The Data-Centric Organization: Transforming for the Next Generation of Audience Marketing

For well over a decade, analysts have leveraged white papers like this to tell a story of how “Big Data” would soon revolutionize how companies practice advertising, marketing and virtually all other customerfacing functions.
About Techcelerate Ventures

Tech Investment and Growth Advisory for Series A in the UK, operating in £150k to £5m investment market, working with #SaaS #FinTech #HealthTech #MarketPlaces and #PropTech companies.
Data market support WINTERBERRY GROUP LLC organically technology
About Techcelerate Ventures

Tech Investment and Growth Advisory for Series A in the UK, operating in £150k to £5m investment market, working with #SaaS #FinTech #HealthTech #MarketPlaces and #PropTech companies.
Data market support WINTERBERRY GROUP LLC organically technology
<p>The Data-Centric Organization:  
Transforming for the Next Generation  
of Audience Marketing 
A WINTERBERRY GROUP WHITE PAPER  SEPTEMBER 2016
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
DATA
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   2
For well over a decade, analysts have leveraged white papers like this  
to tell a story of how “Big Data” would soon revolutionize how companies 
practice advertising, marketing and virtually all other customer- 
facing functions.
If such research has occasionally been criminally responsible for provoking 
hype and over-generalization in the marketplace, well, we’re probably as 
guilty as any. In concert with our research partners at DMA and Interactive 
Advertising Bureau, we’ve investigated the potential of data through the 
lens of supporting use cases, programmatic media strategies, supporting 
technology platforms, institutional governance structures and a multitude of 
other topics.
After so many man-hours of research, we can safely say this: enterprises are sold on both the 
potential and the real value of data. In fact, it’s no over-generalization to say that marketers and 
media companies alike have signed on for what’s effectively a data revolution, with the same 
companies working furiously—in ways that are both big and small, highly visible and lurking beneath 
the surface of complex organizational structures—to make data an integral part of how they engage 
with their respective audiences.
Many are going about that task largely in the dark, without benefit of a strategic roadmap, industry-
standard benchmarks or even, typically, a series of performance objectives tied back to their 
overarching business needs.
Though no white paper can provide all the guidance that any single data stakeholder might be 
seeking to affect such a transformation, we hope this report—a collaborative effort between 
associations representing marketers, media companies and the vast ecosystem of firms that support 
their respective efforts—can help all data users frame their efforts in the context of what’s working for 
their peers, and what’s delivering real value in a market where such can often be hard to quantify.
More importantly, we hope it furthers the industry dialogue focused on supporting the productive  
and responsible use of data—as a foundation for doing better marketing, a means of growing the 
value of media and a tool to deliver better experiences to the consumers who are such an integral 
part of the exchange.
All hype aside, that’s what the value of data is all about. We welcome your feedback.
Jonathan C. Margulies 
Managing Director, Winterberry Group 
jmargulies@winterberrygroup.com
FOREWORD
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This white paper would not have been possible without the significant contributions of more 
than 200 executive-level thought leaders—including contributors, sponsors and reviewers 
representing all segments of the advertising, marketing, media and technology industries.  
In particular, Winterberry Group is grateful to our research partners, DMA and the Interactive 
Advertising Bureau’s Data Center of Excellence including its board member companies:
We are further grateful to our independent supporting sponsors:
SUPPORTING SPONSORS: 
Additionally, we extend our deepest appreciation to the marketers, publishers, technology 
developers and service providers who contributed their time, insights and enthusiasm in support 
of our research. Though their individual names are not mentioned in this paper, they represent 
some of the most respected and innovative companies in the data-driven marketing and media 
world—including AARP, American Broadcasting Company,  American Express, Dell, Hulu, 
Macy’s, Metlife, NBC Universal, Nutrisystem, TD Ameritrade and many others. 
NOTICE
This report contains brief, selected information and analysis pertaining to the advertising, marketing, 
media and technology industries and has been prepared by Winterberry Group LLC in partnership with 
DMA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau. It does not purport to be all-inclusive or to contain all of the 
information that a prospective manager, investor or lender may require. Projections and opinions in this 
report have been prepared based on information provided by third parties. Neither Winterberry Group, 
DMA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, nor their respective sponsors make any representations or 
assurances that this information is complete or completely accurate, as it relies on self-reported data 
from industry leaders—including advertisers, marketing service providers, publishers, technology 
developers and agencies. Nor shall any of the forgoing (or their respective officers or controlling persons) 
have any liability resulting from the use of the information contained herein or otherwise supplied.
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   4
Over the past several decades, the practice of marketing has undergone a number of 
transformative shifts.
Direct marketing welcomed “digital” into the fold. Digital became “omnichannel” and, with the help 
of new technology, increasingly “programmatic” in its application. More recently, virtually all forms 
of marketing and media adopted a renewed embrace of the customer “audience” and its needs.
Underlying this evolution has been a common theme: the growing role of data. But while the 
sheer volume of audience data (and the use cases to which it’s considered addressable) have 
proliferated in recent years, the organizations that aim to use it generally haven’t evolved nearly  
as much.
Despite rampant enthusiasm for the potential of “Big Data,” many enterprise-class 
marketers and media providers remain saddled with infrastructure, technology and 
internal processes designed for yesterday’s business needs, thus hindering their 
ability to capitalize on data and its potential.
