6 We also leave behind a carbon footprint that s where the expression comes from. What is it? Look for other Vs that characterise big data. BIG DATA AND CUSTOMER PROFILING Customer profiling Big data is analysed to provide companies with customer profiles. As we have said, each person interacting with the Internet somehow leaves behind some small pieces of information about themselves: age group, gender, likes, dislikes, location, job, family, values, beliefs, behaviour, shopping habits, experiences, etc. All these bits of information are put back together to recreate an image of each of us a profile that companies use to identify potential customers of their products. Customer profiling is thus an excellent marketing strategy that uses data to reach the ideal consumer of a certain product more easily. All in all, bits and pieces of communication left more or less voluntarily around by potential consumers are used to create more powerful and customised communication on the part of companies. Every time we communicate through the Internet, i.e. every time we chat with someone, write an email, look for information, or use social media, for example, we leave behind a trail of information, what is known as our digital footprint . Our communication be it active or passive is an invaluable source of information for companies since it helps them in profiling and thus encasing us in potential market segments as potential consumers. Big data All this data that companies collect through the Internet is so massive in quantity, that a new term has been coined to define it: big data. In more technical words, big data is extremely large data sets that may be analysed computationally through business analytics to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially related to human behaviour and interactions. All this information can then be used to improve operations and products, provide better service, and create personalised marketing campaigns, all of which can represent an enormous value for an organisation. Features of big data There are five main characteristics of big data: Velocity: the data is created at a very fast pace; Volume: the amount of data is huge; to coin: coniare customised: personalizzato to encase: racchiudere pace: ritmo pattern: modello trail: traccia 22 Value: the data is very useful; Variety: the data is very diverse; Veracity: the data is true and accurate. CommuniCation anD PSyCHoLogy Age Income CUSTOMER PROFILE Location Family Hobbies Goals Gender Job title Purchase habits