Unstructured Data Analysis: Part Three – Operationalization

In conclusion of our three part series on unstructured data analytics, we want to put a lens on one of the most overlooked and critical parts of the process – operationalization of the results. How can clients implement solutions based on results from unstructured data listening and integration?
Everyday both current and prospective clients ask us “what do we do with the results” or “how do we make this data actionable”.  The specific answers to these questions are not easily answered and depend on an array of variables, from results of the data, compliance regulations, overall project goals, etc.  The solutions vary widely and include: building websites and apps to communicate with a prominent customer segment; creating unbranded social pages to offer advice to customers; expanding business intelligence and analytics solutions to capture and understand all relevant datasets.
There are five critical steps to implementing an actionable solution that integrates unstructured data listening and analysis:

• Assess: Listening to your data is the first step in operationalizing your results.  Whether you are passively listening and letting the data tell the story or looking at the data from a strategic lens, you must listen to what the data is telling you.
• Advise: Working with internal colleagues or external vendors that have a wealth of experience turning data insights into actionable results is a critical step in this process.  They understand the market, have experience with both successful and unsuccessful projects and have an understanding of regulatory and compliance issues.
• Develop: Turning an idea into reality in todays technologically driven world takes both creativity and technical expertise. It also takes time.  Developing a solution will be a multi step process, including an initial ideation phase, beta testing and refinement before anything is ready to be released to the market.
• Deliver: Delivery can be exciting and scary at the same time.  Will it be received well?  Will expectations from management be met?   To help ensure this happens, before delivery you must complete the proper training, re-assess and confirm business requirements, and stay up-to-date with governance for on-going recommendations and enhancements.
• Tracking: It’s the ultimate truth teller and with tracking, you can clearly measure the success of a program and at the same time re-assess project goals.

To put the five-step process into context, we will share two recent client engagements with specific business outcomes.
The first example is with a pharmaceutical client that had invested a significant amount of time, money and expectation in an unbranded Facebook page.   The Facebook page was developed to help facilitate conversations between patients while addressing a market gap for educational content on a specific therapeutic area.
At the end of the 6^th month it was apparent their Facebook page was underperforming.  There were less than expected followers, limited engagement, and overall disappointment about the Facebook page was being shared on social media.
ListenLogic recommended a strategic social listening project to help re-evaluate both the Facebook page and the tactics being used to market the page.  Through the listening project ListenLogic identified specific topics, questions and unmet needs being shared by the patient population on open social media.  They also identified 5 key online personas, 2 of which were of specific importance – the information seeker and information sharer.  After an in-depth analysis of these findings, ListenLogic returned to the client with recommendations.
The passive listening of open social conversations along with the separate analysis of the unbranded Facebook page conversations revealed a gap in content.  To be candid, the client was posting the wrong topics on their Facebook page and patients were responding by not getting involved.  Posting more relevant topics and news on their Facebook page drove patients to engage more with one another and reference the site as a useful place to visit.
In addition to this, ListenLogic also identified the channels being used by 2 key personas, the information seekers and the information sharers.  Marketing to the appropriate sources of these two personas allowed the client to effectively drive new participants to their unbranded Facebook page.
Three months post implementation of ListenLogic’s recommendations the client saw a 65% increase in the number of likes, a 39% increase in the number of replies to discussions and a 33% increase in the number of Facebook page members.
Our second example is from a women’s health brand that wanted to better understand the patient journey from social media to thwart marketing efforts from a new competitive brand.   Through ListenLogic’s social media analysis the manufacturer discovered undiagnosed patients earlier in the journey, the symptomatic stage, where women talk about not only their symptoms but their expected symptoms that they have not experienced yet.
At the recommendation of ListenLogic, the client targeted these undiagnosed patients with revised SEO managed services and new content, including an unbranded web page and a Facebook page.  Follow-up analysis of social conversations revealed the number of patients moving from the symptomatic stage to the decision making stage increased 4 fold over 6-months.  Separate data from another vendor also revealed the number of overall doctor visits for this condition increased during the same time frame, as did Rx sales.
Data is everywhere and growing and the most successful businesses are effectively using it to make important business decisions, from structured data like sales/Rx, surveys, ATUs, HEOR, and claims data to unstructured data such as social media, call center voice calls, or emails.  The results and solutions that are possible from integrating unstructured data analysis are seemingly endless, and ultimately provide ROI and actionable outcomes for businesses.
We hope you enjoyed our three-part series. We will periodically publish additional case studies around more specific use cases in the weeks and months to come.
 
About Anexinet
Anexinet is a leading professional consulting and services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions around digital disruption, analytics (and big data), and hybrid and private cloud strategies. Anexinet brings insight into how technology will impact how business decisions will be made and how our clients interact with their customers in the future.
Contact:
Robert Gardner – AE, ListenLogic – Robert’s LinkedIn Profile, rgardner@anexinet.com
Brian Atkiss – Director, Research Analytics – Brian’s LinkedIn Profile, batkiss@anexinet.com
Mark Langsfeld – VP, ListenLogic – Mark’s LinkedIn Profile, mlangsfeld@anexinet.com