Analytics to help save Zebras

In an intriguing use of analytics, Marwell Wildlife, an international conservation charity and zoo in the UK, has added predictive analytics software as the latest tool in its 15-year effort to protect the Grévy’s zebra, an endangered species.

Marwell Wildlife is using predictive analytics to analyze field data from aerial surveys, camera traps and radio collars to understand the threats to the zebras as well as what could be done to increase their numbers and bring them back from the brink of extinction. They also analyzed data from a survey of the nomadic herdsmen in northern Kenya, home to most of the remaining Grevy’s zebras. In an attempt to gain insight into the effect of humans on zebras, they realized that the zebras needs weren’t compatible with the needs of the herdsmen.

Predictive analytics also enabled the organization to get a better understanding as to the reasons behind people’s attitudes and behaviors, so it could figure out where to focus its efforts to save the zebras. The analysis of its survey gave Marwell Wildlife a piece of valuable information that might aid in the effort to save the Grevy’s zebra—people hunted them for their fat, which they claim has medicinal value, rather than for food. By analyzing the data, the organization also learned that the people would use commercial medicine if it were available, which would help save them as well as the zebras.

Marwell Wildlife is also planning to use analytics in its fundraising activities – ranging from bringing in more donors to effectively analyzing its donor base to determine who gives to Marwell, when they give and why.

Read More...

Grévy's zebra, also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest wild equid and one of 3 species of zebra, the other two being the plains and the mountain zebras. It is found in Kenya and Ethiopia. Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower. The Grévy's zebra lives in semi-arid grasslands where it feeds on grasses, legumes, and browse; it can survive up to 5 days without water. It differs from the other zebra species in that it does not live in harems and has few long-lasting social bonds. Male territoriality and mother–foal relationships form the basis of the social system of the Grévy's zebra. This zebra is considered to be endangered (population has declined from 15,000 to 3,000 since the 1970s).

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Fantasy Football and Analytics?

Millions of NFL fans have completed their fantasy football drafts by now. The NFL schedule was set months ago and the season kicks off on Thursday night, with the Minnesota Vikings taking on the New Orleans Saints in prime time.

For many fantasy fans, the player-drafting strategies start with the best intentions: I'll do my research, check out some pro football websites and make a list of the players I really want. However, when draft day finally happens and they've neglected to do any research, that "strategy" quickly degrades into player selections based on "gut feelings" that may or may not correspond to actual statistical evidence, current news or historical player trends. (The five beers don't help matters, either.)

IBM's Hetal Thaker bucks a couple of common stereotypes regarding football viewership and fantasy football leagues and uses predictive analytics to draft her way to success. She models qualitative and quantitative information to predict the number of touchdowns a receiver is going to get or number of total yards that a quarterback is going to throw.

In an interview with CIO, she shares advice on analyzing data on running backs and running your business.

Read More...

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Data is changing how we live

The availability of new sets of data has changed the way we live our lives. This article presents 10 examples of data which have changed everything from how we assess wars to how companies deliver milk.

1. Shopping – Supermarkets have always kept track of how people shop, but in the last few years the extent to which retailers collect data has rocketed. Using data collected through its ClubCard, Tesco, an online grocery shopping and delivery service, can predict when people will shop, how they'll pay for their items and even how many calories they will consume.
2. Relationships – Dating site OkCupid.com collects user profiles and site message data from its 3.5 million active users. They analyze this and can calculate everything from the perfect profile picture (apparently, the perfect profile picture is taken on a high end camera, in mid afternoon, without a flash) to the right language to use when replying to messages ("your" beats "ur", and "hot" is a turn-off, whereas "fascinating" is a turn-on). The data has also shown that on average, users add two inches to their height, and over-report their salary by 20%. Look out for data-based date advice.

Read More...

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Predicting Manhole Explosions

Every so often in New York City, a disk of cast iron weighing up to 300 pounds will burst out of the street and fly as high as several stories before clattering back. Ever since Thomas Edison fired up the city’s commercial electric grid in 1882, New Yorkers have had to contend with the random hazards of smoking, flaming and exploding manholes. Many of the blasts result from decrepit wiring, which can lead to sparks. Throw in a bit of gas and a confined space and, like a combustion engine, the blast can move metal. Until recently, there was no way of knowing where or when the next outburst would occur; repairs commenced only after a manhole had growled.

But in 2004 Con Edison began a proactive inspection program, with the goal of finding the places in New York’s snaking network of electrical cable where trouble is most likely to strike. The company called upon a team of Columbia University researchers to help predict the likelihood of manhole explosions.

