The more specific the insights from data, the less to think about

Iyiola Obayomi

This essay evaluates the relationship between data and creative thinking through the lens of marketing and advertising, arguing that Big Data's effects tilt towards hindering creative thinking, but that organisations actively have to harness both capabilities for maximum effectiveness.

The more specific the insights from data, the less to think about

Iyiola ObayomiOgilvy CommonHealth Worldwide

Does Big Data inspire or hinder creative thinking?

This essay was entered into The Admap Prize 2015. For more information visit the Prize page.

Data and creative thinking have enjoyed a long, and mostly productive, relationship. Data provides input that fuels and shapes the creative-thinking process. But with the transformation of data into Big Data, data has 'grown up' and exerts significant influence beyond its traditional role.

Big Data now provides information and insights at imposing dimensions and proportions. So...

WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands