We have all heard of the term ‘Data is the new oil’. The phrase was coined in 2006 by Clive Humby, the British mathematician and architect of the Tesco Clubcard, a supermarket reward program. The concept behind “data is the new oil” is that just like oil, raw data isn’t valuable in and of itself, however, when gathered systematically and analysed, it can create massive value.
And what that means when it comes to the Brand Communications and PR?
Brand communications and engagement works on building positive consumer mind sets, and often even brings about a larger change in product and lifestyle preferences. Working closely with the consumer psyche, branding and communications professionals have been, for years, relying on a trial and error format to gauge the exact pulse of the audiences, so as to build impactful and relevant campaigns. With the invent of data driven consumer information, the communication and marketing industry has been delighted as it is now enabled with a much more reliable and authentic source for gaining deeper consumer insights. Anindita Gupta, Co-Founder, Scenic Communication highlights some key aspects of data-driven PR and Brand communications, as mentioned below:
– Market intelligence – In depth consumer behaviour data, spread across geographies, can help gain peculiar insights into a particular market and help branding and PR professionals to better understand the consumer sensitivities and purchase roadblocks. These, in turn, become instrumental in creating better narratives and consumer outreach plans.
– Competition analysis – In addition to consumer insights, key competition analysis, and data about new product categories, changing purchase patterns etc., go a long way in helping build an accurate understanding of the category/ sector environment as well as insights into other players in the market. This can help make informed and impactful brand outreach decisions and narratives that are not only well received but are effective to build overall brand positioning.
– Targeted narratives – Leveraging market and competition analysis, Data driven insights can help brand and communication professionals to better understand the nuances of a market and their target audience. From demographic, social, religious and political leanings to aspirational purchase insights, effective data collection and analysis can help build a targeted and relevant messaging for consumers, which helps the brand to align well with the local sensibilities and thus be better accepted.
– Impactful Campaigns: Lastly, a cumulative understanding of all of the above, helps create fool proof and impactful communication campaign. From targeted consumer engagements across several micro markets to building large nationwide campaign that can also be equally relevant and impactful, data driven insights can make a world of difference. Not only are successful campaigns better at generating ROI and driving brand visibility, they are also extremely potent when building a desired brand image.
While Data-driven insights have been increasingly deployed for marketing, product development and brand communication in the past few years, its use in widespread canvases of communications, from media, entertainment, leisure and AI-driven virtual engagements, is set to transform the entire consumer-brand dynamic in the coming decade. That brand and communications professionals will be at the forefront of this, is an understatement!
Article is authored by Anindita Gupta, Co-Founder, Scenic Communication.
