Datatelling in PR: Why we (should) love numbers

What do Spotify Wrapped, Sueddeutsche Zeitung's "perceived truth" charts and DIE ZEIT's weekly infographics page have in common? They connect, entertain and inform us with data, facts and figures. And they do even more: they tell us a visualized story that arouses our interest.    

But why do we care so much about numbers? Why does even the best data need a good story? What does that mean for professional communication? And what exactly is datatelling?  

Data piques our interest because it can satisfy social needs by creating a sense of belonging to a group. This means: Let's say Spotify Wrapped shows Taylor Swift as my most listened-to artist, and I see from the reviews my friends share on Instagram that they've listened to The Tortured Poets Department at least as much as I have. Maybe that makes me feel more connected to those people.    

But data can also fulfill ego needs by creating a sense of uniqueness and individuality. If I see my friends' Taylor Swift-influenced annual reviews, but my top artist is the band "Team Scheiße," I can consciously set myself apart and perhaps feel particularly unique.  

The great thing is that not only we, but also the press, love data. Statistics provide orientation and categorization, show developments and allow comparisons.   

At the same time, we love to tell and receive stories because our brains structure information in the form of stories. In fact, we remember well-told stories up to 22 times better than just facts.   

If a friend tells me that they listened to 9,471 minutes of Taylor Swift's music last year, I probably won't remember the exact number. But if he tells me that he can't wait to go to a Taylor Swift concert and that he spent the equivalent of seven days last year listening to Taylor Swift in anticipation, I'll probably remember that much better.   

Turning topics into stories is one of our daily tasks at Oseon. That's why we do storytelling. But where do you get data if you don't steal it?    

On the one hand, data can come directly from a company itself, so-called proprietary data or first-party data. Examples include internal employee surveys, annual reports and financial statements, CRM data, customer and user data, online traffic, and social media insights.   

On the other hand, third parties can provide or collect data. Examples of such third-party data include open data portals (state/federal statistical offices), market research firms, foundations, associations, NGOs, public studies and findings (Statista, economic consulting firm forecasts, white papers), scientific studies in databases, public registries, and online tools.     

When we use such data as the basis for these stories, we at Oseon speak of ‘datatelling’. We transform complex data on various topics into vivid stories, graphics and diagrams. In this way, we bring numbers and stories together, stimulating both emotion and rationality. 

External surveys, internal studies and data-driven corporate tools: A look at the media landscape and corporate communications shows that there is no shortage of data. ‘Where are we going to get the data?’ is often the first question asked when discussing data-driven PR.     

But the data is often already available. Companies just need to make it accessible or use it as a basis for datatelling. However, instead of doing this and using data-driven communication to underpin propositions and provide a solid foundation for stories, many communicators are failing to capitalize on the potential available.

Recognizing the communicative value of data, aligning the communications department with your data intelligence experts, and bringing data to life through stories can not only pique the interest of editors, but also provide new insights to customers and prospects. It's time to shed the fear of numbers you learned in math class - so your next wrapped corporate report tells a data-driven story that everyone wants to share! 

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash