Based on the reading material: “Inbound Marketing Analytics”, read the relevant material for

the week. Then selecting two key words from the week’s group of words, write a paper with the

following the below steps:

• Select two (2) key words

• Find one current event article related to each key word

• Read each article

• Write approximately half a page for each article summarizing the article, including how it

relates to the key word

• At the end, under a subtitle labeled “References”, include the citation of the articles used

• Acceptable formats: MS Word or PDF

Upload to Canvas. Emailed submissions are not accepted. Late submissions are not accepted.

Below is the list of key words and pages to be read by assignment:

Individual

Assignment 2

SEO, ORGANIC SEARCH, BRANDED VS. NON-BRANDED SEARCH

TRAFFIC, UNIQUE SEARCH TERMS DRIVING TRAFFIC, INBOUND LINKS

This article refers to slide 5 of the lecture

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PowerPoint presentation.

Then, summarize the article and answer this question: Do you think climbing The Knowledge Hierarchy and the concepts advanced in this article are complimentary concepts or do you think they are mutually exclusive? Why?

Reference:

Weinberger, D. (2010). The problem with the data-information-knowledge-wisdom hierarchy. Retrieved from:

https://hbr.org/2010/02/data-is-to-info-as-info-is-not.

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Agenda
Introduction to Data and Information
Communicating Using Data and Knowledge
The Knowledge Process

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Consider
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Some have referred to data as the new oil in the 21st Century. Those who mine it well will hit pay dirt, and those who don’t will be sitting on wells of untapped potential, data wastelands.
Cindi Howson, Successful Business Intelligence,
2nd Edition, 2014

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What about Data and Information?
Information
Data that are processed in a form
that is meaningful to the decision maker

Data
Facts…just the facts
Gupta
Mcadams, 2014

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The Knowledge Hierarchy

Wisdom
(knowledge + discernment = ultimate truth)
Knowledge Knowledge
(information + understanding = interpretation)
Information Information Information
(data + meaning = form)
Datum Datum Datum Datum Datum Datum Datum Datum
(facts)
Mcadams, 2014

5

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An Example of
Communicating using Data
Your pen-pal from Russia is moving to the United States.
His company will transfer him to Seattle or Miami.
He wants to move to a place where it doesn’t “rain very much.”

You recommend Seattle based on the following data.
Average Annual Rainfall in Inches: Miami = 60 / Seattle = 40
You go on to explain that 60 is 50% more than 40, and
that it rains more in Miami than in Seattle and Denver combined, etc.
Nice job – your facts are 100% accurate!

Mcadams, 2014

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Thoughts on “Data-driven” Strategy and
Validation by “The Fact Checker”
Caution!
One danger of a data-driven strategy is that
you may make the data prove your point.
In other words you “torture the data until it confesses.”

Denove & Power
Mcadams, 2014

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Analyzing and Communicating using Information and Knowledge
Let’s try this again…
As a knowledge-worker, you help your friend define “rain very much.”
Moreover, you suggest that he may want to consider a few other factors.
After a brief conversation, you agree that he is looking for
“year-round sunshine.”
You start by sending him the following slides.

Mcadams, 2014

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More Data (facts)
City Avg. Avg. Percentage Number of Days
Annual # of Days > .1” of possible Clear/PC/Cloudy
Precipitation Precipitation Sunshine

Miami 60” 131 70% 75/175/115
Seattle 40” 153 47% 64/87/214
NOAA
Mcadams, 2014

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Even More Data (facts)
City Shortest Day Longest Day Avg. Temperature Avg. Temperature
(in hours) (in hours) (coldest month) (warmest month)
Miami 10 ½ 13 ½ 78/62 92/78
Seattle 8 16 47/36 75/57
NOAA
Mcadams, 2014

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Analyzing an Example of
Communicating with Knowledge (cont.)
Having shared more data with your friend, you now add a dose of interpretation.
Miami usually receives its rain in brief, yet heavy (e.g. thunderstorms) doses while Seattle tends to receive its rainfall in long, yet light (e.g. drizzling) doses.
You may also inform your friend that Seattle is farther from the equator than Miami. So, Seattle’s days (possible sunlight) are much shorter in the winter and much longer in the summer. That makes winter pretty gloomy.
You may also point out the difference in temperature between the two locations.
Conclusion…
Miami is probably a better spot for someone interested in “year-round sunshine.”
Mcadams, 2014

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Knowledge Process

Hindsight Insight Foresight

Reflection
Analysis
Reflection
Analysis
Mcadams, 2014

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Course Objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to
Interpret data inputs and outputs and define appropriate action to solve business problems
Recognize and apply the appropriate Excel features to analyze data in different contexts
Practice the application of a standard analysis process
Contrast the information technology (IT) function from other business functions and describe IT’s purpose and what IT does
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That’s Great But Why Are We Really Here?

…To solve business problems!
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From an Industry Leader
“Business context is crucial. I don’t see schools teaching that. Why not do cases about why I’m solving a certain problem, what I’m solving and, more important, how this is transformative for the business? Now, can you put that into an effective presentation? We need to institutionalize that type of thinking. Think about it: how often do you see students, and workers, for that matter, questioning why a course of action was valid for the business? Think of the first, cover slide on a Powerpoint deck as a summary of why you’re doing something. I don’t see enough people able to propose or justify a course of action in business terms on such a slide. They can’t do it.”
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And Why is This Course Better Than a 1 Week Excel Course?
Students will leave with in depth knowledge of Excel
But Excel is just a software tool…
We’ll use it to practice a repeatable analysis approach and
It will become a platform for an understanding of information technology
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Reference List
McAdams, A (2014). ITKM 505 Slides 2014 [PowerPoint].

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