The team tackled Manhattan first, where beneath the borough’s streets and avenues lies 21,000 miles of cable. The scientists weeded out irrelevant information such as parking information for ConEd vehicles. They then ranked the manholes of Manhattan by vulnerability to serious events and developed an algorithm that directs a computer to identify subterranean trouble spots.

Serious manhole events are rare — only a few hundred occur each year even though there are 51,000-odd manhole and service boxes in Manhattan. “Finding a pattern when something is very rare is very hard,” says computer scientist Gary Weiss of Fordham University in the New York City. “If you only have a few examples, there are so many patterns that can fit those few examples… you can’t really tell the difference between a pattern that is meaningful and one that is coincidental.”

The algorithm’s job was to “learn” from the past records and find meaningful patterns. Then it could predict the likelihood that a particular manhole with particular characteristics would have a future flare-up. The team discovered that manholes with larger cables — and so a larger amount of insulation subject to decay and thus to sparking — turned out to be more vulnerable to serious events.

Con Edison blind-tested the team’s model by withholding information on a recent set of fires and explosions. The top 2% of manholes ranked as vulnerable by the algorithm included 11% of the manholes that had recently had a fire or explosion.

Tweaking and adding more data has improved the model further. Con Edison is now using it to help prioritize inspection and repairs on the grid. The team has just completed rankings for manholes in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Read More...

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: ED) is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $14B in annual revenues and $33B in assets. The company provides a wide range of energy-related products and services to its customers through its subsidiaries.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Health Insurer uses data analytics to lower costs rather than cut benefits

Americans spend a higher percentage of GDP on healthcare – 16% – than just about any other country. One Midwestern health insurer is using data analytics to do its part in reducing that percentage. BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Kansas City brought IT and business people together to design and implement an enterprise data warehouse as a single information resource for the business.

In 2003, after two less-than-successful data warehouse deployments, executives at the insurer decided it was time to get their data management house in order. BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas City (BCBSKC) wanted to break down analytic data silos that had cropped up across its various business units to ensure that everyone was working with the same set of numbers. Additionally, a centralized enterprise data warehouse would also help the insurer create repeatable analytic functions so that BCBSKC workers weren’t essentially starting from scratch each time they set out to do data analysis.

Most importantly, though, the insurance firm wanted to harness the power of data analytics to better manage member care and improve patient health – and BCBSKC’s financial health. “The healthier our member population is, the more financial savings there will be for the health plan,” said Darren Taylor, the insurer’s VP of integrated business systems.

This was a multi-year effort. The first two phases included building an enterprise-wide data warehouse (EDW) and integrating data from 45 disparate sources into that warehouse. The next step was proactive data analytics. Until then, BCBSKC relied mostly on historical reports to monitor patient care. This “after the fact” reporting helped inform executives, but they were unable to react in real time to change patient outcomes. Using this EDW and other analytical tools like SPSS, the insurer was able to get more involved in patients’ day-to-day care.

Take diabetes patients, for example. It’s generally accepted by doctors that diabetes patients should have their eyes examined at least once a year, as the disease is the leading cause of blindness in adults aged 20 to 74. Diabetes patients who forget to have their annual exam are more likely to develop serious eye problems, which are costly to treat, costs borne by BCBSKC. So the insurer analyzes member data in its EDW to determine when a diabetes patient is due for an annual eye exam and sends a reminder.

Data analytics technology also helps BCBSKC identify which members are at risk for other diabetes-related complications, including foot and nerve damage, and recommends treatments accordingly. BCBSKC has applied similar data analytics techniques to help members better manage other chronic diseases like congestive heart failure, asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease. The insurer is also using data analytics to improve operational efficiencies and reduce internal administrative costs.

This connected data resource has enabled a business transformation resulting in major improvements in both member health and internal operations, including:

• Total savings of $23.1M since 2005
• $2.5M reduced administrative expenses; $7.2M avoided patient care costs
• Improved aggregate wellness score of members from 82.9% to 85.7% in 2008(1)

(1) ROI on Population Health Management presentation in Sep 2009 at Information Management Symposium

Read More...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is the largest health benefits provider in the greater Kansas City region and northwest Missouri, serving approximately 1M members in 32 counties. Founded in 1938, the not-for-profit health insurer employs nearly 1,000 people and offers a variety of health benefit plans for individuals, families, and employers.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Sam’s Club's Personal Touch

Today, most retailers offer across-the-board discounts or deals aimed at categories of customers. But industry experts say they expect retailers to move toward more individualized offers. Tailoring discounts to individual shoppers based on their buying history promises to maximize marketing budgets, build customer loyalty, and increase sales. Sam’s Club is giving this a try by offering personalized discounts for buyers through its eValues card.

