Is it possible to qualify the acumen of a marketing company with those four simple words? Also known as the "DIKW Hierarchy", they classically represent the hierarchical relationships between each of them and are applied to systems theory.

However, we at Montauk Marketing & Design love to explain and define marketing concepts using atypical models as a means to give things context and perspective that our clients can more readily grasp. Now you're asking yourself; How can a model based in systems theory tell me something about my marketing partner? (Disclaimer: I was asking myself the same thing when a former colleague of mine, well-versed in systems theory, initiated the conversation that spawned this post.)

Without daring to bore you with the details of DIKW applied to systems theory, let's get right to applying each step in the hierarchy to the marketing world, and how that can shape the way that you size up marketing service providers.

Data - The lowest card in the deck. A phone number without an owner....pretty unsubstantial stuff on its own

We move higher up...
Information - Being able to cobble together disparate types of data into a relation ship. Knowing who Jane Smith is AND her phone number is INFORMATION.

We move higher up...
Knowledge - The fact that piecing together pieces of data to form information NETS you something: If I call Jane Smith on her telephone number, I can get tickets to a sold out concert.

Last step...
Wisdom - Gleaning some kind of value from your KNOWLEDGE: If I call Jane Smith on her phone number, I will get tickets that are fake. I will be ripped off and not be allowed into the show. Hence, Jane Smith is a fraudulent ticket broker...

An extreme example to be sure. But really, the apex of marketing success is being able to derive WISDOM from your marketing information. Don't just know your demographic, know their nuances. Don't just shovel one-way communication at your audience, develop DIALOGUE with them. If you pay close attention to your customers, you glean wisdom.

But be careful, you might find out who your core buyers are and more and better ways to serve them. And you may uncover weaknesses in your product or service that need immediate attention. And you may revise your business strategy or product planning. Wisdom should be the goal. Your marketing staff or partners should be able to lead you there.