Data to Demystify, but Never Decide
Guest Blog: How Moxie Sozo (a leading design agency) uses data
Bridging the Gap: An Origin Story
What do you get when you cross a Red-State / introverted group of engineers with a Blue-State / extroverted group of creative geniuses? Well, we have spent the past 10 years finding out…
Since 2014, several of us at Pontem have collaborated with the creative design agency Moxie Sozo (Boulder, CO) to craft messages about “what we do”. Explaining your value proposition to other industry colleagues is easy. Doing that outside your network (concisely) proves to be much more challenging. So, having an outside perspective has been an invaluable sounding board.
Despite often running in different circles, there are many common threads with how we both approach our respective businesses. And, it should be no surprise that leveraging data is one of them. We wanted to give Lindsay Connors, Director of Strategy at Moxie Sozo, a chance to talk about how they use data in their business.
How We’re Using Data at Moxie Sozo
It might seem counterintuitive, but the secret to pushing creative boundaries often lies in data.
As the Director of Strategy at Moxie Sozo, I guide clients through the ins and outs of data-driven strategy in the highly-competitive consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. Our agency specializes in crafting route-to-market strategies backed by creative approaches that support these plans, and we work with brands across the board, from Organic Valley to Suja, Evolution Fresh, Perfect Bar, and a growing roster of promising startups. Data is integral to the work we do every day, helping us uncover key insights, validate strategies, and predict trends that will resonate with consumers.
Yet, as much as we rely on data, we recognize its limits. Data should demystify and inspire, but it should never dictate. At Moxie Sozo, we blend the precision of data with the intuition of creativity, always striving for a balance between the two. Whether clients bring us raw data to interpret or rely on us to develop new research, we use tools like primary studies, syndicated insights, and AI-driven technologies to build strategies that are as innovative as they are effective.
Over time, we’ve seen how assumptions about data—while seemingly intuitive—can lead to costly missteps. Here’s what we’ve observed and how we ensure that data remains a guide, not a crutch, in our strategic process.
The Data Trap: Why Not All Data Is Equal
At Moxie Sozo, we frequently encounter what our CEO, Derek Springston, calls the Data Trap. This is the idea that businesses become so absorbed in the allure of data that they assume every dataset will yield unique insights to give them an edge. In reality, especially with syndicated data, there’s often limited exclusivity. Syndicated data, by nature, is accessible to competitors who may be analyzing the exact same insights. This means that while syndicated data can provide valuable context on market performance and trends, it rarely offers a unique strategic advantage.
We’ve seen this time and time again: brands may come in with syndicated data full of insights on competitors’ moves and consumer behavior shifts. And while this data can be helpful, we remind clients that the real value of syndicated data lies in what you do with it. Instead of seeing data as a decision-maker, we use it as a foundation for further questioning. How does this align with the brand’s positioning? How can we tailor this knowledge to resonate with the unique attributes of the brand? By using data as a starting point rather than a directive, we avoid the Data Trap and create strategies that are genuinely unique and targeted.
Understanding the Limits of AI in Strategy Work
The Moxie Sozo strategy department is all-in on AI. We use AI-powered tools extensively, and we even build custom GPTs for our clients to generate ideas, expand on strategies, and think creatively within their brand’s framework. These custom GPTs are not just “AI assistants”—they’re carefully guided by human insight to ensure every output reflects the brand’s essence and resonates with the emotional core of what drives consumer behavior.
This is how our agency approaches human-guided AI. The AI is a tool, but one that’s only as good as the prompts, data, and strategic direction provided by our team. We carefully “train” these GPTs, feeding them brand-specific values, audience insights, and strategic priorities to create a foundation that shapes how the AI generates ideas. This human-guided approach makes our GPTs uniquely capable of delivering outputs that feel not only on-brand but also emotionally resonant, striking a balance between data-driven insights and the human connection that is central to brand strategy.
Using tools like ChatGPT can yield bland, generic results if not fine-tuned with high-quality input. While AI can quickly generate a list of ideas, it’s the strategic insight from human thought that transforms those ideas into viable, brand-aligned concepts. So, while AI is a powerful ally, we approach it as a support to human creativity, not a substitute for it.
Primary Data: The Gold Standard, But Not a Final Answer
Primary data—research that’s specifically tailored and executed for a client’s unique questions—is our gold standard. This could involve experiments set up internally, or we may partner with vendors like Designalytics to bring research precision to the process. Primary research is rich with insights that can’t be accessed through syndicated or secondary data, and it’s particularly valuable in CPG, where differentiation and innovation can make or break a product.
However, with tight competition and fast-moving trends, timing in CPG is everything. While deep, thorough studies can be insightful, we focus on delivering timely insights without letting our research become overly academic. Our goal is to design agile research approaches that match the speed of the market, enabling clients to act on insights while they’re still relevant. We balance comprehensive research with actionable timelines, recognizing that lengthy studies can sometimes be a luxury that the pace of CPG doesn’t allow.
In many cases, primary data highlights what’s promising or what should be avoided, but it seldom points to an absolute choice. Even the most robust research can suggest several viable paths without choosing one. At this point, human insight, strategic intuition, and brand knowledge become critical. We use data to inform our direction and help avoid pitfalls, but ultimately, decisive action comes from people, not numbers. Data demystifies and reduces risk, but the final decisions belong to the strategists and brand managers who understand the broader goals and vision.
Balancing Data with Human Intuition
In our work with clients at Moxie Sozo, we view data as an invaluable guide, a map of sorts, but not the journey itself. Data provides a framework and mitigates risk, but it’s the human element—insight, creativity, and strategic intuition—that determines how the data is used to create meaningful impact.
One of the primary roles of a strategist is to interpret the data in a way that aligns with the brand’s vision, purpose, and market context. We find that many data-driven decisions benefit from asking not just “what is the data saying?” but also, “how does this data fit with our broader brand goals?” With an experienced team that includes strategists, creatives, and data specialists, we ensure that data never overshadows the need for authentic, brand-aligned decisions.
In a world where we’re often tempted to let data dictate every move, it’s worth remembering that even the most sophisticated models cannot fully replace human judgment. Data can provide clarity, reveal risks, and suggest direction, but it’s the human mind—understanding, contextualizing, and interpreting—that breathes life into these insights.
Final Thoughts: Data as a Guide, Not a Dictator
At Moxie Sozo, we’ve built our reputation by blending data-driven insights with creative brilliance. Our clients bring us data, and we help them make sense of it, adding value by questioning, probing, and imagining beyond the numbers. We also produce our own research, using AI, primary studies, and syndicated sources to enrich our understanding of the market.
But as much as data is integral to our process, it’s equally important to recognize its limitations. Falling into the Data Trap, over-relying on AI, or expecting primary research to make choices for you are all pitfalls that can hinder strategic growth. By balancing data with human intuition, we stay agile, creative, and connected to the true essence of the brands we represent.
In the end, data is here to demystify, to shine a light on possibilities, but never to make the decisions. It’s the human mind that drives strategy, innovation, and ultimately, success in a dynamic industry like CPG, the human mind still matters.
Lindsay Connors is the Director of Strategy at Moxie Sozo, where she helps CPG brands transform insights into standout strategies – and gets genuinely excited about digging into the numbers every day.
https://moxiesozo.com/