Seven Sins: making information fun & meaningful
Jinfo Blog

By Jan Knight

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As a subscriber to IBISWorld Industry Reports, I recently received an email from the company with the title “The Seven Deadly Sins”. I have to admit to a few seconds of trepidation as I clicked on the link wondering what I was going to view. I had a pleasant surprise – no spam – but just great creative data that I could put to good use.

The email included the explanation, “With higher disposable incomes and new technologies expected to increase this year, so is the potential for indulgent behavior. IBISWorld has identified the industries that stand to benefit from the seven deadly sins in the attached research report.” My fears were allayed as I found a three page Special Report with brief summaries of seven different industries all based around, yes, the Seven Deadly Sins. They included:

1: Greed: commercial banking

2: Gluttony: fast food restaurants

3: Envy: jewellery stores

4: Sloth: maids, nannies and gardeners

5: Wrath: guns and ammunition manufacturing

6: Pride: tanning salons

7: Lust: online dating.

Each brief summary provided key data on 2012 revenue and potential growth and a short paragraph about the industry. I not only found myself reading these industry snapshots but wondering how I could use them to my advantage.  Believe me I have no personal interest in gun manufacturing but did you know that the United States actually has to import guns to support the demand? Or, that maids, nannies and gardeners are part of a $16 billion (approximately £10 billion) US industry?

I love information probably more than most but let’s face it, data can be boring sometimes. When it’s put into a different context that can be fun or at least more meaningful to us, it helps tremendously. Information is sometimes difficult to grasp and sometimes difficult to display and distribute.

So, having now written about it on VIP LiveWire and forwarded it to some clients and colleagues as a way to “stay in touch” it occurs to me that the VP of Public Relations who sent the email deserves kudos. Not only has she probably received input from subscribers, but I’ve also had an excuse to “touch” clients, and it provided fodder for a LiveWire column. Maybe those readers who publish information or digital content can think of something just as creative to market your own service or disseminate your own information.

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