And so even as these firms attempt to innovate—to stand up the latest marketing cloud 
technologies, assess emerging data onboarding protocols and build custom targeting personas, 
for example—they struggle with the same organizational silos, limited budget visibility and talent 
constraints that have stymied them for years.
Nevertheless, transformation is underway, with an increasing number of organizations seeking 
to reinvent the way they aggregate, manage and activate audience insight. But this move 
to embrace data as a centerpiece of the marketing and media effort—and to become truly 
“data-centric” across all facets of the enterprise—raises a series of questions: How should 
organizations reinvent themselves to support data-driven approaches to marketing and 
media? Where should they prioritize their investments to ensure greatest impact? And what 
kind of progress has the industry made toward these objectives?
Developed through a groundbreaking partnership between DMA and Interactive Advertising 
Bureau’s Data Center of Excellence, this white paper—compiled through an executive-level 
outreach effort including online, telephone and in-person surveys of over 200 thought leaders—
will address those and other key questions that enterprises are encountering as they attempt 
to transform with an eye on becoming “data-centric” in both theory and action. Among other 
findings, it will demonstrate:
INTRODUCTION 
AND EXECUTIVE 
SUMMARY
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   5
  TAKEAWAY
  SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Though strategies to promote data-centricity are in 
full force—and will continue to represent a dominant 
priority among marketing and media organizations 
over the coming year—few organizations have yet 
to achieve meaningful results from their efforts at 
data-centered business transformation.
• 
Virtually all (95.7 percent) enterprise marketing and 
media panelists reported that their organizations 
have taken efforts to build strategies geared to 
support a more central use of audience data. But 
less than a third—just 28.6 percent—said that 
such strategies have begun delivering quantifiable 
business results.
• 
Nevertheless, while less than a quarter (24.3 
percent) of panelists described their organizations 
as “extremely data-centric” today, more than twice 
that number—59.4 percent of the panel—said they 
expect their organizations were likely to achieve 
that maturity within the next two years.
Though marketing and media organizations are  
looking to engage audience data to support a 
wide array of use cases, the hierarchy of those 
applications is steadily shifting.
• 
Panelists said that current high-priority data 
use cases (that typically focus, for example, on 
delivering greater process efficiency through the 
lever of programmatic ad operations) would likely 
give way over the next two years to a new set 
of effectiveness-centered missions (leveraging 
audience insights, for example, to deliver better 
online experiences).
Data users and their supply chain partners agree: 
few organizations have either the depth or breadth 
of talent they need to derive full value from their 
data-driven initiatives, particularly when it comes 
to leveraging analytics as a driver of audience 
insights. 
• 
Less than a third of panelists (32.9 percent) are 
confident—and only 5.2 percent are “extremely 
confident”—that their internal teams have the right 
expertise, skills and experience to support their 
data-driven initiatives.
Standing in the way of business transformation: 
organizational silos and other internal process 
issues that hinder data access and sharing.
• 
Few panelists (2.7 percent) are “extremely 
confident” that their companies’ business 
processes and organizational structures are 
geared to support the optimal use of available 
audience data, and a majority (58.5 percent) 
agreed that dissolving functional silos would 
represent the most important step their 
organizations could take to derive more value from 
their use of audience data.
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   6
  TAKEAWAY
  SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
As they look to significantly ramp up their 
investments in technology, data and service-driven 
solutions over the next several years, data users 
are looking for their third-party partners to elevate 
their support for the strategic functions underlying 
such investments—calling for a renewed focus 
on business case development, technology 
assessment and holistic system alignment as 
elements of a comprehensive approach to “data-
centricity.”
• 
60 percent of panelists said that improving 
how they “build a credible business case for 
technology investments” and “formalize ongoing 
technology assessment” are foremost among 
the tactics their organizations could pursue to 
generate more value from their data-related 
technology investments.
Going forward, data users are also likely to look to 
their supply chain partners to play a more active 
role in supporting their day-to-day marketing and 
media objectives—in particular, by helping leverage 
analytics to deliver strategic and campaign-level 
insights.
• 
While very few panelists (just 5.2 percent) 
said their supply chain partners currently offer 
“substantial support” in their efforts to derive value 
from the use of data, nearly half (44.8 percent) 
said they would benefit from a deeper relationship 
with these partners.
• 
Although panelists were varied in their viewpoints 
on which third-party technology functions best 
support their data-driven marketing and media 
efforts, 49.3 percent agreed that predictive 
analytics and audience segmentation represent 
the features they value most in supporting 
technology platforms.
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   7
N=211
Note: Includes panelists who either completed a detailed online survey questionnaire or participated  
in a telephone interview; panelists were not required to answer every question. Where appropriate 
technology developers, marketing service providers and agency panelists were asked to provide 
opinions on their clients’ organizations
RESEARCH 
METHODOLOGY
This white paper explores how enterprise marketers and media companies are reshaping their 
organizations to leverage data as a more central driver of their various audience interactions. 
Published in partnership with DMA and the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Data Center of 
Excellence—and with the independent sponsorship of Merkle, V12 Group and Valassis Digital—
the paper’s findings are based on the results of an intensive research effort that included phone, 
online and in-person surveys of more than 200 advertisers, marketers, publishers, technology 
developers and marketing service providers (primarily based in North America, and conducted 
between May and August 2016).
How would you describe your principal  
role/business focus?
How many years of experience do you  
have working in marketing, advertising  
and/or media?
How knowledgeable are you with respect 
to data and its various marketing, advertising 
and/or media applications?
