Tag Archive: Mark Twain

It’s no secret that the advertising industry is driven by numbers and statistics: page impressions, viewership, size of audience, readership estimates, circulation, numbers of viewers, ROI, CPM, and a passel of other acronyms, metrics, and confusing numbers. While we in the technology industry are used to citing and tossing off many statistics about how many people use particular technologies, play particular games, or own particular devices, the fact is that the numbers cited in the vast majority of market research reports are, at best, well-informed guesses. You’ve probably heard the aphorism, "There’s lies, damn lies, and statistics" used as a quick way to sum up the persuasive power of a little numerical analysis to bolster an argument…even when the numbers and the analysis are often quite questionable? Add to that the pressure-cooker environment of ad sales, tight deadlines, and careers hanging in the balance, and you’ll often find hand-waving, smoke, and mirrors passed off as cold hard facts.  Read more...