2. There is a “utility deficit”. The data you have is simply not used. Near-limitless cloud storage capacity means that if any part of a company produces data, there is an excellent chance that data is stored somewhere. What’s holding companies back? In my humble view, it is a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of data science. 3. There is the “siloization” of big data. Silos are everywhere in business today. In agencies, the advertising team is separate from the direct marketers. The social media mavens don’t talk to the PR team. Clients are the same way. One client, who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons, has one group of people decide on and assign creative work while another group is responsible for approving it! When people are siloed, they can’t work together. When data is siloed, it can’t work for you at all. 4. There is a “tolerance threshold”. Quite simply, big data seems a very natural plaything for Big Brother. Advertisers have pledged to regulate themselves, but individuals are worried about their privacy. Big data has made credit fraud detection much more effective, and it has made significant gains in fighting global terrorism. Those advances make our world safer, but thanks to data breaches, revelations of government surveillance, and awareness of the value of personal data, we’re all feeling rather more insecure as well. The more the boosters of big data talk about how unfettered data flow will make our lives better, the more we recoil from the invasiveness we must sign up to for that utopian vision to come true. VALUE SPECTRUM