# Big data – the future…

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/10/08/big-data-future/
- Published: 2012-10-08T22:37:21+01:00
- Author: Vicky Reeves

What is Big Data? There are many different descriptions, but in the session I attended
at [BBCON](http://www.bbconference.com) in Washington DC last week – they described
it as **Volume, Velocity and Variety**. It could be a Facebook post, a video download,
a donation, an email, a website visit. It’s varied and it’s unstructured – how do
we analyse it and use it and where do we start?

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/binary-flickr-mikecogh.jpg)

In other sectors Big Data is being analysed and used – Netflix, Amazon and Apple
make recommendations to you based on data. Obama used Big Data to help target the
right message to the right person to get elected as president. An interesting example
mentioned was that Walmart did an analysis on what people buy when a storm comes.
Batteries and flashlights were the most popular which was kind of expected, but 
they also found Poptarts sales were big. Which raises the question – **what are 
the Poptarts in your data?**

In the new iOS6 on Apple iPhones, if you have loyalty card for Walgreens (US chain
of chemists like Boots) in your [passbook](http://www.apple.com/uk/ios/whats-new/#passbook)–
when you get near a store it will pop up on your phone and encourage you to go into
the shop and then to purchase something they think you would like – all based on
Big Data.

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**What does Big Data mean to charities?** What data are you collecting and how are
you consolidating it? Everyone has constituents and some form of CRM, but data about
our most engaged supporters is normally scattered across different systems. So we
don’t really have that 360 degree view.

Some people will also question “what about privacy?” As you can see from the retail
examples above, Apple and others are already pushing this and we as consumers are
accepting it. Therefore charities should get on board now or else they will be left
behind.

Big Data is not a technology problem, but a business problem. It can feel overwhelming,
but it is also a huge opportunity. Imagine a world where you could achieve significant
improvement in performance thanks to Big Data… Excited?

_Vicky Reeves, Founder & MD – [Chameleon](http://www.chameleon.eu) – The Digital
Experts for the Charity Sector_

_Photo: [mikecogh on Flickr.com](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/6548458203)_