In marketing, data is abundant. Sometimes, it’s hard to sift through it all to find the kernels worth remembering and applying.

But in some instances, you come across data you just can’t believe. Yet, if it’s true, it’s crucial to understand it and think about what it could mean for your marketing plans. For example:

31% of Apple podcasts aren’t listened to.

28% of internet traffic is made up of “bad bots.”

27% of Samsung TV households are streaming only.

Couple all of those datapoints together, and any time you plan a TV or digital campaign, you’re likely reaching 30% less of an audience than you’re setting out to.

Here’s another. YouTube, the home of user-generated cat videos, has more screen time than Netflix on TV’s. And despite it being a video platform, 70% of its revenue is categorized as “direct response.”

Counterintuitive? What about the fact that as of a few years ago, roughly half of Disney+ subscribers reportedly didn’t have children.

If you’re thinking about these new-age video platforms in traditional ways, then you’re putting them in unwarranted boxes.

Finally, young people are hard to reach, of course. But think about the fact that as of February 2023, office occupancy in the 10 major US cities hadn’t surpassed 50%. New brands who thrived off of reaching Millennials in the 2010s via transit and subway routes have to find a new playbook.

Plus, young people have a love-hate relationship with media channels they crave. For instance, they follow the news daily (79%), but few enjoy it (32%). Does this mean you should ignore a channel they heavily consume? Or instead, prioritize breakthrough or sensitive messages in a high-reach environment?

Looking at data is one thing. But drawing dotted lines between data you can’t believe helps develop more interesting briefs for breakthrough work.