Newgrove Blog

The Internet of Things (IOT) sounds like a magical idea, but is it really a technological solution in search of a problem? All the benefits, the complexity, privacy and security issues involved mean it may appeal only to the tech-savvy. The IOT is simply the concept...

People’s locations matter. People like telling the world where they are. And yet too few businesses take notice of their customers' locations. It's easy to get stuck in an old-world style of thinking when it comes to location. Back in the day, all a company had to go...

Now and again, a journalist or filmmaker carries out an experiment where they try to follow a dollar bill or £10 note on its travels from cashpoints to shops to banks and round again. Fascinating as such accounts can be, they are rare simply because of the hassle...

Read the blurb from any business or consultant promising to make sense of raw data and you'll be sure to see the words "insight" and "analysis". Though often used interchangeably, the two terms have distinct meanings, with the distinction even stronger when it comes...

In the era of big data, there has never been so much information available – and it's never been so important to find a way to make sense of that data. It's not just a case of choosing an appropriate format but rather of dealing with the fact that data has context. At...

The role of data scientist has been called the "sexiest job of the 21st century" by the Harvard Business Review. While it might not match the glamour of being a supermodel or secret agent, there's a logic to the claim and it's all about the human element. While...

The UK’s high streets may not be in the rudest of health but reports of their demise are premature. As much as online retail may have challenged the dominance of bricks and mortar shops in recent years, physical retail outlets can complement rather than compete...

If you're still talking about mobile devices revolutionising the online world, you're behind the times. The ‘Internet of Things’ is the next fundamental shift in the way we interact with machines, and it will have a particularly significant effect on the viability of...

What your customers say gives you valuable information. But it’s where they say it that can be the missing part of the puzzle. The rise of social media, apps and other online tools has finally persuaded many businesses that marketing can be as much about listening as...

There's no denying that for many retailers, store location is key. That said, our changing culture means that the store's physical location is only one factor and may not even be the most important geographic concern. This is why location analytics is now more...

The catchphrase ‘location, location, location’ might seem lacklustre, but break it down and it has a hidden insight: the need for multiplicity. Simply relying on a single piece of location data can be inadequate or even misleading. This is why location analytics,...

It’s never been so easy for customers to voice their opinions, preferences and concerns. In turn, businesses have never had such opportunity to learn from their customers. But all too often businesses fail to harness the full potential of this opportunity. The main...