Unleashing The Power of Your Data

With the recent surge in online content, misinformation and bias has also proliferated, underscoring the heightened demand for credible, evidence-based storytelling. Consequently, readers and media outlets increasingly favor narratives rooted in sound data. Custom surveys and polls are just one example of how organizations can generate reliable data to create stories that convey an issue’s depth, scale and significance.

Harnessing Data in Storytelling

Data can bridge storytelling and credibility by offering a unique way to present reliable, compelling information. By leveraging data, journalists can validate and support their stories, transparently sharing the source and analysis behind factual details. It can help make information more memorable and accessible for readers. And evidence-based stories can be personalized to specific audiences, amplifying their resonance and delivering a more significant impact. All this helps build trust. And it empowers readers to make informed decisions. 

For companies, employing data-driven outreach helps their stories stand out amidst the dual challenges of attention scarcity and the explosion in content online. By providing audiences with reliable information that fosters a better understanding of issues or facilitates confident decision-making, companies deepen their relationships with audiences and elevate their status as industry authorities. Quality, informative data also has a longer shelf life, which can lead to passive publicity and brand credibility that reinforce a company’s identity as a trusted expert within its industry. 

Most companies turn to one of two types of generated data for marketing and communications purposes. The first is internally-generated data based on customer preferences or habits; the second is a poll or survey. Both can produce valuable insights that form the basis of a news and/or thought-leadership driven campaign. The challenge for both is to build a data-informed story that is helpful and informative without being overly promotional. 

For example, we recently helped Kinnos, a medtech client that created an additive that improves the efficacy of standard disinfectants, come up with and implement a third party consumer survey to ascertain public concerns regarding infections and the spread of disease within hospitals. By focusing on a timely issue for healthcare facilities, we were able to communicate the urgent need for Kinnos’ products without specifically mentioning them. The results of that survey led to placed stories, original content and multiple assets spread across the company’s marketing channels. It has also been valuable in producing subsequent award, panel and future story pitches.  

We also work with established organizations like the Financial Health Network (FHN) to utilize regular data reporting to convey insights and learnings. In partnership with the research team, we have helped FHN consistently publish data over a span of years in the form of its annual Financial Health Pulse (and more frequent sub-reports) and the FinHealth Spend report. Both have become highly anticipated events by media members and industry observers and organically generate coverage throughout the year.

It can also be useful to co-opt third party data that support a company’s value. For instance, virtual specialty provider Oshi Health helps resolve digestive health issues faster and more cost effectively than traditional clinical approaches. By leveraging industry data that increasingly showcases digestive health as a top cost center for employers, we regularly place stories that highlight these conditions for benefits teams.

Getting it Right

Executing a reliable survey demands meticulous planning and strategic framing of questions. Whether collaborating with established polling companies or conducting custom surveys, incorporating a public relations lens is crucial. 

Taking the time to frame your questions properly is crucial to an effective outcome. You might understand consumers' concerns or issues and know what you'd like as a resulting media headline, but if you don't ask questions properly, you can generate unreliable data that is not useful or hard to defend. 

Once you've executed the survey, take equal time for thoughtful analysis of the results to produce the best insights supporting your narrative. Avoid big leaps and claims that undermine credibility in favor of clear connections between the data and proposed takeaways to enhance impact. 

Ultimately, when done properly, using data to validate or reinforce a company's purpose and stories makes it more useful and interesting for reporters and core audiences, helps overcome rising barriers to media coverage, and builds lasting trust and reputation.