Looking through a popular aggregator of CMO-related news, my eyes glazed over a sea of articles about improving marketing efforts within specific media (Facebook, Twitter, paid search, etc). I didn't see one discussion around marketing strategy as a whole.

The best I found was an infographic for finding opportunity in Big Data - what I suppose passes for a big-picture conversation these days.

The trouble with this is that Big Data is NOT synonymous with Big Picture. Often, it is the opposite: looking down rabbit holes, attempting to aggregate mountains of discrete information, while arguing and debating the validity of This method vs That method.

If the goal is understanding where sales come from and how marketing factors into the equation, then there's an easier way. It's even a first, fundamental step towards tackling the monster of Big Data in a real way.  

The method is this:

1. Geo target

2. Test media toward a customer segment

3. Measure results

4. Adjust, measure again, optimize

5. Extrapolate findings and scale.

The result: Growth + Efficiencies through Macro Economic Attribution.

How's that for big picture?