Technology developers, 
marketing service providers  
and agencies 
52.5%
25 yrs  
or more 
22.8%
16-25 yrs 
29.2%
1-5 yrs 
12.9%
11-15 yrs 
19.8%
6-10 yrs 
13.4%
< 1 yr 
.5%
Marketers, 
advertisers and 
media providers 
47.5%
0.0%
1 
Not at all 
knowledgeable
0.0%
2
13.4%
 
41.3%
4
44.3%
5  
Extremely 
knowledgeable
3  
Somewhat 
knowledgeable
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   8
THE DATA-CENTRIC 
ORGANIZATION: 
A TRANSFORMATION 
IN PROGRESS
Though strategies to promote data-centricity are in full force—and will continue to 
represent a dominant priority among marketing and media organizations over the coming 
year—few organizations have yet to achieve meaningful results from their efforts at data-
centered business transformation.
To what extent is your organization “data-centric” today? How data-
centric do you expect your organization will be two years from now?
Not at all 
data-centric
Not very  
data-centric 
Somewhat  
data-centric
Fairly  
data-centric
Extremely  
data-centric
0.0%
0.0%
20.0%
1.4%
25.7%
11.6%
30.0%
27.5%
24.3%
59.4%
Today               In two years
To what extent would you say your organization has an overarching  
strategy to govern its use of audience data for advertising and/or 
marketing purposes?
No strategy 
and no plan 
to develop
No strategy today 
but planning to 
develop
Strategy is being 
developed but not 
yet implemented
Strategy has been 
developed and  
implemented but is not  
yet deliving results 
Strategy has 
been developed, 
implemented and is 
deliving results
4.3%
17.1%
38.6%
11.4%
28.6%
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   9
 Î Enterprise-class marketers and media providers are actively pursuing organizational change initiatives aimed at 
leveraging data as a more central driver of their audience engagement efforts. Though the specific drivers behind these 
initiatives (and the frameworks within which they���re managed) vary across markets, they tend to be driven by one or more 
of the following overarching objectives:
• The embrace of “customer-centricity” as a fundamental go-to-market strategy
• A desire to engage digital channels as primary promotional, transactional and/or customer service vehicles, 
supplanting traditional media
• A desire to better integrate the deployment of various channels—both digital and traditional—around a richer 
understanding of the customer audience
 Î As much as data has already served to transform the practices of marketing and media, its greatest transformative 
impact isn’t likely to be realized for at least several years. Less than a quarter (24.3 percent) of panelists described their 
organizations as “extremely data-centric” today, but more than twice that number—59.4 percent of the panel—said they 
expect their organizations would achieve that maturity within the next two years
 Î
Further, virtually all (95.7 percent) enterprise marketing and media panelists reported that their organizations have 
taken efforts to build strategies geared to support a more central use of audience data. But less than a third—just 28.6 
percent—said that such strategies have begun delivering quantifiable business results
 Î Even in cases where data-related initiatives have yet to deliver a quantifiable payoff, few data stakeholders question the 
validity or appropriateness of those investments. Instead, panelists suggested that many companies remain deep in the midst 
of their “early days” data transformations, and relatively few have taken the steps necessary to align stakeholders across their 
organizations to identify and activate a slate of use cases that offer the potential for value creation at the enterprise level
PANELISTS SAID...
“The goal is being customer-centric, but we are putting more emphasis on data as the center of that initiative, 
enabling those insights and data-driven strategies. In order to put the customer at the center, you need the 
data. And in that respect we’re definitely in the middle-to-late stage of ‘crawl’ on the way to ‘walk’ and then 
‘run.’ We’ve got some basic segmentation and versioning that we’re doing, but everyone knows a more 
significant transformation is the priority.”
“Being data-driven and analytical underpins the success of any state-of-the-art marketing organization. We 
aren’t totally there yet, but we’re moving in that direction.” 
“We’re definitely moving to be a more customer-centric organization and to do that you need the data around 
the customer to drive value and amplify the opportunity we have.”
“Becoming really data-centric and data-driven has been a focus here for a number of years now and we keep making 
progress. We just hired a ‘chief strategy, analytics and innovation officer’ as a peer to the CMO. He owns customer 
insight and a lot of customer groups, but the data piece can’t just be under one department because we all rely on it.”
“We started moving in this direction—setting up a shared data center of excellence and company-wide strategy 
 —because our lack of coordination and the confusion that it created were becoming business issues. In particular, 
we were struggling with conflicting data, with one business unit interpreting data differently than another, and the 
CEO was given conflicting numbers.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   10
Current State Use Cases: Where Data is 
Driving Value
To what extent has data driven specific, observable value 
to your organization in support of the following marketing, 
advertising and media use cases?
High Priority Use Cases: Where Users 
Intend to Focus their Future Data 
Initiatives
Across the same use cases, how is your organization’s 
approach to using data likely to change over the next 
two years?
Though marketing and media organizations are looking to engage audience data to support 
a wide array of use cases, the hierarchy of those applications is steadily shifting.
