Data literacy: The missing link in a data-driven culture

Just 1 in 10 PRs and 1 in 5 marketers say they possess a high level of data literacy skills.

And that’s a humungous problem...Check out our infographic.

What is data literacy?

Data literacy is the ability to extract meaning and insights from data. If you’re data literate, you’re comfortable with:

• Interpreting data graphics,
• Analyzing and critiquing data presentations,
• And recognizing when data is being used to mislead.

Why is this important?

Use of marketing analytics is at a 6-year high

Well, according to The CMO Survey of 2019, the adoption of marketing analytics is at a 6-year high. And although this is a US-only finding, global studies mirror the result. 

As Gartner’s CMO Spend Survey 2018-2019 found marketing and customer analytics to be a vital marketing capability for 40% of Global CMOs.

And yet?

Analytics tools require data literacy

While PR and marketing analytics platforms present beautiful data dashboards, users must still be able to interrogate what they see.

What that means is that using analytics tools properly still requires a data-literate team. 

So this leads us to the next set of questions:

• Is your team data literate and to what extent?
• Can they analyze, interpret, and even question findings?
• Moreover, do you have the right organizational culture in place to foster a real data-driven approach? 

Why not take the  data culture IQ test to identify your team’s strengths and weaknesses. By taking part in this assessment test, you’ll also get tips on how to improve depending on what level you’re at.

Are PR pros and marketers data literate?

According to a Mynewsdesk survey of over 1,000 professionals, just 13% and 19% of PR and marketing pros respectively say they possess a high level of data literacy skills. And that’s a big, BIG, problem.

If you want to learn more about how to adopt a data-driven mindset, feel free to get a free copy of our ebook.

Alert, alert – Marketing and PR pros remain pessimistic about their data savviness

The problem persists that less than half of professionals agree they have the right skills/talent internally to support a data-driven approach.

That is to say that only 44% and 36% of marketing and PR professionals respectively agree, to strongly agree that they have the right organizational setup.

It’s now time to turn the tables.

So, what’s the next step in your data literacy journey?

Find out now if you have the right type of organization to support data-driven decision making.

Take the data culture IQ test and benefit from its complementing toolkit. 

Turn potential into action

Above all, to improve performance, PR and marketing departments, need to raise their teams’ data literacy capabilities.

As Alan D. Duncan, vice president at Gartner, signaled, “80% of organizations will initiate deliberate competency development in the field of data literacy, acknowledging their extreme deficiency.”

Taking that into consideration, do you know your team’s data culture IQ? Take the test.