Definition
Big Data refers to large, diverse, and complex data sets that comprise large volumes of structured and unstructured information. Big Data is characterized by a high velocity of accumulation that renders its processing and management by traditional software difficult.
Examples of structured data include sales, advertising expenditures, advertising quality, media exposure rates, and customer demographics.
Examples of unstructured data include raw text (e.g., from social media feeds), images, audio and video which, prior to being coded into categories, is not in a readily analyzable form. Therefore, unstructured data typically requires more steps to be organized in a usable form.
Whether structured or unstructured, the data may not be immediately in a form usable for marketing analysis purposes and additional effort may be needed to make it analyzable.
References
- Marketing Accountability Standards Board, Big Data Initiative, 2023.