NielsenIQ is the global leader in providing a complete and unbiased view of consumer behavior. They have a powerful consumer data platform and advanced analytics that help consumer goods companies and retailers make confident decisions. Using comprehensive data sets, NielsenIQ gives clients a future-oriented understanding of consumer behavior across all retail platforms. With operations in nearly 100 markets, NielsenIQ covers over 90 percent of the world's population.

Additionally, NielsenIQ has created Byzzer, a retail data platform that helps level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Byzzer uses NielsenIQ's data and technology to provide SMBs with the precise data they need to grow their brands. The team behind Byzzer understands how access to the right data can significantly impact a brand's growth trajectory.

Dana James, Head of Technology and Product of NielsenIQ SMB, spoke exclusively to The Business Fortune on how his company and Byzzer are making retail data actionable and accessible to small businesses.

Interview Highlights

What kind of process does Byzzer use to go above and beyond for its clients?

NielsenIQ launched the Byzzer platform to help small and medium-sized businesses compete in the retail industry. Previously, only large enterprises had access to valuable retail data and insights. Byzzer was specifically designed for small businesses and operates as a separate company. It offers a data and analytics marketplace where retailers can sign up for a free account and quickly access useful reports and email alerts. Customers can upgrade to additional services like custom extracts, smart reports, and premium categories and markets as they become more comfortable with the platform.

In what ways does Byzzer differ from other products offered by NielsenIQ?

By starting fresh, the Byzzer team quickly served small to medium-sized customers with their cloud-native platform. They clarified their customer personas by using NielsenIQ's data products and developed a solution for them. Customer feedback was incorporated during the development of their first minimum viable product (MVP) through their Trailblazer program. They used NielsenIQ's data offerings, Google cloud services, and business intelligence tools to rapidly create a new offering. Their focus is on simplicity and resolving customer issues quickly, as many of their customers are not tech-savvy. They continuously improve their product knowledge base and customer service chat to provide resources for their customers.

How specifically does NielsenIQ meet the varied needs of its clientele, considering that it is a worldwide measurement and data analytics company?

Byzzer focuses on small and medium businesses and provides a user-friendly platform for retail analytics. The platform uses advanced algorithms to analyze retail data from the NielsenIQ database. It offers reports and insights to SMBs quickly and affordably. Our unique NielsenIQ Brand Score feature allows retailers to compare themselves to competitors in terms of promotion, pricing, and assortment. Byzzer also provides "stories" with visual presentations to help customers communicate their value. We recently received the 'Top Retail Tech Solutions Provider' Award for 2022 from CIO Review magazine.

What areas are you concentrating on?

As CTO of Byzzer, I was the fourth employee and the first tech hire. Now, as Head of Technology and Product at NielsenIQ SMB, I handle software development, product prioritization, infrastructure architecture, data science, reporting, and data operations. I set product vision, create team structure, select cloud services and software vendors, and ensure product and data quality. The teams are highly integrated, and the organization has efficient communication channels. I work with talented individuals from the CPG industry and e-commerce. I delegate responsibilities and focus on supporting the sales team, listening to customer feedback, and helping with customer needs and issues.

How is the sector you work in presently changing? And in relation to other industry players, where does NielsenIQ currently stand?

Retail data is no longer limited to physical stores. Brands need to have a complete understanding of consumer purchases from both online and offline channels in order to understand consumer behavior across all channels. With the merging of online and offline data, it is important to also understand buyer behavior beyond common consumer goods. NielsenIQ has recently acquired Rakuten Intelligence, which provides a large e-commerce purchase panel in the United States. We have also merged with Gfk, creating a company with a global presence and industry-leading coverage. This allows us to provide innovative solutions to our clients and explore new growth opportunities.

Which are the different services that Byzzer provides?

Byzzer offers excellent analytical capabilities to small to medium businesses. The platform provides a range of products to assist these organizations in their data journey. It includes reporting features that cater to customers with varying levels of expertise, email alert digests, data-on-demand capability, the option to create presentations easily, and the patent pending NielsenIQ Brand Score.

How knowledgeable is the expert staff at NielsenIQ? And what benefits do they offer the business?

CPG industry "lifers" and other team members with a wide range of industry experience, including real estate, healthcare, hotel, and financial services, make up the product and technology teams at Nielsen IQ SMB. Because of this diversity, Byzzer has been able to focus on customer experience, product fit, and data quality in a way that is unique. This has been made possible by Byzzer's creative thinking and ability to present the right data to customers in the right format at the right time, whether it be an email alert, report, PowerPoint presentation, or extract, all while keeping an e-commerce lens that emphasizes product simplicity.

What transformational plans are you pursuing to stay relevant both now and in the future, considering how often circumstances change?

NielsenIQ launched Byzzer, a new platform designed to facilitate transition. We prioritized developing new products with ongoing consumer feedback from the beginning, recording, analyzing, and ranking client requests weekly in our development backlog. Utilizing the services of a comprehensive cloud provider is necessary to maintain this customer-focused approach, and we have fully committed to the Google cloud. In addition, we are combining data from online and offline channels to create a more complete picture of customer shopper behavior by absorbing data from several sources that offer an omnichannel view of sales and demographics.

Leading NielsenIQ as its ardent visionary

Dana James is NielsenIQ SMB's Head of Product and Technology. With extensive expertise in several areas like finance, hospitality, consumer products, artificial intelligence, and news media, he is a seasoned technology veteran. He was the division's first technical recruit, heading NielsenIQ SMB's Head of Technical and Product and contributing to the creation of the product roadmap and technology strategy. Prior to taking on this position, Dana worked at The Atlanta Tech Village, where he assisted numerous aspiring business owners in founding their own companies from the bottom up. He is renowned for wearing a variety of hats, including those of a sales engineer, architect, and programmer.

Dana graduated with an MBA from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Old Dominion University. He resides with his daughter in Atlanta, Georgia.

"With this new product offering from the Byzzer business and our recent acquisitions and mergers, Nielsen IQ is committed to serving clients of all sizes.”