The eValues program is the latest iteration in the fast-growing field known as predictive analytics, which uses vast amounts of data to spot trends and anticipate consumer behavior. Of course, retailers have long tried to decode consumer behavior, through surveys or test panels, or by using crude forms of data analysis. During the last decade, many retailers have amassed huge amounts of data through loyalty programs or membership cards. But they have done little with the information, other than using the cards as a branding opportunity or to offer broad discounts.

Some retailers, however, have used the data to figure out the right product mix and layout for their stores, or to offer discounts to categories of customers. Sam’s Club officials say they are “among the first to offer individualized discounts on such a large scale. A major challenge in creating eValues was the scale involved: the permutations of customer, product, location and discount exceeded one trillion possibilities for Plus members alone”. Sam’s Club worked with FICO to improve their ability to predict what each customer will buy and the time frame in which that purchase will occur.

The discounts are available to “Plus” members and can be printed from the member’s email, the Sam’s Club Web site, or from a kiosk located in the store. Using historical data on the shopper and predictive analytics, Sam’s Club is offering these customers discounts on the products or product types they generally purchase and even tailoring messaging to include product attributes known to be of interest to the individual consumer.

Customers are finding the discounts to be highly relevant to their needs. Additionally, these e-offerings are triggering needs customers didn’t know they had. One shopper, for example, came into Sam’s Club to buy food and left with two televisions because he couldn’t resist the $300 discount on a $1200 set.

Linda Vytlacil, vice president for member insights and innovation at Sam’s Club, said coupon response rate has risen from less than 2% to as high as 30% for eligible customers.

Read More...

Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs. Founded in 1983, it is owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and is named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Sam's Club chain operates in 48 of the 50 U.S. States serving more than 47 million U.S. members. Sam's Club ranks second in sales volume among warehouse clubs.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

American Express to sell insights from its database

American Express announced the launch of its Business Insights division, a new analytics organization that will draw on the company’s global network to help business customers develop better informed growth strategies.

Business Insights will analyze its transactional data to identify spending patterns on its 90 million cards in force across 127 markets. Currently, the credit card giant offers AmEx partners data-driven insight on where they should advertise and locate stores. This new unit will offer the service to any business willing to pay for it.

Read More...

American Express, also known as AmEx, is a diversified global financial services company headquartered in New York. Founded in 1850, it now operates in over 130 countries across the globe.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Police Department uses Analytics Technology to combat crime

Canada’s Edmonton Police Services (EPS) is deploying business analytics technology to prevent crime and increase public safety. Crime data analytics is a powerful tool that enables law enforcement officials to sift through historic incident, offense, arrest and call-for-service records to accurately pinpoint crime rates and patterns. The quick access to relevant information allows commanders and frontline officers to be better equipped and intelligence-led when problem solving and dealing with day-to-day responsibilities.

The initiative that began as an effort to provide accountability of public dollars has now amassed enough data to identify crime trends and locations. The agency’s investment recently helped them deal effectively with a potential increase in arson activity. By quickly comparing new information with data from previous years, the police service was able to ascertain that the trend was likely to increase from March to July. Police efforts were ultimately successful in nearly eliminating arsons in that particular area during this period.

In the future, the force hopes to take advantage of mobile devices to directly disseminate relevant information to officers, regardless of location. The end goal is the ability to place resources in advance, to put police into certain areas of the city because they predict crime will take place in that area and be able to mitigate that crime with the police presence, said John Warden, BI project team lead for EPS.

Today, the EPS is better trained, better educated and more diverse than at any other time in history. Our technological capabilities allow officers and support staff to be better equipped and intelligence-led when problem solving and dealing with day-to-day responsibilities.

Read more...

Edmonton Police Services is a leading police organization that is responsible for over one million residents in Alberta. They are well respected and highly regarded across Canada for their members’ professionalism and integrity.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Netflix prize awarded, Sequel announced

The Netflix Prize was an open computing challenge for the best algorithm to recommend movies to subscribers. The winning team, Bellkor, has improved Netflix’s own cinematch algorithm by 10.05% and will be awarded $1M for their success.

Clearing the hurdle wasn’t easy. Thousands of teams from more than 100 nations tackled the problem for more than three years, sharing their results and algorithms along the way. CEO Reed Hastings said in an interview “You look at the cumulative hours and you’re getting Ph.D.’s for a dollar an hour”. The contest is an example of Prize economics, where competitive incentives are offered as an alternative to in-house research and development. This was a tremendous research bargain for Netflix.

