Just when you thought you’d seen every Google Maps mashup imaginable, the Commercial Crime Services division of the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) has launched the Live Piracy Map. The map shows the locations of piracy incidents across the globe.

This is a great example of “data marketing” – disseminating meaningful data in order to help your prospects better understand their needs and/or your company’s relevance in meeting their needs. In this case, the ICC is not a business but a trade organization. But why couldn’t a maritime security company have produced such a map?

Via the ever-entertaining BLDGBLOG

(Sorry the width of the widget doesn’t fit on our blog).

This is a great example of using visualization to give people an instant and intuitive understanding of the underlying data. Data should always be behind the scenes–invisible. When data is expressed in a graphical format, it creates meaning. Adding a layer of interaction–allowing people to manipulate, filter and make connections–lets them develop intrinsic understanding of a bigger idea.