In business, data are often viewed as the ultimate decision-making compass–the proof behind the concept, claim, and value proposition. Numbers can indeed be persuasive and powerful enough to stand on their own. Sometimes, however, they only tell part of the story, needing interpretation, contextualization and an infusion of humanity to become compelling and impactful.
No team is better positioned to bring data to life in ways that move people and business forward than communications.
Though comms is often the first called to amplify positive quantitative results, our interaction with data runs far deeper. We rely on what we learn from data to guide our thinking, prompt new exploration and spark ideas. We also draw from a broader pool of intelligence—qualitative and quantitative—to provide context for the numbers and form narratives that resonate with our stakeholders.
This approach reveals what isn’t readily apparent from the primary data alone. For example, in healthcare, the space I work in, data may span clinical trials, economic outcomes, and meta-analyses, but their power truly emerges when distilled into stories that connect statistics and science to human experience — key to enhanced brand, reputation and growth.
One phrase I’ve seen that captures this is ‘narrative reporting’ — the practice of turning quantitative outcomes into qualitative understanding. Essentially providing the “why” behind the figures.
Earnings presentations offers another good illustration of the value of narrative reporting. These regular meetings are typically straightforward and can be pretty dry. Adding narrative reporting to the mix turns earnings into a powerful opportunity to provide context for the figures on the slides and add valuable color through storytelling, real-world experiences and the unique back stories and personality traits of company leadership. For many years, I worked with a CEO who was especially skilled at coming up with unexpected but resonant comparisons that put numbers into perspective. We leaned into this, and planned investor presentations accordingly.
Comms is also taking more of a front seat in the private equity and venture capital space where the numbers are only part of the picture. Leadership, integrity, brand-building, and reputation are increasingly considered central to value creation. Narrative reporting I’ve provided in these cases supplement traditional financial metrics and yield a more comprehensive view of a company’s potential for growth and long-term success including:
- The company’s ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders
- The track record and credibility of leadership
- Decision-making patterns that demonstrate trustworthiness
- Pathways for growth and differentiation in competitive markets
- Understanding of target stakeholders, informed by predictive analytics
Let’s consider reputation which has been historically bereft of hard data. But that’s an old story now. A report from Echo Research revealed reputation accounts for 28% of the S&P 500’s total market capitalization. That’s $11.9 trillion in tangible value. Far from ‘soft,’ or ‘theoretical,’ reputation represents a real and measurable driver of shareholder value and long-term viability. Luckily, we in comms have the know-how and the tools to combine the numeric measures that go into reputation with other factors like empathy, vision, and culture of support, inspiration and innovation. We find the voices, humanity and the actions. And then leverage or create the platforms to share them with stakeholders.
The art of making data matter is our ability to connect the rational with the emotional. When comms infuse numbers with nuance, perspective, context and empathy, we create a more complete picture—one that honors both business and human truths.
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