 P Segmentation of customer/prospect 
audiences for targeted marketing
 P Measurement and attribution of our 
advertising/marketing efforts
 P
Improvement of our advertising/marketing  
operations efficiencies
 P Development of insights into our 
customers’/prospects’ interests and needs
 P Development of relevant advertising/
marketing content
 P Enhancement of cross-channel customer/
prospect profiles or identities
 P Development of products and our broader  
commercial strategy
 P Optimization of our media mix
 P Coordination of efforts across internal 
departments/functional groups
 P Development of insights into our 
customers’/prospects’ interests and needs
 P Segmentation of customer/prospect 
audiences for targeted marketing
 P Enhancement of cross-channel customer/
prospect profiles or identities
 P Measurement and attribution of our 
advertising/marketing efforts
 P Optimization of our media mix
 P
Improvement of our advertising/marketing 
operations efficiencies
 P Development of relevant advertising/
marketing content
 P Development of products and our broader 
commercial strategy
 P Coordination of efforts across internal 
departments/functional groups
Data has 
driven 
somewhat 
more value
We will increase 
our reliance on 
data in support 
of this use case 
somewhat
Data has 
driven 
significantly 
more value 
We will increase 
our reliance on 
data in support 
of this use case 
significantly
Note: use cases are ranked according to blended average responses across all panelists
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   11
 Î The range of use cases that marketers and media companies wish to activate through their use of data is vast, and will 
likely remain vast over the foreseeable future
 Î Nevertheless, both marketers and media providers suggest that the hierarchy of their highest-priority data applications is 
likely to evolve over the coming years. Early applications that were focused on supporting greater operational efficiency—
through, for example, the use of “programmatic” technology to automate processes that were once handled manually—
are likely to give way to a renewed focus on the effectiveness of audience engagement efforts, with more and better 
targeting of cross-channel content a prime target for future investments
 Î Why the shift? Panelists said they remain deeply focused on both efficiency and effectiveness as levers of their 
organizations’ performance. But the earlier progress they made in supporting a basic shift to automation—and the 
growing availability of data from multiple sources, as well as the emergence of onboarding and other processes that 
support a richer “360-degree” view of the customer audience—suggest that a vast trove of potential remains to be 
tapped when it comes to more impactful, data-driven audience engagement
PANELISTS SAID...
“My team is focused on the next-level uses for audience data, which is the predictive and prescriptive analytics.  
It’s expensive to have advanced analytics talent just doing the basic stuff like segmentation and creating targets,  
so the marketing teams do that today while my specialized group works on the higher-level, predictive and  
model-based applications.”
“We created a team called Insight Services; they’re really engineers, they’re not data analysts or scientists or technical 
people per se. They’re a mixture of all those things: process-oriented, critical thinkers, data hacks—they’re experts in 
connecting the dots and making things happen. Data scientists are great at modeling, but they’re not great at tweaking 
the model; we need people who can manage change and optimization while preserving the impact of the model for the 
intended outcomes to drive our business forward.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   12
Data users and their supply chain partners agree: few organizations have either the 
depth or breadth of talent they need to derive full value from their data-driven initiatives, 
particularly when it comes to leveraging analytics as a driver of audience insights.
To what extent are you confident that the people in your organization 
have the right expertise, skills and experience to support your efforts 
to derive value from the use of data?
1 
Not at all 
confident
3 
Somewhat 
confident
5 
Extremely 
confident
5.2%
21.3%
39.4%
27.7%
5.2%
What training and staff development 
initiatives do you think would best support 
the development of those needed skillsets/
functional competencies?
Select the top three
63.9%
60.6%
49.7%
39.4%
25.8%
23.2%
20.0%
14.8%
13.5%
Development of a data-driven 
organizational culture
Data analytics/modeling training
Cross-organization training on data-driven 
marketing/media applications
Closer collaboration with marketing 
service/technology providers 
Training on use/management of 
related technology
Development of career paths focused on 
the management and use of data
Training on best practices in 
data governance
Training on internal systems, 
departments and resources
Revision of compensation models tied 
more closely to data management and use
88.4%
69.0%
45.2%
38.7%
21.9%
17.4%
9.0%
4.5%
Data analytics
Data management, processing
Technology/IT
General marketing/management
Legal/data governance
Process engineering
Finance/budgetary management
Supplier management
What specific skillsets or functional 
competencies do you think will be the most 
important for your organization to possess in 
support of its future data-driven marketing, 
advertising and/or media efforts?  
Select the top three
4
2
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   13
To what extent are your organization’s staff compensation models geared 
to support the optimal use of audience data?
Fairly well 
suited 
21.2%
Somewhat 
suited 
31.8%
Not at all  
suited 
9.1%
Not suited 
very well 
30.3%
Extremely 
well suited 
3.0%
 Î
Less than one-third of panelists (32.9 percent) are confident—and only 5.2 percent are “extremely confident”—that their 
internal teams have the right expertise, skills and experience to support their data-driven initiatives
 Î Panelists added that “data analytics,” more than anything else, represents the area where their organizations face the 
greatest need for enhanced resources (with 88.4 percent of panelists indicating such a need)
 Î However, analysts alone are unlikely support organizations’ efforts with respect to expanded use of data. True “data-
centric” organizations require experienced practitioners who bring strategic, analytical and real-world program execution 
skillsets and experience. Finding these “unicorn” resources—talented marketers and data practitioners, and ideally 
professionals who offer a dash of both—is typically very difficult, though panelists indicate that it’s easier and less 
expensive to train existing team members rather than hire entirely new teams in an intensely competitive market
 Î Beyond training and skills development, nearly two-thirds (63.9 percent) of panelists also agreed that a data-driven 
organizational culture is essential to encourage audience-centric approaches and drive accountability—establishing an 
environment where data-driven insights are cultivated, strategic thinkers are rewarded and innovation and “test-and-
learn” is encouraged
 Î
In addition, a majority of panelists (71.2 percent) said their company’s compensation structures are not optimized to 
promote the use of data—another common legacy of product- or media-oriented organizational structures where 
objectives are not well aligned to business-wide goals
PANELISTS SAID...
