Product Data, Information and Content
Different words for the same thing?
Which term from the below do you use to refer to the descriptions, images and specs of products in an online store?
Product Data
Product Information
Product Content
Many people who work in online retail use all three terms interchangeably, even during a single conversation.
At the surface, all three sound like different “IT terms” for the same thing — knowledge about the products we sell online.
We collect this knowledge from suppliers, organize it in our internal systems then publish it to our online stores. It’s all the same, right?
Not really — “data”, “information” and “content” are different types of knowledge! ✋
The difference may be subtle but is important and has big implications for online retail businesses.
Definitions
To start with, the three terms are keywords in information technology and computer science (so are “IT terms” after all 😉).
They describe three types of knowledge:
Data is raw, uninterpreted facts and figures.
Information is data that’s been organized to give meaning and context.
Content is information tailored for a specific audience and channel.
Here’s an example from online retail:
A product spec sheet obtained from a supplier is data.
When this is interpreted and entered into a PIM as a product record with categories, attributes, variants, tags and other fields it is information.
Finally, when the product is published online as a complete web page with a title, description, images and some well-crafted marketing copy it is content.
In a nutshell, data is organized into information, which is then used to create content.
Why it Matters
At this point you may be wondering if we’re just overthinking technical jargon. 🤓
Well, let’s turn to how these differences impact actual work in an online retail business.
First, the three types of knowledge are produced in different ways:
Data is collected from suppliers and various online sources. It is imported, filtered, correlated, compared and normalized.
Information is organized internally by each business based on their internal systems, data schema and needs. It is structured, centralized and maintained.
Content is created by creative processes to fit certain audiences and channels (e.g. an online store page, an Instagram post or a tweet). It is narrated, visualized, localized and optimized.
So as online retailers we need to consider what departments are responsible for each and what resources they require. We also need to think about the costs, expertise and overall business value of investing in their production and maintenance.
Second, the three types are used for different purposes:
Data is the backbone of supply chain management. It’s used for tracking, managing and optimizing the flow of goods from suppliers.
Information establishes a single source of truth within a business. It glues different departments and streamlines internal operations.
Content is used for audience engagement. This includes brand communication, marketing and sales.
Another way to describe this is that data is supplier-facing, information is internal while content is audience-facing.
This may sound trivial but has important implications. For example:
Information is for internal use, so it’s more private and likely to change (dynamic) compared to data and content.
Certain departments use some types more than others. For example, brand management works more closely with content than with information or data.
We know these by considering only the way each type of knowledge faces — towards the supplier, internally or towards the audience.
What Software to Use
One of the key moments to mind the difference between the terms is when you (or your online retail business) are evaluating software tools.
Many software vendors offer solutions to manage product knowledge, and usually adopt one of the following acronyms:
Product Data Management (PDM)
Product Information Management (PIM)
Product Content Management (PCM)
Despite making a conscious choice to differentiate as a data, information or content management solution, many vendors publish confusing explanations that demonstrate poor understanding of their chosen specialty. 😅
For example, here are a few quotes from some big vendor websites:
“Product content management is a single source of truth for product attribute details, specifications, images, videos, and other brand content.”
🙅♂️ Content is not the single source of truth, information is.
“Content comes from many sources across an organization, whether its an ERP, MDM, Excel sheets – it’s likely there’s data across your product, shipping, marketing and sales teams.”
🙅♂️ Content does not come from many sources, data does.
“Product content management (PCM) is the process of maintaining types of content and sources of content (such as spreadsheets, documents, and other files) to ensure consumers have access to accurate product content that’s consistent across all sales channels.”
🙅♂️ They’re not all content. What’s sourced is data, what’s kept consistent is information and what’s published to channels is content.
“Product content management (PCM) is the process of maintaining product descriptions, details, and educational content to ensure consumers have access to the most accurate, up-to-date product information.”
Will leave this one out as an exercise 😉
Takeaway
If you’ve got this far then I hope you’re convinced that product data, information and content are different things that are produced and used in different ways, and that it’s important to watch out for their differences. 💡
In practice, there’s some overlap between the three, and opinions on which is which may vary. However, the overall distinction is still useful as it helps align people and avoid confusions. 🎯
👉 When evaluating a new software tool, make sure both you and the vendor are clear on what type of product knowledge you’re interested in producing or managing, and what the vendor offers to help with that.
👉 Some software tools offer features that are built on fundamental confusions about data, information and content. Ask for clarification if you spot any inconsistencies and stay away from solutions that adopt fancy acronyms but lack simple and coherent explanations.
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