In the world of PR, capturing attention is a constant battle – whether it’s the attention of your audience or the journalists you’re reaching out to.

While your audience might enjoy heartfelt stories that resonate with them, your key allies, journalists, might prefer  cold, hard facts. 

How data drives your PR efforts:

Data-driven PR is the perfect solution for this, blending the power of storytelling with the credibility of statistics. People gravitate towards stories. They spark emotions, build connections, and leave a lasting impression. But for journalists sifting through a sea of pitches, data is the glittering gold. Statistics lend credibility, objectivity, and newsworthiness to your story.

The key lies in striking the perfect balance. Don’t bombard audiences with dry numbers. Use data as the foundation for your story, as  evidence to support your narrative.

How to go from stats to stories:

Here are some tips on how to turns those numbers into captivating narratives that’ll get your press release noticed:

• Focus on relevance: Choose statistics that directly connect to your brand message,resonate with your target audience and are topical. Let’s say you’re a fostering agency. Talking about the number of foster placements you successfully completed in a year strengthens your brand’s credibility in the press.

• Humanise the numbers: Data is powerful, but it can also feel cold. Give it a human touch. Translate percentages into real-life impacts. Instead of saying “500 children in foster families by a fostering agency”, say, “A fostering agency helped 500 children find their new families through foster care.” You can also include some quotes and anecdotes from the families involved to further emphasise your point.

• Visual appeal: Charts, graphs, and infographics make a big difference. They transform complex data into easily digestible visuals that grab attention and bring your story to life instantly. Not to forget good quality photos and videos that add to the human element.

Data-driven PR in action:

Popular case studies –

Dove’s Project #ShowUs

When Dove found that 70% of women don’t feel represented in media, they partnered with top photography organisation Getty Images & GirlGaze, and of course real life women and non-binary people to create Project #ShowUs, a collection of thousands of images that offer a more inclusive vision of beauty for all media and advertisers to use.

Spotify’s Wrapped

Every year, Spotify releases its ‘Wrapped’ campaign, which is essentially just a personalised summary of a user’s listening habits throughout the year, but has gained immense popularity over the years. Users see their most-played artists, genres, and even the most-listened-to day of the week. By supplementing the statistics with a touch of nostalgia and pop culture, they’ve managed to reach millions of people worldwide and get them involved in the campaign. This personalised narrative sparks social media sharing and drives user engagement.

Conteur’s case studies –

Foster care

One of our foster care clients was celebrating placing almost 50 children in care, just in time for Christmas. We used the Christmas angle to add a human touch to the story. It resonated with journalists and audiences alike and made the campaign a success. Read the full story here.

Care home

One of our care home client’s came to us with an interesting statistic – 20% of their care home residents were over the age of 100! We thought that it had the potential for an excellent PR campaign. We gathered interesting facts about the centenarians, such as being old enough to remember several historical events including women receiving the right to vote in 1928, the conception of the NHS, and more. We also gathered some fun quotes and life advice from them for an extra personal touch and the campaign did very well!

Data-driven PR isn’t just about numbers; it’s about harnessing their power to craft compelling stories that resonate with your audience. So, the next time you have a story to tell, don’t be afraid to dig into the data. It might just be the secret ingredient that takes your PR efforts to the next level.