The Best Data Source to Understand What's Popular in B2B Media

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Introduction

# Charlie Gri ell, Co-CEO of RightMetric, reveals why marketers' obsession with first-party data creates dangerous blind spots in their strategy. With experience leading marketing at Red Bull and Aritzia, Gri ell has built a strategic research firm that helps brands like Meta and lululemon decode what audiences actually do online. His perspective challenges the conventional wisdom that internal dashboards tell the full story of marketing performance.#n#n1

Why External Data Matters More Than You Think

# The wake-up call came during a seemingly successful quarter at a women's fashion brand. After presenting 20% month-over-month growth to the CEO, Gri ell was asked a simple question that changed his perspective forever: "How much did the category grow?" The CEO's point was sharp: "If the category grew 5%, I should give you a raise. But if the category grew 80%, I should fire you right now." This moment crystallized a fundamental truth - without external benchmarks, marketers are essentially marking their own homework.#n#n1

The Comfort Trap of Internal Dashboards

# Marketers have been trained for the past 10-15 years to focus exclusively on their own data. While internal analytics provide valuable insights, they create what Gri ell calls a "warm hug" effect - everything looks good when it's going up and to the right. But this comfort is deceptive. Your Google Analytics might show impressive numbers, but without understanding competitive context, you're flying blind in a crowded marketplace.#n#n1

Building a Complete Picture with B2B Media Intelligence

# When asked about the best data source for understanding B2B media trends, Gri ell points to SparkToro as a gateway tool. "It shows what specific audiences are reading, watching, and listening to," he explains. Unlike single-cha el analytics, SparkToro aggregates multiple data sources - podcast listening habits, content consumption patterns, social cha el engagement, and creator affinities. This multi-dimensional view reveals where your target audience actually spends their attention, not just where you hope they do.#n#n1

The Deep Cuts: Advanced External Data Sources

# Beyond SparkToro, Gri ell's tech stack includes SimilarWeb for web traffic intelligence and Tubular Labs for video analytics. Tubular Labs particularly stands out with unrestricted API access to all major social platforms, providing insights into what's driving views, which creators are growing, and what content formats resonate. As video continues to dominate online engagement, understanding these patterns becomes critical for B2B marketers trying to cut through the noise.#n#n1

Practical Applications for Marketing Strategy

# The real power of external data emerges when combined with AI-driven analysis. RightMetric has built agents that analyze videos frame by frame, mapping visual elements to performance metrics. This reveals specific patterns - whether quick cuts in the first three seconds improve retention, or if product close-ups drive engagement. These insights go beyond vanity metrics to uncover what actually keeps audiences watching.#n#n1 Understanding competitive benchmarks transforms how marketers approach strategy. Instead of celebrating internal growth in isolation, teams can identify whether they're gaining or losing market share. External data reveals content gaps competitors haven't addressed, emerging topics gaining traction, and audience segments being underserved. This intelligence enables marketers to "outsmart, not outspend" their competition.#n#n1

Conclusion

# The biggest lie marketers tell themselves, according to Gri ell, is that their dashboards show the full picture. As he puts it: "It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble. It's what we think we know, but just ain't so." While first-party data remains valuable, the most successful B2B marketers combine internal metrics with external intelligence to understand their true position in the market. The tools exist - from SparkToro to SimilarWeb to Tubular Labs - but success requires shifting from an internal-only mindset to embracing the full context of your competitive landscape.#n#n1