Last updated on March 26th, 2024 at 09:08 am
Publishing Date: 15-09-2022
Today, we’re catching up with a rising star in the field of Machine Learning, an expert with a solid business background who excels in optimising KPIs for businesses. He’s honed his niche in marketing analytics, crafting result-oriented, data-driven campaigns. With a commitment to refining his technical skills and deepening his business acumen, he embarked on a journey to the United Kingdom to pursue higher education.
Hi Afnan! Where are you nowadays?
Afnan: Hey! Thanks for having me. I’m currently in Scotland, specifically in the underrated city of Stirling, pursuing my Master’s degree in Marketing Analytics.
Oh, nice! What have you been working on?
Afnan: Well, at the moment, I’m focused on an upcoming presentation involving the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNP), faculty members from the University, key stakeholders from businesses in Scotland, and a few representatives from the local Stirling council. The presentation centres on a consultancy project I led during the summers. Now, it’s time to paint them a business picture rather than drowning them in numbers.
Interesting! What was the project about?
Afnan: The LLTNP wanted to evaluate the success of their project partnership plan 2018-2023 midway through, utilising both qualitative and quantitative data. They had a wealth of data, but it was largely unstructured. So, with the assistance of exploratory data analysis and machine learning tools, we developed a model to assess the campaign’s success based on several parameters. Subsequently, we derived recommendations by feeding the dataset into the results to glean insights about the project.
I see. You’re quite involved in research. What’s coming up in terms of research?
Afnan: I’ve been delving into customer lifetime value (CLV) for the past fifteen and a half months. While there are numerous algorithms available, I’m focused on developing machine learning models for marketing insights. The algorithm will be predictive, forecasting customer lifetime value (CLV), particularly in the virtual services sector of the European market. This research aims to understand how historical data can be leveraged to evaluate the implications of CLV predictions on marketing decision-making processes. Still, there’s a lot more work to be done, but we should expect to have a paper released in mid or late 2024.
What will this help with?
Afnan: Wouldn’t you want to know how much business revenue you can generate by spending a specific amount on your marketing needs? This research will enable businesses to focus on retaining customers, prioritise acquisition efforts, and allocate spending more strategically.
In technical terms, what kinds of models will you be using during your research?
Afnan: It’s too early to say definitively, as data collection will continue for another four months or so. However, it’s likely that we’ll begin with exploratory data analysis followed by Logistic Regression to gain a solid understanding of the results. Additionally, we might explore a combination of Decision Trees and K-Means, depending on how the data evolves.
This is fascinating. What made you decide to move to the United Kingdom? Any message for the upcoming generation?
Afnan: You’re making me feel a bit old there, mate! I decided to pursue a Master’s in Marketing Analytics because I identified my niche early in my career, leveraging my strengths in statistics, machine learning, and marketing analytics. Moving to the UK was a natural step to enhance my credibility in this field. While I’m not yet a role model, I believe in striking a balance between working hard to build your life and actually living it.
This was great. Thanks for joining us, Afnan. All the best for your future endeavours.
