The most powerful campaigns all begin with one thing – unique insight.
Research and analytics-driven insight is essential to establish context and significance, to separate myth from fact, and to effectively set up the means to measure and evaluate.
As an independent consultancy specialising in integrated marketing communications, BBS regularly deploys the power of research across all facets of our work – from media relations, corporate communications and content strategy to stakeholder engagement and community relations.
Doing so means moving from assumption – of what audiences may think, how significant an issue might be or how well an initiative might resonate – towards insight, which has meaning and market power.
Applying critical thinking from the earliest stages of communications planning – and having the facts to back up or myth bust – is an integral part of strengthening your message, your stance or your pitch.
It also demonstrates the significance that is placed on understanding the needs of your stakeholders, clients, customers, staff and journalists, and how to best keep them informed, involved and compelled.
Some of the ways in which research and analytics can better enhance your communications efforts include:
Tapping into your channels
If your businesses or organisation doesn’t currently undertake research amongst internal and external audience groups, consider your existing communications channels and which might be best suited to canvassing these groups.
From a CRM system to a Facebook page or a convention booth, any tool or touchpoint which reaches these groups at scale represents an opportunity to engage and gather insights about your audiences, their opinions or their challenges.
Where you can gather hundreds or even thousands of responses, these qualitative or quantitative insights become even more valuable as collective or comparative insights – boosting media angles, policy documentation, important bid and/or award submissions.
Interrogating existing data
Whether yours is a product or service-based business, it’s likely to be gathering a multitude of data already.
Sales data, customer demographics, product or service trends, project and technical data can all deliver powerful insights, and engaging with the teams that drive these can uncover hidden research gems.
Analysing these from a communications perspective – in line with current social, industry or news agendas – can prove exceptionally powerful in shaping the relevant narrative.
Refreshing ongoing research
If you already conduct ongoing or regular research, such as a quarterly industry report or an annual staff survey, when was the last time you assessed this to make sure it’s still delivering with impact?
Taking regular stock of how research is being conducted, presented and shared ensures the insights being delivered remain fresh and relevant to their audience.
Particularly for long-running research projects, a few tweaks to the research design and analysis could provide additional impact and currency.
At BBS, we consistently strive to understand the broader landscape, the facts of the matter and the core of the issue.
Bringing together journalistic skill, business acumen and unrelenting curiosity, BBS’ team of expert communicators will work with you to uncover the insights that matter to you, your customers and your audiences.
Find out how research and analytics can help your corporate communication, content and media relations and publicity strategies by contacting us for a general discussion today.
