do, however, know a thing or two about data. Surveys are always good…well…unless you do it in such a way that it makes the customer mad and they decide to write a scathing blog post for a wildly popular PR blog. Meeks on Amazon ), but to everyone else, he is just some random guy – took a survey today. The problem is the box asking if he would like to take the survey came up almost immediately after he clicked on the “ All Scores ” tab. ESPN failed to get any meaningful data from him and now has a small measure of negative PR. MORE >>

These reports have data and predictions about expected hiring trends, succession planning, adoption of mobile technology, social giving campaigns, and, predictably, differing opinions on the impact of tax reform and proposals on the missions of nonprofits. In particular,  a Blackbaud report  shows that mobile technology will be significant this year with more than two-thirds of surveyed NPOs planning to utilize more mobile tech this year. Useful DataThis is a guest post by Ashley Halligan, an analyst at  Software Advice. bigger presence on Google+. MORE >>

A recent study of 100 CMOs by Bazaarvoice reveals that nearly half of CMOs have used social data to make predictions or forecasts. The survey asked members of the CMO Club (a forum for top marketing executives) how they value social data, as reported by MIT Sloan Management Review. In general, CMOs surveyed expressed a high opinion about the value of social data. Over 82% believe that social data has a “measurable impact on brand awareness.” ”  Nearly 9 in 10 (89%) say social data has influenced their decisions. Do you agree? MORE >>

Developers are replacing a “lost enthusiasm for developing smartphone apps” with a new passion for tablets, according to a survey by Strategy Analytics. 30 percent of those surveyed said they used their mobile devices on a daily basis to source local amenities. This is the key finding of a survey conducted StrongMail, a provider of digital solutions. The survey showed that this practice is holding businesses back from embracing and making the most of mobile marketing. SOURCE: [link]. Ever find yourself lost and desperately needing a coffee? MORE >>

Some might, but the vast majority of people who share content, post comments, or offer sentiments and opinions online do so because they are in what Andrew Jeavons of Survey Analytics calls “the point of emotion.”  Surveys – break-down for four reasons:  they are episodic, have limited sample-sizes, the answers are effected by the way the questions are posed, and because they rely on the concept of “recall.” They are not real-time or data driven and they don’t parse their findings with the objective use of technology. Related posts: How important is real-time data? MORE >>