Data-driven research helps brands to garner press coverage and successfully reposition: but, with journalists increasingly weary of the survey, hook originality and relevance are everything. Neil Gibbons reports
"Most European mergers fail to deliver,” screams the headline of the press release, and you brace yourself for some empty sensationalism from an over-eager PR. But read on and you realise the finding is centred on empirical research and diligent polling.
Setting out its findings in detail, the release says that over 90% of European corporate mergers and acquisitions fall short of objectives, as companies struggle to combine corporate cultures or governance structures. Just 9% of mergers are “completely successful” in achieving their stated objectives.
Straight away, the release is elevated above the PR noise thanks to statistical back-up that gives it proper clout. Cut-through achieved.
Sent in March 2007, the release from PR firm Man Bites Dog had enough traction to be picked up by the business pages and made a significant splash in the next day’s news.
Its client, and the author of the ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ study, was global consulting firm Hay Group. But it hadn’t undertaken the poll to add to the well of human understanding (although, thanks). It had planned and promoted the research as a way of building and positioning the corporate brand.
“Research is an invaluable tool for testing a unique hypothesis and putting robust data behind what would otherwise be unsubstantiated opinion,” says Daryl Newman, senior account director at Man Bites Dog. “The campaign delivered more than 8 million euros into the practice in a matter of weeks, and remains the definitive study on the issue; proving the problem highlighted by the research resonated with a market need”.
By framing a study around a particular issue or proposition, and creating compelling collateral for integrated PR, marketing and sales activity, brands can shape the news agenda, stimulate debate and open conversations with clients, prospects and other stakeholders.
“A fresh statistic adds clarity to a story and raises it above the banal or ambiguous. Survey data provides journalists with the opportunity to create stories through interesting, thought-provoking facts”
But while the creative use of surveys can help to gain media coverage and change the perception of a brand, it’s not a silver bullet. In fact, the over-reliance on polling as a PR tool has made some commentators overtly resistant to the technique.
Rob Frankel is branding consultant and author of ‘The Revenge of Brand X: How to build a Big Time Brand on the web or anywhere else.’
“Is the media too awash with studies to achieve meaningful cut-through?” he asks. “It seems as if every second advertising message is slapped with some sort of polling statistic that’s been carefully constructed to yield a “number one” rating for the brand. Not only is the market flooded with this faux data, the data itself is so clearly manipulated that most people see through it and immediately discard the claim.
But while Newman accepts that we are in an era of survey fatigue, he doesn’t believe that it means the death of the poll. “There’s simply a right and wrong way to use research,” he says. “The right hypothesis, robustly researched, can absolutely achieve cut through in a survey-weary media landscape, and it can create conversations in the social media sphere. There is a huge opportunity to create impact and business value.”
Again though, it needs to done in a considered way. Journalists have grown weary of news releases formatted around stale surveys, agrees Mark Baker, head of research at Wriglesworth Consultancy. They have, he says, “evolved from the days when they were happy with ‘9 out of 10 cats prefer…’ research.”
Instead, Baker points to the importance of providing meaningful context: what’s the reason for the new trend? What does it mean? What does it mean for the market? Will this research mean shares in that company will rise?
That’s essential for garnering coverage – it does its job if it’s purely a question of column inches but the volume of mentions is sometimes less important than the way brand perception are altered. With companies increasingly seeing polling as a method of re-aligning the brand, there needs to be an obvious link between brand and subject matter. (As Newman says: “Surveys that lack relevance to the brand give polls a bad name – like the car firm that asked consumers about their gift wrapping habits last Christmas.”)
Baker agrees that the data needs to relate to the core competencies of the company. “Don’t chase headlines for the sake of them with irrelevant material. It can be a fine line to tread but taking time to align a brand to a relevant topical issue and then providing consistent research-driven content can really pay off.”
