Business Intelligence Moves to Mobile Devices

Edmunds.com, an online resource for automotive information, is used by consumers for research and by automotive manufacturers and dealers for advertising purposes and car-buying market analysis. Automotive marketers use our Web metric data?which my team manages?to measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, so quality business intelligence (BI) is a critical component of our client services.

See Also: Riding the Information Wave

Edmunds.com has always strived to make BI as accessible, portable and intuitive as possible. This is particularly critical for executives who are always on the go and need to react quickly and make intelligent decisions based on the most recent information.

Shortly after the launch of the iPad in April 2010, our CEO, Jeremy Anwyl, realized the potential of putting the company?s data on that device. He challenged my team to ?visualize Edmunds? data and make it come alive.? The team was inspired to create something that was visually appealing, interactive and informative for clients, and to provide account directors with a more effective way to communicate the value of the data using a tool that would resonate with our clients.

To achieve this goal, we partnered with MicroStrategy to build an application for the iPad. The Web Metrics app was designed for auto manufacturer executives and decision-makers, the account directors who work with them and car dealers. It displays Consumer Consideration, Favorable Opinion, Purchase Intent, Leads and Cross-Shopping data on Edmunds.com.

The app leverages existing MicroStrategy dashboards and applications that provide insight into automobile makes, models and segments. By swiping from one screen to another, business users can seamlessly transition through Edmunds.com?s key Web metrics and glean valuable insights in seconds. That helps them optimize marketing and advertising plans with strategic partners.

We developed this app to answer three main questions that every automotive marketing executive uses to make informed business decisions:

1. How does my automobile brand stack up against the competition?

2. How are my models performing within my brand?

3. How are my models performing within their segments (sedan, SUV, truck, etc.)?

We provide answers to these questions using Web metrics instead of sales because Web data is a better indicator of predictive sales. For example, a business user evaluating brand performance might use the app to see that a particular car make is the No. 1 choice of 18 percent of car shoppers who visit Edmunds.com. And an automotive marketing executive can use the Competitor Summary section to quickly see whether his or her models are trending upward from the prior year, or month over month.

Our clients appreciate our Web Metrics iPad app, and are using it to get actionable analytics in an easy, intuitive way.

By Solomon Kang, director of client analytic services, Edmunds.com