Book excerpt: Helping tech-savvy marketers and data analysts solve real-world business problems with Excel Using data-driven business analytics to understand customers and improve results is a great idea in theory, but in today's busy offices, marketers and analysts need simple, low-cost ways to process and make the most of all that data. This expert book offers the perfect solution. Written by data analysis expert Wayne L. Winston, this practical resource shows you how to tap a simple and cost-effective tool, Microsoft Excel, to solve specific business problems using powerful analytic techniques—and achieve optimum results. Practical exercises in each chapter help you apply and reinforce techniques as you learn. Shows you how to perform sophisticated business analyses using the cost-effective and widely available Microsoft Excel instead of expensive, proprietary analytical tools Reveals how to target and retain profitable customers and avoid high-risk customers Helps you forecast sales and improve response rates for marketing campaigns Explores how to optimize price points for products and services, optimize store layouts, and improve online advertising Covers social media, viral marketing, and how to exploit both effectively Improve your marketing results with Microsoft Excel and the invaluable techniques and ideas in Marketing Analytics: Data-Driven Techniques with Microsoft Excel.