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   14
“My teams don’t have the right skills today—or they don’t have the right mix of skills—but my desire isn’t to fire 
everybody. I think that there are a lot of diamonds in the rough; they’ve never been asked to do certain things, but with a 
little training and guidance I think we’ll get there.”
“We don’t expect people to do what they’re uncomfortable doing or not trained to do. We’re not trying to make TV ad sales 
people become digital programmatic sales people. It’s about how we build the organization so our sales reps can support 
any of the conversations they get into. We can bring in subject matter experts to support people in conversations that get 
very specific rather than expecting everyone to do everything.”
“Over the years our focus in hiring has shifted from executional marketers—people who are trained to get out campaigns 
across specific media—to cross-channel analytics professionals. They can execute as well, but they are also more 
strategic to our organization.”
“When I joined the company, everybody thought that everyone should be compensated the same. There was definitely 
some pushback when I suggested compensation should be more performance-based. I had to set the tone for this 
different culture but now each individual in the organization has their own goals. It’s pretty important so that you can hold 
people accountable.”
“We’re incented to work together to make the most money for the company, and it doesn’t matter where that money 
lands. Everybody has a target, but if the money flows through various channels, none of that affects people’s comp. It’s 
been a successful system. The last thing we need is people making decisions based on their personal incentives instead 
of what’s right for the client and for our company.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   15
58.5%
46.2%
43.1%
30.8%
26.2%
24.6%
Standing in the way of business transformation: organizational silos and other internal 
process issues that hinder data access and sharing.
To what extent are you confident that your business processes 
and organizational structures are geared to support the optimal 
use of audience data?
1 
Not at all 
confident
3 
Somewhat 
confident
5 
Extremely 
confident
5.4%
28.4%
45.9%
15.5%
2.7%
Dissolving silos between business/functional groups
Standardizing key performance indicators and other metrics 
Standardizing protocols for sharing and using data across our org
Centralizing ownership of data and its infrastructure 
Designating a “chief data officer” to oversee data sourcing and use
Centralizing storage of all data assets
What changes would be most important in helping your 
organization derive value from its future use of data? 
Select the top three
4 
2 
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   16
 Î
Few panelists (2.7 percent) are “extremely confident” that their companies’ business processes and organizational 
structures are geared to support optimal use of available audience data; by contrast, just over a third of panelists (33.8 
percent) have “little to no” confidence in the same
 Î Across the board, data users complain that enterprise-class organizations—whether consumer or B2B focused, native 
to the digital world or grounded in traditional channels—remain saddled with organizational structures and operating 
protocols that are not geared to manage or derive optimal value from all the audience data at their disposal
 Î A common process hurdle identified by a number of panelists: the lack of clear protocols that govern how data may 
be shared within an organization, and between an organization and its respective business partners. Though many 
enterprises maintain stringent policies to govern data collection and tactical usage, often these policies remain silent on 
how such information may be repurposed for complimentary objectives, often hamstringing data stakeholders in their 
attempts to leverage resources that already exist in their organizations
 Î A majority of panelists (58.5 percent) agreed that more than anything else, dissolving the silos that continue to segregate 
line-of-business and functional groups would represent the most important step their organizations could take to derive 
value from their use of audience data; these silos keep data sets isolated, limiting the actionability of this information for 
marketing efforts (and inhibiting seamless coordination of marketing channels, in general)
 Î Though data users are adopting a range of organizational techniques to help overcome the limitations of legacy 
infrastructure, few said that focusing exclusively on the central storage of data itself is likely to deliver immediate benefits. 
When asked what kinds of administrative changes were most likely to return value to their organizations, over 40 percent 
of panelists said “standardizing processes and protocols for using data across the organization” would merit investment. 
By contrast, 30.8 percent said the same of “centralizing data ownership and infrastructure management” and just 24.6 
percent endorsed “centralizing data storage” alone
PANELISTS SAID...
“We are challenged by our legacy—there are certain systems in place, and it’s much harder to re-engineer approaches, 
processes, mindsets and infrastructure than it is to start from a blank slate.”
“Data’s been around in different ways at our company for a while, and it typically lives elsewhere—not necessarily 
where it needs to be. There are lots of claims of ownership of the data, and the bigger companies tend to have already 
established infrastructures that don’t always accommodate new market data.”
“A lot of our marketing channels have grown organically over time, so as things spring up, you don’t think about how they 
integrate with everything else. There’s a legacy phenomenon. And it makes it challenging… I have multiple channels to 
model for and my big pain point is that the metadata generated across these channels doesn’t always talk to each other. 
I need to be able to tie one to the other to understand that performance.” 
“In our case, subscription data is centrally stored, but advertising data is separate—and we’re engaged in an ongoing 
effort to put everything in one place. That’s a hard job; you have to prove that there’s revenue upside to each of the 
businesses in order to incent them to participate and change how they operate.”
“We work around known gaps. For example, we have a separate enterprise data warehouse (EDW) which is homegrown. 
It’s separate from our customer information management system, which was built by a third party. And the two are not 
connected. We try to match profiles from the EDW, but we’re not perfect. We’re always off slightly. It’s just a known bug.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   17
As they look to significantly ramp up their investments in technology, data and service-driven 
solutions over the next several years, data users are looking for their third-party partners to 
elevate their support for the strategic functions underlying such investments—calling for 
a renewed focus on business case development, technology assessment and holistic system 
alignment as elements of a comprehensive approach to using data.
