HAAS media: Modern Data Stack for sales and marketing

Following the successful completion of our data audit & design project the HAAS Media Group laid the foundation for the digital transformation of the company. The preliminary conceptual work had created a clear goal: A modern, cloud-based data infrastructure should consolidate the fragmented system landscape and form the basis for data-driven decisions.

As part of the audit, we designed a sustainable architecture together with stakeholders: Snowflake as a central data warehouse, dbt for data modeling, GitHub Actions as a scheduling tool, and PowerBI for visualization. By defining two customer golden records for sales and marketing, we had also identified specific use cases that would provide immediate added business value.

The challenge: From vision to reality

The implementation challenges were complex. The relevant data was available in fragmented form in a variety of data sources. Like many established media companies, the HAAS media group had a heterogeneous system landscape: from classic subscription management systems to various solutions that store customer data, to various platforms for digital content and its monetization.

Some of the systems were no longer able to meet modern requirements or were highly individualized. Although these individualizations had solved specific problems in the short term, they led to considerable dependencies on individual tool providers. Examples of this were the subscription and CRM systems, whose proprietary approaches made data access and integration into modern analysis environments significantly more difficult.

Another critical factor was limited internal experience in dealing with cloud-based data architectures. This knowledge gap had to be closed in order to ensure independent development and maintenance of the new infrastructure in the long term.

The solution: building a modern data platform

Our approach was characterized by a pragmatic, step-by-step approach. The first step was setting up and configuring the cloud infrastructure at AWS: Snowflake as a data warehouse, configuring dbt, implementing GitHub Actions, and connecting PowerBI.

After providing the infrastructure, the focus was on integrating the relevant data sources. In doing so, we prioritized the systems that were essential for the two defined use cases: subscription system, CRM system, various web analysis tools and other small sources. With the help of HAAS colleagues, we developed tailor-made connectors for each data source, which ensured a reliable and automated data flow.

With the integrated data sources, we dedicated ourselves to data modelling. Here, dbt was used to create a structured, consistent data model from raw source data. We implemented a clear layer architecture from raw data to transformation and aggregation layers to the final data tables optimized for analysis. For each of the two customer golden records, we created dedicated data models that were tailored to the respective sales and marketing requirements.

A particular focus was on knowledge transfer. From the outset, we actively involved internal colleagues in all phases of the project and carried out on-the-job training. This practical transfer of knowledge proved to be extremely effective, as employees were able to learn the new technologies directly from a real application. Regular sparring sessions ensured that the HAAS team was able to gradually build up the expertise to operate and further develop the new platform independently.

The added value: Faster insights, reduced expenses, increased autonomy

The introduction of the Modern Data Stack at HAAS has created noticeable added value in several areas. The most immediate effect was the improved availability of insights from sales and marketing. What used to take days and a great deal of manual work — combining and processing data from various sources — is now available in minutes. This enables specialist departments to react significantly more quickly to changes in the market.

For the sales team, the customer golden record represents a quantum leap in customer contact. For the first time, a 360-degree view of the customer is available, which includes both print and digital subscriptions as well as interactions on the various digital platforms. This comprehensive view enables more precise segmentation, more targeted campaigns, and ultimately a higher conversion rate.

The customer golden record has a similarly transformative effect on marketing. The team now has detailed insights into the performance of various advertising channels and formats and can optimize campaigns based on data. This not only leads to higher revenues, but also to increased satisfaction among advertising partners.

Another significant added value is the massive reduction of manual work in the data team. Processes that previously had to be laboriously carried out manually are now fully automated. The data team can now focus more on value-adding activities, such as the development of new analyses.

The increased autonomy of HAAS with regard to the further development of the data platform is particularly pleasing. Thanks to the consistent transfer of knowledge, the team is already able to maintain and further develop parts of the platform independently — a skill that is constantly being expanded.

Outlook: The path to a fully data-driven organization

With the successful implementation of the Modern Data Stack, the HAAS Media Group has taken a decisive step on the way to a fully data-driven organization. The created infrastructure forms the basis for numerous other use cases that can be implemented in the coming months.

There are already other use cases in the pipeline, for example for optimizing content strategy through detailed analysis of user behavior, personalizing digital offerings, and more. These initiatives will further help to strengthen HAAS's position as a leading media company in the region.

Looking back, this project exemplifies how medium-sized media companies can strengthen their competitiveness through the targeted use of modern data technologies. The key to success lay not only in technical implementation, but in the combination of tailor-made architecture, pragmatic implementation and consistent transfer of knowledge.

‍Contact us for a non-binding initial consultation and find out how we can also support your company on the way to structured and value-adding data usage.

Arrange a free initial consultation

Picture: unsplash Rohit Choudhari