Netflix, insights, and smarter decisions: what data can teach us

The holidays have come and gone, leaving us (hopefully) with plenty of joy, cherished family moments, and a renewed appreciation for traditions. And let’s be honest, probably a lot of Netflix too. According to the latest FocusON survey, Netflix remains the streaming king, especially during the holidays – a perfect time to gather loved ones for cozy movie marathons. But as the decorations are packed away, the start of a new year comes into focus, bringing fresh plans, ideas, and resolutions.

For us, our resolution is an evergreen one – returning to the classic question: why is data so essential?

Let’s circle back to Netflix, our holiday binge partner. Their approach to data is a masterclass in personalization. By analyzing viewer behavior – what you’ve watched, paused, or rewatched – they don’t just guess what you’ll enjoy. They create custom holiday content and recommend festive favorites tailored to your preferences, ensuring every family finds something for those movie nights.

The same principle applies to businesses: understanding data allows you to anticipate customer needs and make smarter decisions. It’s not just about tracking what works but knowing where to pivot. In marketing, data answers whether your campaign hit the mark or missed entirely. For businesses, it reveals whether your pricing strategy holds up or if competitors are gaining ground.

Netflix, for instance, doesn’t just analyze what people watch, they use that data to decide which genres deserve investment. It’s the same insights driving both marketing and business strategy.

Data also grounds decisions in reality, countering gut feelings with measurable truths. You might think your product is universally loved, but the numbers – sales reports or customer feedback – might say otherwise. For marketers, this ensures you’re reaching the right audience, for businesses, it confirms you’re building what customers truly want. Spotify does this brilliantly, using listener data to not only curate playlists but also guide regional investments and artist payouts.

Another advantage?

Data helps avoid the “money pit.” Marketers can identify and cut underperforming channels, while businesses can drop non-viable products or services before they drain resources. For example, an e-commerce brand finding 70% of its revenue comes from email marketing can double down on those campaigns and phase out low-performing products.

Data doesn’t stop at the present – it predicts the future. It helps marketers anticipate trends and outpace competitors, while businesses use it to plan inventory, staffing, or new market entries. Amazon’s predictive algorithms exemplify this by aligning marketing campaigns with inventory and guiding seasonal staffing decisions.

Sometimes, the real value of data lies in the questions it sparks. Why are customers abandoning their carts? What’s the lifetime value of a customer, and does it justify acquisition costs? These insights don’t just answer – they inspire innovative solutions.

At our core, this is how we approach data: crafting solutions that address specific communication, brand building, consumer understanding, and business challenges. Whether by adapting existing tools or developing custom ones, we help our clients make sense of their and our data and use it to achieve their goals.

The bottom line? Marketing data amplifies your message, business data ensures your company thrives. Together, they’re a powerhouse for growth, guiding everything from product launches to customer loyalty campaigns.

Still not convinced? Here’s a testimonial from a marketing manager at a payment card services company who frequently uses our Digital Health Index tool: 

“In the past year I used frequently the Digital Health Index tool and it slowly became the revealer of the “blind side” in communication: elements we missed, reactions we didn’t anticipate, the efficiency of aligning with trends. In client-marketing and business-to-business activities, it helped me develop a lateral-work-of-style and to anticipate the moves of different clients. That brought also the process of structuring the sell-in ideas efficiently. In a nutshell: I need it, I use it, I love it.”

We hope this inspires you to explore the transformative power of data and wish you a happy, successful, and data-driven New Year!

Photos @Unsplash, Pixabay