To what extent are you confident that your current marketing 
technologies are well suited to support the optimal use of  
audience data? 
1 
Not at all 
confident
3  
Somewhat 
confident
5  
Extremely 
confident
8.3%
21.7%
26.7%
31.7%
10.0%
In what ways could your org best leverage 
marketing technology to optimize the  
value it generates through the use of 
audience data?
Select the top three
49.3%
40.6%
34.8%
34.1%
32.6%
30.4%
29.7%
26.8%
19.6%
60.0%
60.0%
45.0%
38.3%
31.7%
Predictive analytics and modeling
Cross-channel measurement and 
channel attribution
Campaign management (segmnetation 
and audience selection)
Marketing automation/rules-driven 
decisioning and messaging
CRM/prospect database management
Data management platform (“DMP”)
Campaign reporting and measurement
Data visualization
Data processing and hygiene
Formalizing an ongoing technology 
assessment function to identify and prioritize 
organizational needs/potential solutions
Developing more clear investment 
cases to support selection/use of 
marketing technologies
Leveraging the support of third parties 
(consultancies, agencies, etc.) to support our 
use of marketing technology
Centralizing technology management 
with a department outside of IT 
(e.g. marketing, operations, etc.)
Assembling a custom “stack” 
of various technologies offered 
by various providers
What specific technology functions 
or features do you think will be most 
important in supporting organizations’ efforts 
to achieve value from their future use of data? 
Select the top three
2
4
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   18
 Î Though evolving to full “data-centricity” is a complicated and lengthy process, panelists agreed that the marketing 
technology available today is generally capable of supporting most current enterprise needs and tactical use cases—so 
long as those needs (and the performance objectives that correspond to them) are clearly identified. Perhaps more 
challenging: determining which platforms are ideally suited to support both strategic and tactical objectives, and building 
a plan to integrate those systems in a way that satisfies both short- and long-term needs
 Î
Just 10 percent of panelists are “extremely confident” that their current toolsets are suited to support the optimal use of 
audience data, though panelists have a wide range of opinions on which new or expanded features would deliver value as 
part of renewed technology stack
 Î 49.3 percent of panelists agreed that predictive analytics and audience segmentation represent the features they value 
most in supporting technology platforms  
 Î
Lack of consensus around technology functions and types of needed tools reflects both the strength of the available 
solutions—a plethora of platforms are available in market, supporting a variety of features—as well as the complicated 
set of challenges facing today’s practitioners as they move engage data across a wider array of applications. (Perhaps not 
surprisingly, panelists cited challenges with their organizational structures, data management protocols and talent gaps 
as more pressing issues relative to any challenges they might be addressing with respect to their data management and 
analytics technology) 
 Î Relatively few marketing or media companies have clearly structured roadmaps in place to guide the use of data—and 
the expansion of data’s role—across their organizations. And where enterprising firms have taken steps to build such 
roadmaps in the context of firm-wide data strategies, many have struggled with what is typically a daunting administrative 
task; conflicting departmental structures, cultural obstacles and limited senior-level buy-in can all serve to undermine 
these sweeping initiatives, even when supported with significant time and budgetary resources 
 Î A preponderance of panelists suggested a relatively straightforward approach may help support both tactical technology 
implementations and more sweeping organizational change. Specifically, data stakeholders may benefit from a more 
thoughtful approach to building a business case for their anticipated investments, leveraging a combination of agreed-
upon performance objectives and external benchmarks to help frame potential initiatives in terms of their real costs and 
anticipated benefits
 Î 60 percent of panelists, respectively, said that improving how they “build a credible business case [for data]” and 
“formalize an ongoing technology assessment” are foremost among the tactics their organizations could take to generate 
more value from their data initiatives
PANELISTS SAID...
“In our particular case, we’re in a low-margin business in a declining market, so getting the budget to make the 
investments required to advance our marketing is tough. In order to get there we need to build a bulletproof investment 
case, explaining the business reason for how these tools will pay off.”
“I have been laying out what we need with an architect to map our use cases in a methodical way so that we can 
ascertain what platforms we need to drive those objectives. Explaining the business reasoning, though, is very different 
than identifying the technical functions IT is looking to support in a certain tool. You have to address the business mindset 
first to understand how to optimize and maximize the outcomes of those tools and platforms.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   19
Going forward, data users are also likely to look to their supply chain partners to play 
a more active role in supporting their day-to-day data-centric marketing and media 
objectives—in particular, by helping leverage analytics to deliver strategic and campaign-
level insights.
Marketers: How well are your supply chain partners currently 
supporting your organization’s efforts to derive value from its use 
of data? Suppliers: To what extent do you and your clients’ other 
suppliers provide the support that enables your clients to derive  
value from their use of data?
1 
Not supporting 
efforts at all
3 
Supporting efforts  
to some extent
4
5 
Supporting efforts 
substantially
3.4%
1.4%
10.3%
2.8%
39.7%
33.3%
31.0%
34.7%
5.2%
18.1%
Marketers              Supply Chain Partners
In what ways do you think partners could be most supportive of 
their client organizations’ efforts to achieve value from the use of data?
