n recent years, many practices have emerged that can be defined under the umbrella term 'washing' to identify image laundering in the face of practices that are not applied in reality or with the purity and ethics they require: Greenwashing (selling eco-friendly or environmentally responsible products and services under the brand name, far beyond the company's actual commitment), Bluewashing (the practice of some companies misleadingly proclaiming their commitment to marine and ocean sustainability), Rainbow-washing (companies that launch a message — usually coinciding with LGBTQ+ pride celebrations — in favour of this community) or Healthwashing (companies that make misleading claims about the health or health benefits of their products), among others.
In the age of data, the power of numbers has become a fundamental resource for decision-making in all sectors of activity. However, the obsession with backing everything up with figures has given rise to a new phenomenon: mathwashing. This term refers to the use of mathematics, statistics or algorithms to justify decisions, products or strategies without the analyses that generate them being transparent, robust, ethical or reliable.
One of the most high-profile cases was that of Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 US presidential election and the Brexit referendum, in which the company claimed to use advanced data analysis and psychographics to influence voters. The company presented its models as highly accurate and capable of predicting individual behaviour with great precision, creating a perception of absolute power in its methods. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the actual capabilities of its model were exaggerated and not as effective as claimed. Although the political results were evident, the use of data was more speculative than realistic, and the reliance on mathematical predictions gave a false sense of control and accuracy.
In a world where more and more companies are handling data, prediction models and estimates, I believe it is important that we in the field of market research continue to distance ourselves from such practices; our commitment must be focused on continuing to protect the trust that customers have placed in us over the years, avoiding distorting the objectives for which we offer our services.
At Punto de Fuga, we reject these types of practices and work to ensure the responsible and ethical use of information. Sometimes, communicating results that do not meet customers' expectations can be difficult, but ethics and good practices are the pillars that underpin the trust that, both we and the sector have built. As professionals who work with data, our mission must be to seek the truth without bias or manipulation, maintaining transparency as our guide.
To mitigate this problem, it is crucial to continue to commit to transparent and ethical practices that underpin the credibility of our sector:
- Transparency in methods and processes: Clearly explain how data is collected, processed and analysed, and offer the database to clients so that they can exploit the results internally.
- Model validation: Submit algorithms and analyses to external experts for verification of their robustness (at Punto de Fuga, we usually seek validation from renowned academics and experts in the field).
- Ethics in Data use: the application of standards such as the ICC/ESOMAR International Code or the guidelines of the industry association's ethics committee (I+A) are essential to ensure correct practice.
- Use of samples that guarantee robustness – reduce uncertainties: working with large samples helps to minimise margins of error and therefore reach more reliable conclusions.
- Promoting data literacy: knowing how to explain and convey data effectively, promoting a critical and constructive view of the information we handle.
- Embracing AI with a critical eye: we must take a critical look at our use of artificial intelligence (AI), a tool that can distort our search for the right insight and the right conclusion. Not everything from this technology should be accepted without question. A thorough, sensible analysis, supported by our experience, is necessary, to ensure that its use does not compromise the results truly underlying the data.
Turning data into knowledge and knowledge into the right decisions is a challenge we must continue to work on. In a world governed by Big Data and algorithms, let us continue to focus on finding the authentic stories behind the numbers, turning our backs on datawashing and other questionable practices. Our credibility, as a sector and as a company, must continue to be the axis that sets us apart and allows us to move forward with caution in this new world so full of data and analysts. Customer confidence in data depends on the integrity with which it is presented and used, and any strategy that compromises this confidence is a step towards failure.
The challenge for the industry is clear, a challenge we have been working on for many years and which continues to give us the credibility that the sector enjoys: using numbers to illuminate the truth, not to hide it.
As my dear Sherlock Holmes would say: "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
Alberto Plazas (Account Director)
