Target is this way of analyzing user data

Do you know at what stage to understand the needs of pregnant women? Target, America's third-largest retailer, speculates that women are pregnant by analyzing female customer purchases. In their research, we can see that women will buy a lot of fragrance-free lotion in four months of pregnancy. This will enable the production of 25 pregnancy-related commodities to produce a "pregnancy prediction" index. And then to calculate the due date, so that can be the first step to maternity wear, cots and other discount coupons to send to customers. Get customers to buy maternity products in them.

Andrew Port (Andrew Pole) is a master's degree in statistics and economics, 2002, just entered target department store as a statistical division, Most of the time is obsessed with exploring the relationship between data and human behavior. Bohr's parents taught in North Dakota State, other people's children go to the "H Course" (American Adolescent Quality education class, 4 H respectively refers to head, Herat, hands, and Tiyatien, that is, wisdom, morals, labor, body), Bohr is solving algebra problems and computer programs. When we were chatting last year, he told me, "What people call a math nerd is right, and I like to go out and talk about analytics." The

The first parent was the retailer's "vault," and the marketing guy explained to Bohr, "that's what Bohr told me when we didn't break up, and Target didn't tell him to stop his work." Few shoppers always buy all the items they need in the same store. Instead, they buy groceries at a grocery store, buy toys at a toy store, and they go to target to buy items they feel are related to target, such as cleaning supplies, new socks, or toilet paper for six months. However, Target has nothing to sell, from milk and plush toys to lawn leisure furniture and even electrical equipment, so one of the company's primary goals is to convince consumers that target is the right choice for their shopping. But it is too tricky to convey such a message, even though the most subtle advertising is hard to do, because consumers ' shopping habits are so ingrained that it is extremely difficult to change once they are formed.

However, there are always some short periods in one's life, the daily order is divided and the shopping habit is suddenly disintegrated. One moment--really a moment--is that parents are exhausted and overwhelmed when their children are born, and it's easy to cultivate their shopping patterns and brand loyalty. But as target marketing staff told Bohr, the timing is all. Since birth records are generally public information, the company's discount information, incentives and advertising campaigns are immediately overwhelming as the couple embraces a newborn. This means that the key is to inform them in advance, to rob other retailers know that the child before the birth. The marketing ministry said it specifically wanted to give pregnant women in the middle of the pregnancy a special advertising campaign, and most expectant mothers in the middle of the pregnancy would start buying new products, such as prenatal vitamins and maternity wear. "Can you give us a list?" The marketing man asked.

"We know that if we can keep an eye on the expectant mothers while they are still in the middle of the pregnancy, they will probably be able to develop a client," Bohr told me. "Once we lure them over to buy diapers, they start buying everything else." If you rush into the store to buy a bottle, you'll get a box when you pass the orange juice. Oh, I'm looking forward to this new DVD. Soon, you will buy cereal from us, buy paper towels and become regulars. ”

Of course, for large retailers like Target, they are already gathering customer information. For decades, Target has collected huge amounts of data, recording every customer's data that has frequented its stores. Whenever possible, Target assigns a customer a specific code-called a customer number within the company-that uses it to keep a close eye on what the customer is buying. "If you use a credit card or coupon, fill out the information feedback form, post a refund form, or call the customer helpline, or check out the email we sent you, or log in to our website, and we will record and bind to your customer number," Bohr said. " "We want to do everything we can to get all the information." ”

In addition, your membership card also records your personal information, such as age, marital status, whether there is a child, home address, go to shop shopping, the approximate salary, whether recently moved, the wallet with what card and browsing the Web page. Target also buys personal information, such as your race, work experience, reading magazine, whether you've broken or divorced, bought or sold a house, read College, web chat, whether you have a preference for coffee, paper towels, cereal and apple sauce, your political stance, reading habits, Participation in charitable activities and the number of private cars owned. (in a statement, Target declined to disclose what personal information they collected or purchased.) However, if no one is to analyze or understand this information, then they will be meaningless. Making these personal information valuable is something that other members of Andrew Port and target customer market analysis are doing.

Almost every major retailer, from chain stores to investment banks to the U.S. Postal Service, has a "predictive analytics" unit that not only analyzes customer shopping habits, but also studies the personal habits of customers in order to promote more effectively. "In this regard, target is always the smartest," said Eric Siegel, chairman and advisor of the World Congress on Predictive Analysis (predictive Analytics). The time we live is the golden age of behavioral research, and it's amazing how we can know what other people think.

The reason target is able to pry into our shopping habits is that, over the past 20 years, habit-forming science has become a major subject of research in the neurology, psychology departments and well-funded Enterprise laboratories of many medical centers and colleges. Andres West, the former Amazon technology director, said Andreas Weigend, "Now recruiting statisticians is like an arms race." All of a sudden, mathematicians became very sought-after. "As data analysis becomes more sophisticated, figuring out how everyday habits affect our decisions has become one of the most exciting subjects in clinical research, even though most of us are barely aware of the impact." According to a Duke study, it's a habit, not a conscious decision that contributes to 45% of our choices every day, and some recent research has begun to change everything from how we think about dieting to how doctors come up with ways to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, and addiction.

The study also overturns our understanding of how personal habits work in social organizations or groups. Football coach Tony Dunki Tony Dungy has led one of the worst teams in the NFL to break into the Super Bowl, and in training, he attaches great importance to the player's habitual reaction to the signal on the ground. Paul Onier (Paul O ' Neill), before serving as Treasury secretary, has overhauled a struggling conglomerate, Alcoa, and made it the blue in the Dow. At the time, he was looking for concrete measures to ensure the safety of his employees, a relentless effort that triggered a radical change throughout the company. Mr Obama has also hired a customary research expert as the "chief scientist" of the presidential race to work out how to vote in different constituencies.