South Africa, March 12 -- I say this as someone who started her career at Kantar, where data is not just support, it is the foundation. I learned to find the consumer truth hidden in numbers, to uncover insights that were overlooked, and to use that information to put a product on the shelf that the market didn't know it needed. I believe in data like some people believe in gravity. It is essential; it is the basis for everything.

But here's what I have realised over the years: data shows what people do, but it rarely explains why they do it. In that gap between behaviour and belief lies what makes a brand truly matter.

The seduction of certainty

The marketing industry is currently enamored with precision, and I understand why. After y...