Interlude - the interplay of data and content

In my last post I proposed to see PIM from at least two distinct standpoints. The first is the traditional view of PIM as part of the broader MDM family. The second, I argue, is an emerging trend that see PIM as an element of a broader marketing platform. This will be part of a forthcoming white paper I am working on for HubDesigns. 

For the time being, I thought it would make sense to spell out a few things about data and content to help understand the point I made in the previous post. This is an interlude between the previous posts on this topic and the next one that will conclude the series. 

Remember, PIM as "an MDM use case", to cite Andrew White,  tends to be engineered around data optimization, while PIM as a "Content Management use case", tends to satisfy the appetite of marketers (details are here and here).

Data and Content

Data is the mechanism to 'register' what happens in the world. This can take various forms. For instance, the shirt you bought yesterday is a piece of data. The relationship between you and your partner is another piece of data. The properties of your Canon camera are pieces of data. And so on and so forth.

A helpful analogy is to compare data and everything that revolves around it such as governance, quality, fit for purpose, accuracy, etc. with the plumbing systems of your house along with doors, windows, walls, electricity, etc. In short, all the spec that architects and builders laid out when the house was conceived. 

Content, on the other hand, is what brings communications alive. It is information in context that can be communicated to other human beings to entertain, persuade, educate, or sell. I recently published a post on LinkedIn regarding the convergence of creativity and marketing. In that piece, I defined content as 

...information that is made relevant by context, that is ready to be packaged and potentially relate-able to other content, and deliverable anytime, anywhere.

To extend the analogy of the house, content is what takes place in the house. Conversations, cooking, dinners, party with friends, etc. It is what human beings create and communicate with the means at their disposal.

In the next and final instalment of this series, I will summarize the key points of differentiation between the two species of PIM. There are solid use cases for both. It all depends on (alas, my consultant hat keeps coming back ;-) the type of pains affecting the trust and loyalty of your customers.