In a recent thought paper on the need for data and analytics to unite to deliver a customer-centric and omnichannel set of experiences, the topic' unicorn analyst' was addressed.
The unicorn analyst is the employee whom many businesses set out to find – they can wrangle data and engineer Martech while also being channel experts. Having one person in multiple roles can be a money-saving tactic. However, this type of employee is an anomaly.
Instead, what Merkle has found more time and resource-effective is to form unicorn teams. With this strategy, multiple teams work together to achieve unified results and customer value.
Customer value is the key component and as customers continue to evolve in the way they engage with Martech, employing a unicorn team leads to a better understanding of the customer and how to communicate with them in a meaningful way.
Businesses often use the value chain to determine their approach to achieving successful results for the customer. While other traditional Martech companies start left to right in the chain, Merkle goes from right to left, prioritising the value for the organisation and then resourcing which teams and tools are needed to get to the final destination.
The use of the correct technology is just one part of this process. It comes down to the engineering, analytical and digital working together with the rest of the business to gather the correct information about the customer before taking action.
An example of the 'unicorn team' in action can be seen in Merkle's merging of the engineering and analytical capabilities across EMEA, which has resulted in analytic expertise across all aspects of the customer journey. The move intended to reassure clients that each team spoke the same language and were unified in their goals.
Ultimately, by forming a unicorn team, businesses ensure the customer receives cohesive communication and the best outcome at each stage of their journey.
Click here to read the rest of this thought paper on unifying data and analytics by Warwick Beresford-Jones, Vicky Byrom and Oliver Walker.