For example, Wriglesworth worked with Aviva on its Real Retirement Report, a study that helped the brand establish itself as a voice in the at-retirement market with front page reporting in the national media. And Baker believes it was the survey’s scientific rigour as well as its relevance that made the difference.
“Augmenting the consumer research with management information and publicly available stats from bodies such as the Office of National Statistics is the way to really set yourself apart,” he explains.
“Not only does it add gravitas to your clients’ statements but it also shows they are the real experts you should be listening to.”
Harriet Crosse is a director of research firm OnePoll. She urges brands to ensure their findings offer something new and original. “A fresh statistic adds clarity to a story and raises it above the banal or ambiguous,” she says. “Survey data provides journalists with the opportunity to create stories through interesting, thought-provoking facts. Likewise, statistics provide bloggers with the opportunity to prompt debate via posts and discussion forums.”
Polling’s golden rules
Harriet Crosse, director of survey firm OnePoll, shares the secrets of success.
• Tap in to specific demographics (yummy mummies, online gamblers, single dads)
• Think of potential story angles before you write questions
• Don’t over complicate your survey
• Don’t stretch the truth
• Use a wide spread of questions – compelling data may emerge that you hadn’t bargained for
• Use a reputable survey company
• Challenge the brand’s typical audience
• Uncover a new truism if possible
• And most importantly – be sure the relationship between brand, story, data and comment is cohesive and not tenuous.
It’s what Daryl Newman refers to as the “data hook”: sometimes powerful eno”.ugh to transform a concept into a need for services. He says it is a particularly useful tool for professional services clients, “where ideas are the only source of differentiation
For example, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants’ ‘Credit Where It’s Due’ research made it the first authority to identify a new phase in the credit crunch – the move from scarcity of new credit to the erosion of current working capital. A three-phase rollout of the findings generated national broadcast and media coverage, and launched Roland Berger well and truly into the financial restructuring spotlight.
But the benefits of polling go beyond brand projection. Helen Westgate, director and founder of Westgate Communications regards it as a corporate comms ice-breaker – a powerful way of establishing contact and then engagement with targets.
“There is no doubt that commissioning the right sort of research can kick off a meaningful dialogue between a brand and its target audiences,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for the brand to convey topical issues-based commentary rather then just the usual brand sales messages.
“It provides the brand with a powerful reason to make contact with potential customer audiences, whether these are buyers, industry partners or even future employees.”
To this end, Westgate Communications tends to launch client’s surveys to the media but hold back some key findings that are then passed onto key prospects “to start an introduction for our clients that would not have existed without the research.”
Other brands adopt the same approach. Architectural firm Gensler promoted it services by making the first link between office design and company productivity. While coverage of its ‘These Four Walls’ study raised awareness of Gensler and built its reputation as an expert in interior design, it also generated more than 200 direct business leads. These Four Walls has now become an annual tracking study promoted by Gensler across the world.
Better traction
Hill & Knowlton’s work with the RAC shows how assessing the prevailing news agenda and devising a study that chimes with the times helps to achieve cut through.
Since 1988, the RAC has been publishing its Report on Motoring, an independent research-driven publication to represent the voice of the British motorist. But in 2009, it briefed H&K to breathe new life into the report.
To broaden the appeal of the report and make it more relevant, Hill & Knowlton decided on topical themes that H&K wanted the report to cover before devising the questionnaire – previously over 245 questions had been asked on a year-on-year basis with little consideration to adapt it to reflect hot motoring topics of the time.
Following the initial research some interesting drug driving trends emerged, and H&K commissioned supplementary research to drill down further on the views of younger drivers in this area.
From there, the media plan included two high-impact news bursts, media exclusives and “a news-hijacking attitude”. Hill & Knowlton launched the report in July 2009 with a controversial story on young drivers under the influence of drugs, and it was followed two months later by a story on in-car distractions.
According to Metrica, the first burst of coverage alone amounted to a 31% increase in coverage from the previous year’s Report launch. The campaign overall generated over 330 items of coverage – a 478% increase on 2008.
