What is data-driven PR and why is it so important?
Many PR plans are made based on intuition, passion or knowledge. But do you (also) ever use data to arrive at a campaign? In this blog, read more about the PR trend - cautiously emerging in the Netherlands: data-driven PR. What is it and what can data-driven PR mean for you?
Intuition and data: a powerful combination
Data gives foundation to your plan. Say: you intuitively have a great (PR) idea. That's a good start! But how do you turn that into a plan? Many companies mainly use their experience, network and gut feeling. Often with excellent results. But it can be done differently. Thanks to data-driven PR, you can create a targeted campaign, precisely aimed at the target group you want to reach. You no longer need to shoot with hail.
To measure is to know
The problem with your gut - it's not always right. And what a shame it is if you build an entire campaign around incorrect assumptions. That's where data can help! With data you can test your assumptions before building a campaign around them.
This is what we do with PR and data
At Mediatic, we regularly draw up PR plans based on outcomes from in-house data research. We do these studies for several reasons:
- It is urgent: by doing data-driven research, we create your own reason to come out with news.
- It's unique: the results of your own research are unique and - if you've done it well - high-profile.
- It is meaningful: we set up the research so that the results relate to a large group of people. So very useful.
- It is recognisable: the research results are striking but do not come out of the blue. Your target audience will recognise the results.
Increasing authority in your field
By regularly appearing in the media with results from your data research, you increase your authority in your area of expertise. This often has a snowball effect. Dutch people, (potential) clients and journalists contact you when there are issues in the field in which you have authority. This further strengthens your position of authority.
Research pitfalls
So publishing research results can boost your business, but only if it is done right. Beware of pitfalls, such as:
- Open doors: you research a question whose answer is rather obvious;
- Socially desirable answers: respondents do not share their real views but give socially desirable answers;
- Too little depth: only researching the things that can be seen on the surface instead of the question behind the question;
- Not an original or unique approach.
An example of data-driven PR
What does such data-driven research look like? What kind of campaign do we link to it? And most importantly: what does it deliver? An example. We conduct a quarterly opinion survey for Viisi Mortgages on the position of first-time buyers on the housing market. The central question is whether first-time buyers think they will (be able to) buy a house in the coming quarter. The results form the so-called starters' barometer. Based on this, we write a quarterly press release and offer the results to media contacts in the mortgage and housing market domain. Mortgage advice chains use individual survey results to write blogs in their personal capacity.
The result: 152 unique articles (in 2021), read by 151 million people! Curious about the whole study? Read more here: Viisi - Thought leadership through opinion research and PR | Mediatic.
Need help with your data-driven PR?
Now you know why data-driven PR is important too! Want to get started with it? We would love to help you! Leave your details here or contact Thomas Bekker, on +31 (0)6 1932 8584 or thomas@mediatic.eu/en.
Read more!
