DATA DRIVEN PR: CAN NUMBERS TELL THE STORY?

I’ll start with a personal story: I’ve always been a mix of a logical thinker and a creative mind. In high school, I was in a math-focused class, and while I thrived in subjects like probability theory, I struggled with physics and chemistry. I also enjoyed Polish language and literature, though when it came to essays, I preferred being concise rather than rambling on.

As IT experts say: “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.” This balance helped me both in my short journalistic career and in my PR work. With my love for numbers and storytelling, it was only natural that I would fall in love with the combination of both – Data-Driven PR.

Do you like this personality?

Numbers aren’t scary.

OECD PIAAC studies show that 38% of Polish adults are at the lowest level of numerical literacy,[1] and dislike for math starts early, with 17% of adults losing interest in the subject during school. [2] However, this isn’t the time to discuss the education system or how representative the data is for those working in PR.

It’s important to remember that, as Pythagoras said, “Number is the essence of all things,” meaning it helps us better understand the world around us.

Persona: more than just demographics and data

The era of intuitive actions is coming to an end. Clients now expect a rationale behind recommendations, and data-driven PR is the answer to this need.

Analyzing demographic and behavioral data, such as interests, views, information-seeking habits, and social media activity, helps us understand who we’re talking to. However, it’s important to look beyond the numbers, as behind them are real people.

When creating a persona, we can imagine whether the numbers reveal someone like your aunt from a small town, or perhaps a corporate animal from a big city. Maybe it’s someone who goes to the gym occasionally and might join a 10K street race, or a fitness fanatic with another marathon under their belt and thoughts of competing in an Ironman. Understanding their motivations and daily habits is crucial, even if the campaign isn’t directly related to sports.

Numbers over empty words

Media prefer numbers that tell a story over general promises like “quality at the heart of everything,” which are just extensions of corporate slogans. While the days when any study or report could grab journalists’ attention (especially vague ones with small samples or tailored to a specific hypothesis) are over, there are still plenty of opportunities – the key is finding the right approach.

Many companies have similar ideas for publishing reports, such as showcasing changing consumer trends. In practice, some of these reports resonate well in the media, while others – even from the same industry – gain only a few organic mentions. While unpredictable factors, such as timing, play a role, creativity and the ability to leverage numbers are what set a valuable report apart from an average one.

Numbers as a source of power

Numbers are not the enemy of creativity; well-utilized data can uncover stories we would never have told by relying solely on intuition. Data-driven PR is the art of combining facts with emotions, which is why it’s worth asking yourself: “How can I demystify numbers in my work and make them a driving force for communication?”

[1] Source: https://www.telepolis.pl/tech/nauka/polacy-cofaja-sie-w-rozwoju-dane-sa-bezlitosne

[2] EduNav Study: https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/nauka/artykuly/9375684,polscy-uczniowie-nie-lubia-matematyki-jednak-az-81-proc-uwaza-ze-pr.html