Select the top three
56.0%
44.8%
39.2%
28.8%
28.0%
28.0%
25.6%
20.0%
14.4%
10.4%
Support our efforts to leverage analytics so as 
to deliver more data-driven insights
Provide enhanced strategic advisory services
Provide independent support for our efforts to measure/
attribute the impact of our various data-related investments
Bring more case studies/best practices 
from across our industry
Source/aggregate more (or better quality) 
data from third parties
Provide support for our organizational/process changes
Provide training for our internal functional managers
Better coordinate efforts with other supply chain partners
Bring more case studies/best practices 
from leaders across other industries
Revise their pricing and/or service models 
to provide for expanded flexibility
2
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   20
 Î Very few panelists (just 5.2 percent) said their supply chain partners currently offer “substantial support” in their efforts 
to derive value from the use of data though nearly half (44.8 percent) said they would benefit from a deeper relationship 
with their agencies, data providers, technology vendors and other supply-chain partners—with an eye, in particular, in 
the role those parties may play in supporting strategic development and other roles that may go beyond their traditional 
tactical role(s)
 Î By and large, panelists said they look to their third-party suppliers—variously including agencies, marketing service 
providers, data providers and technology developers—to support gaps in expertise and provide executional bandwidth. 
Increasingly, though, more data users are turning to their supply chains as a source of inspiration with respect to the 
innovation of their own data-centered use cases and supporting business processes; external partners are often seen as 
offering unique cross-vertical insights that are particularly important in light of the rapid pace of change that characterizes 
the data ecosystem. Enterprises that thus engage and manage these partnerships as a strategic priority—rather than an 
exercise in cost-driven vendor management—may stand to enjoy lasting competitive advantage and an effective “first 
mover” advantage
PANELISTS SAID...
“We lean heavily on partners to help us. A part of the value-add of using an agency is that it sees what’s happening in the 
landscape. It’s easier to trial test the water, get into those new spaces using that model.” 
“I don’t consider us database experts or technology experts; the level of sophistication in the company is lacking. So for 
that, we outsource as much as we can to try to get best-in-breed technology and database services support, and then 
keep our core competencies inside, which is our marketing know-how and our understanding of our customer and how 
to talk to them.”
“The space is moving so rapidly on the tech side, it doesn’t make sense for us to have expertise in-house; I would rather 
outsource the technology and have the contract speak to the technology stack so the vendor can manage the upgrades 
and things like that.”
“On the whole we’re pretty well connected to our partners; we have a quarterly business review where all the vendors 
participate, brainstorm and act as a unified team. They’re moving towards a more strategic collaboration. I’ve shown 
them that I’m not pitting them against each other. It has become a much more strategic relationship, where they can 
acknowledge mistakes and suggest solutions for greater business impact.”
IN THEIR OWN 
WORDS
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   21
In many respects, the basic premise of this white paper—that “data-centricity” represents an 
ideal likely to occupy the time and resources of enterprise marketers and media companies 
over the coming years—suffers from a fatal flaw. 
Sure, audience data is growing to play a profound role in the way that organizations look to 
orchestrate their advertising, marketing and other customer-facing interactions. And yes, for 
many organizations, achieving even a fraction of the potential value offered by data will  
require a substantial reinvention of the way they do business. But the truth, of course,  
is far more nuanced. 
Since every organization’s data assets and related use cases are unique, “data-centricity,” 
by its very nature, suggests that every organization will apply the benefits of information and 
insight in fundamentally different ways. And so applying “once-size-fits-all” prescriptions to 
their strategic growth is an exercise likely to provoke more questions than definitive solutions. 
Rather than attempting to fit a unique journey to a generic roadmap, each organization must 
begin its work recognizing that the evolution to “data-centric maturity” is a journey that has no 
definitive destination—and is likely to be structured differently for all who attempt it.
Nevertheless, experience and feedback suggest that there are milestones on that pathway 
which are common among these journeys and are becoming clearer every day. For many 
enterprises—and even for many small and medium-sized organizations who aim to leverage 
information in similar ways—those aspirational steps require focus on four essential operating 
pillars common to the practice of marketing and media: people (as reflected in a focus on 
staff development, training and compensation), processes (organizational structures, resource 
sharing and collaboration), platforms (marketing technologies and other toolsets used to 
manage audience data) and partners (third-party providers of strategic or executional support). 
In thinking about structuring each to best support data use, our research suggests that the 
path to data-centricity may best be facilitated through the following steps:
 
Î ASSESS… the information and technology assets that support a wider deployment of 
data across your enterprise. But also focus on the organizational structures and sharing 
protocols that govern how those assets are used. Are they geared to support collaboration 
and growth? Or were they developed to support use cases, products and/or applications 
that are no longer relevant? 
 
Î
IDENTIFY… a series of strategic data use cases (and subsidiary/tactical use cases, as 
appropriate) that align with your organization’s overarching business objectives. And if 
you don’t fully know what those objectives are (or have trouble prioritizing them), engage 
senior stakeholders in a broader dialogue over the potential power of information.
IN CONCLUSION
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   22
 
Î ARCHITECT… a modular infrastructure to support the long-term growth of your data 
assets (and the applications to which they’re deployed), leveraging a combination of 
technologies, supplier inputs and data sourced from both proprietary and external 
sources. To the greatest extent possible, consider how to “future-proof” that system 
through a design that allows for tools to be easily swapped as new solutions emerge and 
business cases evolve.
