The demand generation function has undergone several waves of transformation over the past decades in line with the technology revolution. From black & white print ads to digital hoardings, video ads, and social media ads, we have come a long way. But something that has remained constant is the lack of room for error. In fact, the room for error in marketing today is almost nix. Don’t believe me? In 2006, Sony delivered a printed ad in the Netherlands to market its white-colored Playstation Portable with the tagline, “Playstation Portable. White is Coming”. The poster portrayed a massive white woman with an aggressive expression, tightly holding the face of

a scared looking black woman. Sony was criticized a lot for its racist remark. More recently, Dove entered muddy waters for a not sovaguely racist advertisement. When the ad hit social media, hell broke loose, and Unilever eventually apologized, saying it should “never have happened.

It’s a no brainer that you can't miss the marks with your advertisement. Given the power of the online world and social media, a small overlook can cause grave dangers to your brand. Marketing professionals should take the bus from the times when they worked off assumptions or gut feelings. Today, they need to turn to the most reliable source of information: Customer data. It goes beyond doing the right thing or being politically correct while publishing an advertisement.

By now, we all know that Data helps to gain better clarity about the target audience and equips organizations with the ability to build stronger connections with potential customers. Most importantly, when the entire consumer market demands unique experiences with every transaction, marketers can offer consumers personalized suggestions relevant to them. This leads to higher conversion rates, greater customer loyalty, more new customers, increased customer satisfaction, and more.