Netflix analyzes customers’ choices and ratings on the movies they have rented and recommends movies in a way that optimizes both the customer’s taste and inventory conditions. Automated recommendation algorithms are seen as a key competitive edge in e-commerce, allowing retailers to guess the types of products and services customers are seeking by looking at their past behavior. For Netflix, a 10% improvement on its algorithms could help move substantially higher numbers of movies and increase customer satisfaction, with a direct boost to profits.

The company’s analytical orientation has already led to a high level of success and growth. Netflix announced it would run a second competition, with shorter time spans of 6 months and 18 months to prize awarding. The new challenge will use demographic data rather than previous ratings as data to base predictions on.

Read More...

Netflix is the world's largest online movie rental service, with more than 11 million subscribers. It has revolutionized the way people rent movies - by bringing the movies directly to them.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Hotelier uses Business Analytics to optimize marketing spend

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) recently licensed a Test & Learn Management system to enhance their business analytics platform. This product suite is going to be used for seven hotel brands, including Holiday Inn, InterContinental, and Crowne Plaza.

This solution, which is currently used for its hotel management, guest services and marketing programs, will enable users to identify statistically significant results and build models directly from these results to predict the impact of future decisions. Specifically, hotels can determine the impact of any marketing initiative, from television advertising to online media, and can also measure the incremental value of pricing changes and how the changes affect different guest segments.

The impact of this collaboration will be assessed using key performance metrics such as Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), bookings, guest satisfaction, and ROI.

Read More...

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 4,200 hotels and over 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Dairy Queen applies analytics for its mobile rewards program

Consumers walking into the Dairy Queen in Rochester, Indiana, have been offered something beyond ice creams and hamburgers: A pile of RFID tags that can be activated and affixed to their wallet, watchband or mobile device. The technology can track customers’ purchases and make customized coupon recommendations when they enter the store.

 

“Our goal is to get a better understanding of customer behavior, and build customer loyalty based on that information” said Jamie Guse, International Dairy Queen Manager. This identification system will provide the retailer with detailed visibility into a customer’s purchase history and coupon redemption rates. Dairy Queen will analyze this information to send targeted marketing and promotional offers via mobile coupons redeemable in-store. The ice-cream merchant will measure the performance of their campaigns via real-time validation and reporting.

 

Other retailers that are also leveraging analytics to dial into the mobile coupon space include Burger King, Victoria’s Secret and Unilever (through ShopRite). The program is intended to deliver the benefit of a mobile system without the hardware and software integration challenges of having to deal with multiple phone manufacturers and competing carriers.

 

A total of 900 people have joined the loyalty program since its inception 20 months ago. The RFID tag test, expected to run through the end of the year, is already making a measurable impact to year-over-year traffic and revenue. Eventually, Dairy Queen intends to expand the test and later take the program national.

 

Read More...  

 

International Dairy Queen (IDQ), headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, develops licenses and services a system of over 5,600 stores in the United States, Canada and foreign countries. The quick service restaurant offers dairy desserts, hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages. The 69-year-old $2.6B dessert merchant is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway, Inc.

 

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

US Wine Distributor to analyze customer spend

Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) is implementing a new online reporting tool to track and measure consumer purchase behavior. Through deployment of this solution, RNDC will be able to use analytics to predict customer behavior and look at real time marketplace trends, price points, and opportunities for spirits, wine, and beer sales.

Data will be collected from point of sale systems for 14 markets in the US. This information will be used to provide insight into consumer spend, consumption preferences including purchases by brand names, competitor pricing and distribution benchmarking. RNDC plans to use the analytical tool to evaluate: how the economy is affecting traffic and sales volume; whether there are shifts in consumer spending; the average dollar amount guests are spending on drinks; preference on how beer is consumed (draft or bottled), etc. This information will then be used to plan consumer promotions, and market new products based on consumer preferences.

The information we now show our customers (restaurants, bars, etc) is real, fact based, and applicable to their unique market, said RNDC Assistant Corporate VP Wine, Ken Rosenberg.

Read More...

RNDC is the second largest distributor of premium wine and spirits in the U.S. It employs more than 6,000 individuals nationwide.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Best Buy uses analytics to boost sales

Best Buy’s enterprise-wide approach to analytical decision-making has contributed to maximizing its financial performance. Most recently, they have introduced free financing offers for entire shopping cards full of items – rather than one product at a time.