 
Î
ENGAGE… a wide array of partners—agencies, marketing services providers, data 
providers, third-party technology developers, business partners and others—in your 
data enterprise as key forces for development and growth, recognizing that continuous 
improvement will require innovation born from a multitude of sources. Few companies will 
have the talent or bandwidth to do it all on their own.
 
Î And finally, CONTINUALLY REINVENT... your infrastructure, partnerships and use-case 
hierarchy as business needs (and market conditions) demand. Continue  investing in 
talent that has both the skills to succeed and the professional pathways that support that 
growth—within your organization.
 
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   23
WINTERBERRY GROUP is a unique management consultancy that supports the growth of advertising, 
marketing, media, information and technology organizations—helping clients create custom strategies, 
capitalize on emerging opportunities and grow their value.
Our services include: 
CORPORATE STRATEGY: The Opportunity Mapping strategic development process is geared to support 
agencies, marketing service providers, technology developers and other firms in their efforts to prioritize 
addressable pathways to growth and sort through complicated “buy-versus-build” decisions—as informed 
by a synthesis of market insights and intensive internal analysis.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE: Our comprehensive research on industry trends, vertical markets and evolving 
value chains provides in-depth analysis of key demand drivers, market developments and potential 
opportunities.
MARKETING AND DATA TRANSFORMATION: Our process mapping, marketplace benchmarking, holistic 
system engineering, use case analysis and vendor selection/RFP management offerings are grounded in 
deep industry insights and “real-world” understandings—with a focus on helping marketers and media 
companies better leverage their core assets and respond to growing demands for transformation driven by 
the emergence of data, digital media and marketing technology.
TRANSACTIONAL DILIGENCE: Both financial and strategic investors turn to us to provide strategic and 
operational diligence in support of their potential acquisitions in the advertising, marketing and media 
industries; our target assessment and industry landscape research provide insight into trends, forecasts 
and comparative transaction data needed for reliable financial model inputs, laying the right foundation for 
value-focused ownership. 
Additionally, Winterberry Group is differentiated through its affiliation with Petsky Prunier LLC, the leading 
investment bank serving the technology, media, marketing, e-commerce and healthcare industries. 
Together, the two firms provide one of the largest and most experienced sources of strategic and 
transactional services in their addressable markets. 
For more information, please visit www.winterberrygroup.com
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   24
IN PARTNERSHIP 
WITH:
Founded in 1917, DMA is the community that champions deeper consumer engagement and business 
value through the innovative and responsible use of data-driven marketing. DMA’s membership is made 
up of today’s leading tech and data innovators, brand marketers, agencies, service providers and media 
companies. By representing the entire marketing ecosystem – from demand side to supply side – DMA 
is uniquely positioned to bring win/win solutions to the market and ensure that innovative and disruptive 
marketing technology and techniques can be quickly applied for ROI.
DMA advances the data-driven marketing industry and serves its members through four principal pillars 
of leadership: advocating for marketers’ ability to responsibly gather and refine detailed data; innovating 
to bring solutions forward for marketers’ most vexing challenges; educating today’s marketers to grow 
and lead marketing organizations in the ever-increasing omnichannel world; and connecting industry 
participants to stay current, learn best practices and gain access to emerging solutions through &THEN – 
the largest global event for data-driven marketing – and DMA’s portfolio of other live events.  
For more information, please visit www.thedma.org 
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   25
DATA
The IAB Data Center of Excellence was founded in January 2016 with the mission to define boundaries, 
reduce friction and increase value along the data chain, for consumers, marketers and the ecosystem that 
supports them. Its board of directors include:
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in 
the digital economy. It is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies that are 
responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they 
account for 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its member companies, the 
IAB develops technical standards and best practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising, 
while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital 
marketing. The organization is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, 
expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in 
Washington, D.C., the IAB advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising 
industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City and 
has a West Coast office in San Francisco.
For more information, please visit www.iab.com/datacenter
DATA
© 2016 Winterberry Group LLC.   26
SUPPORTING 
SPONSORS:
Merkle is a global data-driven, technology-enabled performance marketing agency and the largest 
independent agency in the US for CRM, digital, and search. For more than 25 years, Fortune 1000 companies 
and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer 
portfolios. The agency’s heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills 
in understanding consumer insights. When combined with its strength in performance media, Merkle creates 
customer experiences that drive improved marketing performance and shareholder value. With more than 3,400 
employees, the privately held corporation is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland with 15 additional offices in 
the US and offices in Barcelona, Bristol, London, Shanghai, and Nanjing.
For more information, please visit www.merkleinc.com
Data is the fuel that powers V12 Group. Warehousing over a decade’s worth of consumer, business, 
automotive, and online records, V12 Group provides knowledge and insight to hundreds of firms enabling 
them to achieve marketing success through the use of high-quality data. V12 Group’s data warehouse is one 
of the largest and most respected in the data marketing industry. It is constructed of hundreds of compiled 
and proprietary data sources, utilizes a triple verification process, and is built from the individual level up to the 
household.
For more information, please visit www.v12groupinc.com
Valassis is a leader in intelligent media delivery, providing over 58,000 clients with innovative media solutions to 
influence consumers wherever they plan, shop, buy and share. By integrating online and offline data combined 
with powerful insights, Valassis precisely targets its clients’ most valuable shoppers, offering unparalleled reach 
and scale. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are Valassis subsidiaries, and RedPlum® is 
its consumer brand. Its signature Have You Seen Me?® program delivers hope to missing children and their 
families. Valassis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings.
For more information, please visit www.valassis.com
</p>