different authors is “the result of analysis”?
Rather than “analysis,” it would be more appropriate to say that I learned about phenomena that I could use for myself from historical facts.
“Aggregation” called “Analysis”
On a different note, when you engage in marketing activities, you will be surrounded by a lot of numbers.
If you take any action, whether you like it or not, numbers will continue to accrue as a result of your actions.
However, these numbers can sometimes tell us something very useful. Collecting and analyzing information generated from activities allows us to understand the current situation, and as a result, it can be useful for predicting the future.
However, sometimes people who work with data say, “I’m going to analyze numbers,” but they also summarize it neatly in graphs or tables and say, “I analyzed it!” But unfortunately, that’s not true. It’s just a “tally”, isn’t it?
“Analysis” required in the field
When we hear the word “analysis,” many different words come to mind, such as market analysis, quantitative analysis, and qualitative analysis.
However, what exactly is the “analysis” that is truly necessary in the field? We believe that this is “the work we do to make the right decisions.”
Unless you make a decision at any time, you will not be able to take the next action. If no decisions are made, the ongoing project will remain at a standstill.
In other words, decisions must be made in order to move things forward. For this purpose, “analysis” is what we do to obtain the correct information, understand the current situation (aggregation), and move things forward in order to create the future.
Purpose of analysis
In recent years, digitalization of marketing has progressed and it has become possible to obtain a lot of information.
However, simply collecting this information does not tell us anything.
Of course, there are methods that make analysis itself an objective, such as “If I look at a large number of numbers, I might be able to come up with an answer.” However, what I am talking about in this corner is “What kind of analysis is required in fieldwork?” “that’s why. Purposeful analysis is a little different from analysis for the sake of enjoyment.
summary
On-site analysis has a clear purpose: to make the right decisions and “move things forward.” Therefore, it is important to collect the necessary information accurately and with a purpose.
Therefore, in order to make the right decisions, I think the following three abilities are required.
- The ability to set the purpose of analysis
- Ability to judge what kind of information is needed for analysis to make decisions
- Ability to read conclusions from aggregation
In order to move the field forward, let’s conduct efficient analysis, cut off our own hesitations, and move forward.
profile
ProFuture Co., Ltd. Marketing Solution Department Fellow Takayuki Matano
Joined Oracle in October 2000. Since then, he has worked in the marketing department for 17 years.
For many years, he has been in charge of campaigns for various Oracle products, as well as
Promotes large-scale events and corporate events such as Oracle OpenWorld Tokyo.
Launching an in-house shared services program,
Planning of marketing platform integration program,
Alliance marketing with partner companies, etc.
Develop and develop internal and external marketing mechanisms.
After that, while working for a major ITSler, he became a fellow at ProFuture Inc.