ABSTRACT
Many people have claimed that the use of big data can be a new growth engine for our economies. Around the globe there are many believers in the great potential of big data and how they can transform companies, marketing strategies, and interactions with customers. For us one thing is clear: big data will change marketing analytics and how marketing will be executed in the coming decades. This will, however, not be a revolution, but more an evolution. In recent decades we have already observed many changes in how marketing departments use analytics in their marketing decisions. Marketing decisions have become more fact-based and market and customer insights have become very important in shaping marketing strategies. Whereas in the 1980s and 1990s marketing intelligence (MI) was a minor function, or absent altogether in many firms, and marketing scientists were pushing their developed models, we now observe a stronger presence of analytical functions in leading companies looking for innovative though effective ways to analyze their data and create insights. The increasing presence of large chunks of data will only fuel this development. However, it should be clear that managers should have sound expectations of these developments. The ultimate goal of marketing analytics and specifically big data analytics is to create value for customers and the firm.