As the recession spiraled, consumers’ spending habits changed dramatically. Many stopped spending altogether and those who were still hitting stores showed some disturbing patterns. The number of customers signing up for financing on such purchases as big-screen TVs and computers surged. At the same time, the number of shoppers spending over $1,000 per trip plummeted. In response, the electronics retailer introduced the free financing offer to convert as many shoppers to Best Buy purchasers as possible. Best Buy Chief Marketing Officer Barry Judge said "We realized that storewide financing could be a powerful differentiator in the marketplace.”

When the economy was booming a few years ago, Best Buy decided to forgo short-term revenue to dig deeper into customer habits. They removed the annual fee from its bonus card and nearly 10 times more shoppers signed up. Armed with more customer data, the company understood its shoppers better and was able to align merchandise accordingly. In another instance, Best Buy collected data on 60 million US households through customer interactions. They used insights from this information to develop eight customer profiles. This was used to train store associates to have the right conversions and target the right demographics based on needs.

It is more important than ever that business decisions be made based on analysis of rapidly changing customer preferences & behaviors, and be optimized for sales growth without compromising margins. A single poor decision on which products to promote can make the difference between meeting or beating expectations. Analytics have had a tangible result at Best Buy: Its strong culture of analytics has enabled it to withstand a tough retail environment with minimal damage.

Read More...

Best Buy is the largest consumer electronics retailer in the U.S., with about 20% of the $170 billion market. With the 2009 acquisition of 50% of the Carphone Warehouse's retail operations, the firm increased its stake of the $700 billion global consumer electronics market to roughly 6%. The firm also operates under the Future Shop and Five Star trade names in Canada and China, respectively, and Magnolia Home Theater, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath, and Geek Squad in the U.S. It was formerly known as Sound of Music, Inc. and changed its name to Best Buy Co., Inc. in 1983. The company founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Australian retailer Myer to target customers using data analytics

Australian department store chain Myer is adopting leading-edge marketing techniques used in the US and UK to target customers. Data analytic tools will use customer information collected through its co-branded credit card, point-of-sale transactions and its loyalty program.

This capability will provide a better understanding of customer behavior and spending patterns. Myer plans to analyze these trends to launch campaigns targeted at specific geographic areas or consumer groups. These campaigns would be closely monitored and would provide the foundation of major targeted marketing drives leading up to Christmas. At the heart of the new marketing push is Myer's customer information warehouse, which was moved to the company from former parent Coles Group.

“If you want to be a customer-centric organization, you’ve got to… take a really big step forward on customer analytics and loyalty” said Myer Director Timothy Clark.

Read More...

Myer is Australia’s largest department store group and a leader in Australian retailing. With approximately 16,000 team members across Australia, Myer offers an unrivaled choice in the latest national, international and exclusive to Myer brands. It operates 65 stores across Australia with a turnover in excess of $3 billion annually.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.

Advanced Analytics meets Shakespeare

In recent years, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) – one of UK’s most respected theatrical companies – has adopted some of the best practices around audience analytics, segmentation and targeted marketing. In order to maintain its worldwide reach, RSC is looking to expand its audience base, while retaining its core, loyal patrons.

Theatre companies, like any other business, rely on customer loyalty to achieve long-term success. They have similar need to boost customer loyalty, acquire new customers, retain existing customers, sell more to all customers and establish a premium for their brand just like any other high-performance business.

The company used the analytics software, KXEN, to segment audiences and target marketing programs through the creation of an audience database. The software allowed the company to examine specific audience segments and identify patterns of attendance behavior. The result is a 50% rise in ticket sales at its Stratford-upon-Avon theatres, a 70% rise in regular attendances to shows and earlier sell-outs in London.

According to Mary Butlin, head of market planning at RSC, “the campaign planning [was] more fact based, and it was easier to predict likely response even in London, which is notoriously difficult”. RSC has successfully deployed marketing analytics to segment their database to identify and engage different ticketing behavior. This will help RSC secure its financial future and status as a theatrical force in the 21st century.

Read More...

Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is one of UK’s most respected and celebrated theatrical companies. As a company dedicated to keeping alive the spirit of William Shakespeare, while also staging classics and modern works, the RSC operates on an impressive scale. Over the past decade, it has staged 171 new productions, delivered 19,000 performances, sold 11 million tickets, and traveled from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace) to 150 towns and cities around the world.

Indus Insights is a specialized consulting firm that assists organization in leveraging analytics to drive business performance. They use state-of-the-art mathematical and statistical techniques to unlock game-changing insights hidden in data; and then translate these insights into actionable strategies.