The Analytics Power Hour
Michael Helbling, Moe Kiss, Tim Wilson, Val Kroll, and Julie Hoyer
Attend any conference for any topic and you will hear people saying after that the best and most informative discussions happened in the bar after the show. Read any business magazine and you will find an article saying something along the lines of "Business Analytics is the hottest job category out there, and there is a significant lack of people, process and best practice." In this case the conference was eMetrics, the bar was….multiple, and the attendees were Michael Helbling, Tim Wilson and Jim Cain (Co-Host Emeritus). After a few pints and a few hours of discussion about the cutting edge of digital analytics, they realized they might have something to contribute back to the community. This podcast is one of those contributions. Each episode is a closed topic and an open forum - the goal is for listeners to enjoy listening to Michael, Tim, and Moe share their thoughts and experiences and hopefully take away something to try at work the next day. We hope you enjoy listening to the Digital Analytics Power Hour.
Episodes
Mentioned books
39 snips
Feb 11, 2020 • 55min
#134: These Are a Few of Our Favorite (Analytics) Tips
The hosts dive into their favorite analytics tips with playful banter and camaraderie. They discuss the art of effective stakeholder communication and the balance of traditional and modern data visualization tools. Emphasis is placed on the importance of documentation and collaboration to boost accountability. Empathy and constructive feedback take center stage in data presentations. They also share personal anecdotes about negotiation strategies and sprinkle in some fun cultural references, including a nod to 'The Mandalorian'.
Jan 28, 2020 • 49min
#133: Server-Side vs. Client-Side Tracking with Mike Robins
Once upon a time, website behavioral data was extracted from the log files of web servers. That data was messy to work with and missing some information that analysts really wanted. This was the OG "server-side" data collection. Then, the JavaScript page tag arrived on the scene, and the data became richer and cleaner and easier to implement. That data was collected by tags firing in the user's browser (which was called "client-side" data collection). But then ad blockers and browser quirks and cross-device behavior turned out to introduce pockets of unreliability into THAT data. And now here we are. What was old is now somewhat new again, and there is a lot to be unpacked with the ins and outs and tradeoffs of client-side vs. server-side data collection. On this episode, Mike Robins from Poplin Data joined the gang to explore the topic from various angles. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
38 snips
Jan 14, 2020 • 58min
#132: Reporting vs. Analysis
Tim, a forward-thinking data analyst, predicted the ongoing debate about including insights in reports way back in 2015. In an engaging discussion, he emphasizes the vital distinction between mere reporting and in-depth analysis, advocating for actionable insights. The conversation explores the evolution of data reporting practices, highlighting the need for clarity and stakeholder training. Tim also dives into the importance of balancing metrics, continuous campaign assessment, and managing stakeholder expectations while fostering a data-driven culture.
Dec 31, 2019 • 1h 8min
#131: 2019 Year in Review
It's the end of the year, and we know it, and we feel fiiiiine. Or, maybe we have a little anxiety. But, for the fifth year in a row, we're wrapping up the year with a reflective episode: reflecting on changes in the analytics industry, the evolution of the podcast, and the interpersonal dynamics between Tim and Michael. From the state of diversity in the industry (and on the show), to the trends in analytics staffing and careers, to the growing impact of ethical and privacy considerations on the role of the analyst, it's an episode chock full of agreement, acrimony, and angst. And, it's an episode with a special "guest;" it's the first time that producer Josh Crowhurst is on mic doing something besides simply keeping our advertisers happy! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Dec 17, 2019 • 58min
#130: Data Stories with Nancy Duarte
Once upon a time, there was an analyst. And that analyst had some data. She used that data to do some analysis, and from that analysis she realized she had some recommendations she could make to her organization. This was the point where our intrepid analyst reached a metaphorical fork in Communication Road: would she hastily put all of her thoughts together quickly in a slide deck with charts and graphs and bullets, or would she pause, step back, and craft a true data story? Well, if she listened to this episode of the podcast with presentation legend Nancy Duarte, author of five award-winning books (the most recent one — DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story — being the main focus of this episode) she would do the latter, and her story would have a happy ending indeed! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in the episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Dec 3, 2019 • 55min
