A real-world guide to putting data at the heart of your business

By Ian Shepherd

Everywhere you look people are talking about data.

Buzzwords abound – ‘data science’, ‘machine learning’, ‘artificial intelligence’. But what does any of it really mean, and most importantly what does it mean for your business?

Long-established businesses in many industries find themselves competing with new entrants built entirely on data and analytics. This ground-breaking new book levels the playing field in dramatic fashion.

The Average is Always Wrong is a completely pragmatic and hands-on guide to harnessing data to transform your business for the better.

Experienced CEO and CMO Ian Shepherd takes you behind the jargon and puts together a powerful change programme anyone can enact in their business right now, to reap the rewards of simple but sophisticated uses of data.

Filled with practical examples and case studies, readers will come away with a powerful understanding of the real value of data and the analytical techniques that can drive profit growth.

Ian Shepherd is a CEO and CMO who has held senior roles in a range of world-class consumer brands over the last 25 years including Sky, Vodafone, Game and Odeon. Ian has launched loyalty programmes, built new digital revenue streams for traditional retailers, and turned declining market share into stellar growth – all based on a keen practical understanding of the consumer and of the power of data and customer insight. Now a non-executive director and adviser to a range of retail and technology businesses, Ian lives in Oxford with his family.