Data storytelling makes numbers relevant to your audience. Collecting and analysing data can help us understand what people care about, what information they seek and how they behave. These insights help us offer relevant content to the right audience at the right moment.
The value of data
Useful information can come from many places: open government data, Statistics Netherlands, a client’s analytics or customer service team, and original market research. Findings can support a PR campaign when they are interpreted carefully.
One example discussed in the original 2019 article was KRO-NCRV’s investment in data journalism. Its team was examining datasets to uncover developments and connections that might otherwise be missed.
Progress also attended the 2019 Marketing Insights Event for marketers, researchers and analysts. Why would a PR agency attend? Because data helps us support a PR strategy and find inspiration for new content, as our article on PR and data explains.
From numbers to a clear story
Collecting and analysing data is only the beginning. How do you make it interesting and understandable to a wider audience?
Visualisation can help people see comparisons, trends and relationships. But an attractive graphic is not enough: it must communicate the information clearly. A presentation by data designer Michiel Dullaert at the event highlighted that distinction.
First, keep the visualisation simple. The more effort it takes to understand, the less likely people are to engage with it. Remove distracting elements and make the main point clear.
Second, choose a chart that suits the question and the data. A format that works for a trend may not work for a comparison or a distribution. Choose for clarity rather than decoration.
Keep the human perspective
An example discussed at the event concerned crime figures in the United States. Falling recorded crime did not necessarily mean people felt safer. The data and people’s experiences told different parts of the story.
Human interpretation therefore remains essential. A set of numerical criteria cannot capture every aspect of a situation. Context, experiences and the questions behind the numbers matter.
Data can reveal valuable audience insights, but it needs to be used thoughtfully. Ask what story the evidence supports and what the numbers leave out. Avoid presenting a striking statistic without understanding its source or limitations.
Would you like help using research and data in your PR strategy or turning your findings into a clear story? Get in touch.
Tessa Bron
Adapted from the April 2019 article. Unsupported numerical claims about visual processing have been omitted.
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