#129: Data Accuracy and Completeness with Yali Sassoon
How accurate is your data? How accurate is any of our data? If our data is more accurate, will we make better decisions? How MUCH better? Why do the show blurbs of late have so many questions? THAT is a question we can ACCURATELY answer: because the shows grapple with challenging questions! On this episode, Snowplow co-founder Yali Sassoon joined us to chat about the nuts and bolts of data accuracy: the inherent messiness of client-side tracking (but, also, the limitations of server-side tracking), strategies of incrementally improving data accuracy (and the costs therein), and the different types of scenarios where different aspects of data accuracy matter in different ways! Pour yourself a drink (a 2 oz. shot of a fine Scotch will do... which would be 59.1471 ml if you want an accurate and precise metric pour), settle in, and give it a listen! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Nov 19, 2019 • 55min
#128: Neuroscience, the Customer Experience, and the Data Therein with Diana Lucaci
READ ME!!! LISTEN!!! DO YOU KNOW WHY THIS IS IN ALL CAPS?! IS IT RAISING YOUR HEART RATE?! IS IT MAKING YOU A LITTLE IRRITATED?! IT MIGHT BE! IF IT IS, WE COULD MEASURE IT, AND MAYBE WE WOULD REALIZE THAT WE WERE INDUCING A SUBCONSCIOUS EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AND REALLY SHOULD TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK! That's the topic of this episode: the brain. Specifically: neuroscience. Even more specifically: neurodesign and neuromarketing and the measurement and analytics therein. We're talking EEGs, eye tracking, predictive eye tracking, heart rate monitoring, and the like (and why it matters) with Diana Lucaci from True Impact. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Nov 5, 2019 • 52min
#127: Is Multi-Touch Marketing Attribution Dead? Should It Be? With Priscilla Cheung
Multi-touch attribution is like fat free cheese: it sounds like a great idea, it seems like technology would have made it amazing and delicious by now, and, yet, the reality is incredibly unsatisfying. Since we've recently covered how browsers are making the analyst's lot in life more difficult, and since multi-touch attribution is affected by those changes, we figured it was high time to revisit the topic. It's something we've covered before (twice, actually). But interest in the topic has not diminished, while a claim could be made that reality has gone from being merely a cold dishrag to the face to being a bucket of ice over the head. We sat down with Priscilla Cheung to hash out the topic. No fat free cheese was consumed during the making of the episode. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Oct 22, 2019 • 56min
#126: When the Data Contradicts Conventional Wisdom with Emily Oster
Did you hear the one about the Harvard-educated economist who embraced her inner wiring as a lateral thinker to explore topics ranging from HIV/AIDS in Africa to the impact of Hepatitis B on male-biased sex ratios in China to the range of advice and dicta doled out by doctors and parents and in-laws and friends about what to do (and not do!) during pregnancy? It's a data-driven tale if ever there was one! Emily Oster, economics professor at Brown University and bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet, joined the show to chat about what happens when the evidence (the data!) doesn't match conventional wisdom, and strategies for presenting and discussing topics where that's the case. Plus causal inference! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
Oct 8, 2019 • 55min
#125: Modern Browsers and the Destruction of the Analyst's Dreams with Cory Underwood
Are you down with ITP? What about ETP? Are you pretty sure that the decline in returning visitors to your site that has everyone in a tizzy is largely due to increasingly restrictive cookie handling by browsers? Do you really, really, REALLY want Google, Apple, Mozilla, and even Microsoft to get on the same page when it comes to cookie handling and JavaScript subtleties? So many questions! Lucky for us (and you!), Measure Slack legend (and L.L. Bean Senior Programmer/Analyst) Cory Underwood has some answers. Or, at least, he will depress you in delightful ways. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode, a transcript of the show, and an update on ITP 2.3 from Cory, visit the show page.
