Using Data to Drive Growth: Why Collecting Customer Data Is Not Enough
Connecting the Dots is a monthly series that examines research-driven trends and how insights from one industry translate across others.
The Data Problem No One Talks About
Brands are collecting more and more data, but insights are rarer than ever. A recent Forrester study found that between 60–73% of enterprise data goes unused for analytics.
Don’t let data go to waste. By diving into their analytics, brands can turn their heaps of data into key insights on market behavior and overall trends, and ultimately make smarter decisions.
Let’s explore how our industries—utilities, healthcare, and financial services—can better optimize their data to build trust, brand loyalty and drive long-term success.
Turning Customer Behavior into Revenue (QSR)
Marriott International & Aloft Hotels
Marriott International is a legacy brand that knows one brand cannot serve every traveler. As younger generations entered the market and guest expectations evolved, Marriott faced that familiar legacy brand obstacle. How to appeal to the younger generation without alienating the older one. The launch of Aloft Hotels became a strategic answer—one that allowed Marriott to expand its reach while protecting the equity of its core brands. Here’s how they did it:
The Revenue Gap Wasn’t about Traffic. A client of ours operates in one of the most competitive categories in the market: quick-service restaurants (QSR). Despite having lots of data, they couldn’t figure out why some of their stores were performing significantly better than others. We dove into their data to solve the mystery. We discovered all stores had about the same number of customers; however, the top-performing stores had more repeat customers.
This insight was a powerful key to improving the brand as a whole.
The key insight: Retention matters more than brands realize.
Drive Behavior by Improving Customer Experience. The more the merrier isn’t true if customers leave unsatisfied and never return. Top-performing stores provided consistent, excellent customer service experiences for their customers. This encouraged customers to return often and spend more with each visit. With this knowledge, we went back to our client with a game plan focused on improving customer experience across the entire franchise.
Discovering the reason top-performing stores were top-performing and mimicking those tactics brand-wide boosted brand revenue and strengthened the brand as a whole. And it was all waiting right there in data the brand wasn’t fully utilizing.
Loyalty Is the Multiplier. Growth is powered by loyalty. As we see in our client example, stores that build loyalty with their customers earn repeat visits, which ultimately means more revenue ($250K more to be exact) than stores without loyal customers.
Turning insights like these into revenue starts with understanding behavior and acting on it.
Source: POV for Sub-brands Across Our Industries
Cross-Industry Applications: Turning Data into Insight across Complex Industries
Here are examples of how insights into data can become a blueprint for any organization sitting on untapped customer data.
Utilities: From Outage Alerts to Customer Intelligence
Utilities collect massive amounts of customer and usage data—but often limit its use to operations.
By activating that data, they can:
- Identify high-risk customers before dissatisfaction escalates
- Deliver proactive communication based on behavior
- Provide personalized energy-saving recommendations
We don’t recommend utilities gather more data; we recommend better use of the data they already have.
Healthcare: From Records to Relationships
Healthcare systems are rich in patient data but often struggle to translate it into engagement. Using owned data more effectively can:
- Improve appointment adherence
- Personalize care journeys
- Increase patient satisfaction and outcomes
When data informs communication, care becomes more connected, and more trusted.
Financial Services: From Data Collection to Financial Guidance
Financial institutions have some of the most valuable data available—but often use it too narrowly. By shifting to insight-driven marketing, they can:
- Cross-sell products according to life stage
- Deliver timely financial advice
- Build deeper, trust-based relationships
In a category built on trust, using data well is a competitive advantage.
Franchise Systems
With sub-brands, franchises can test new formats, menu items, service models and customer experiences while maintaining their overall brand. This is especially important in the franchise world as sudden systemwide change can overwhelm both customers and franchisees. When done well, sub-brands can expand franchises and extend their reach.
From our team
“To me, the strength of a sub-brand is its ability to leverage the equity and trust from the parent brand while still being able to find its own personality and direction.”
Data Doesn’t Drive Growth—Insight Does
As we’ve discussed, most brands don’t need more data. They need to use the data they already have to discover insights hidden within. Data alone won’t help brands; insight does. With the proper insight and tools to act on it, brands can grow.
But finding insights buried deep in data, and properly using the insights, isn’t easy. In fact, it’s where many brands get stuck. That’s where the right partner can make all the difference.
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REGROUP is a full-service marketing agency headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI. We support complex clients in financial services, healthcare, utilities and franchise industries, and help them find truth, build trust and power growth through our brand + performance solutions.
