Evidence of practices related to Geomarketing dates back to 1850, gaining more strength starting in 1950 and accelerating in the following decades.
Still, for all this time, this area of knowledge remained closed, a marketplace for gurus and their boutique consultancies.
As Mapfry democratizes access to Geomarketing, more people choose this professional path and others are interested in joining.
In this article, you will learn to identify your inclinations and abilities in relation to the use of Maps and Data and, thus, discover where your profile is in relation to a Geomarketing Specialist and how to move in that direction.
Proficiency zone
The term “Genius Zone” was popularized by Gay Hendricks and describes the intersection between what you love to do and what you do exceptionally well.
When operating in this area, work flows naturally, brings energy, enthusiasm, and results in significant impact.
To identify if you're working in that zone, it's helpful to view your skills and preferences on a two-axis graph. In our case, we adapted this model to the Geomarketing universe:
Profile quadrants in Geomarketing
Difficulty
You have no affinity or skill developed either with maps or with data.
These activities tend to be challenging, unpleasant, and require excessive effort.
Hint: You can also carry out incredible studies in partnership with an expert who knows how to analyze maps and data.
Excellence in data
He is a master of spreadsheets, metrics, indicators, and statistics, but he is not interested or has no ease in working with maps.
Although this person may be an excellent data analyst, without the geographical dimension, a strategic component of Geomarketing is lost.
Example: Business Intelligence Analyst who doesn't see value or takes pleasure in mapping geographic information.
Mapeiros
In this quadrant are those who love cartography, geolocation, and the aesthetics of maps, but are not comfortable manipulating and interpreting complex data.
They create visually interesting maps, but without the analytical depth necessary to extract robust quantitative insights.
Example: Cartographers, capable of producing beautiful and correct maps, but they do not work with statistics or analysis of large volumes of information.
Geomarketing Specialist
Here's the “Sweet Spot” for those who want to be a Geomarketing Specialist.
These people combine a passion for maps with the mastery of data analysis.
They are able to interpret complex information, visualize it spatially, and create location-based market strategies.
It is in this area where professionals find satisfaction, impact and prominence.
Example: Professional who has a great passion for guiding expansion decisions, territorial segmentation and regionalized communication.
Where Do You Fit In?
Let's imagine that you're on a vacation trip:
- Are you the person who knows how to navigate new places or are you the one who lets yourself be guided?
- Do you control your travel expenses or go with the flow and live in the moment?
- Do you plan the trip estimating costs and alternatives for each place, or do you follow an itinerary without question?
- Those who answered yes to question 1 have an easy time with spatial orientation.
- Those who answered yes to question 2 are easy with numbers, so much so that they count on vacation.
- Those who answered yes to question 3 like to plan on maps and do scenario analysis.
If you answered yes to all the questions, you will be totally comfortable with the idea of creating expansion strategies and targeted marketing with impactful results.
If you answered yes to two or more questions, there is a good chance that the Geomarketing Specialist profile is natural to you, but you still have difficulty explaining why your recommendations will work out.
If you answered no to two or more, you may still be able to articulate good studies.
If you answered no to all of them and still want to be an expert, you can join a good consultancy and learn in practice.
How to get closer to the proficiency zone?
If you've noticed that you're not in the Geomarketing Specialist quadrant, don't be discouraged.
Invest in school Geomarketing courses StartGeo and GeoHacker.