Marketing = Mathematics?

On NPR’s Fresh Air program yesterday, there was a segment about the vast amount of data that consumers generate in this digital age, and how savvy number-crunchers can use it to control our very consumption.  Supermarkets, for example, are seeking ways to identify the shoppers they call “barnacles” — those that only come in to avail of extreme discounts — in order to get rid of them, so they can focus on high-end purchasers.

The theory flies in the face of my style of marketing, which is driven by the core idea that relationships trump all — and that even if a customer or client isn’t the most financially productive in your stable… wouldn’t you usually rather have them in your stable, than your competitor’s?

Obviously, there are exceptions here; the 80-20 rule comes to mind… especially if it’s 20% of your customers using 80% of your resources.  There are always “problem children” who end up creating a net deficit, and certainly implementing processes that help recruit a higher quality of customer is a fine strategy.

But overall, I guess what bothers me most about this data collection trend is that it glorifies the reduction of all consumers to spreadsheets, figures, forecasts and actuarial tables. It seems to completely eliminate the human aspect of the business relationship. And ultimately, wouldn’t that eliminate all notion of brand?