As the New Year begins, I pledge to better myself by helping others more.

As the old year fades into the past, I pledge to help grow the industry by being more inclusive and broadening my reach.

As the daylight dwindles and then returns, I pledge to expand my vision to every marketing metric I can get my hands on, whether it’s web data, email data, social media data, mobile data and/or etc.

As I struggle to write “2012” instead of “2011”, I pledge to tell people I am in marketing analytics, digital analytics, even business analytics, rather than saying I am in web analytics.

As the WAA enters its seventh year, I pledge to encourage new people to join and current members to participate while continuing to recognize those who contribute so much.

As the “United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, in particular recognizing their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration” (Wikipedia), I pledge to help new people find jobs in marketing analytics and continue my social media activities to improve our common bond.

As 2012 has been designated Alan Turing Year in recognition of the centennial of his birth, I pledge to be more tolerant of all people and less tolerant of times that I sound more like a machine than a person.

As more senior executives recognize the value of customer data exploration and correlation, and consider multiple analytics alternatives, I pledge to embrace new ideas and methods rather than denunciate others for encroaching.

Oh!…and eat less and exercise more.

Can’t forget that.

Jim Sterne
Chair, WAA Board of Directors