This document discusses how data storytelling can help brand strategists. It provides seven examples of how data insights can be used to tell stories: 1) when the arithmetic reveals a new answer, 2) when a magic number becomes a pivot, 3) when asking new questions of the data provides different answers, 4) when search reveals how people really feel, 5) how data can shed light on subjective questions, 6) patterns that emerge from aggregated data, and 7) seeing business data through a marketing lens. The document advocates that strategists shift from optimizing at the end to inspiring at the beginning with data, which is evidence of human behavior. It provides various data examples and sources to illustrate data storytelling techniques.

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10.05.2015
4As strategy festival
TELLING STORIES
WITH DATA

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TOM MORTON
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
CO:COLLECTIVE
@TOMMORTON
@THEDATAOFCOOL
@COCOLLECTIVE

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BRAND STRATEGISTS
NEED TO GET GOOD
AT DATA: HERE’S WHY

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THE WORLD IS MORE DATA-RICH.
BUSINESSES EXPECT TO MAKE
DATA-INFORMED DECISIONS.
THIS SHOULD BE A WAKE-UP CALL
TO STRATEGISTS.

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ONCE UPON A TIME…
"The account planner is that
member of the agency's
team who is the expert at
working with information
and getting it used - not just
marketing research but all
the information available to
help solve the client's
advertising problems.”

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— Name, 2005
6
“Numerate graduates with an
interest in human psychology.”
— Boase Massimi Pollitt recruitment ad, 1972

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SO WHERE WERE WE WHEN BUSINESS
WENT FULL-ON DATA?
“You told us that market and
technology factors are the
two most powerful external forces
affecting your organization today.
The four biggest challenges you
identified were the explosion of
data, social media, the
proliferation of channels and
devices, shifting demographics.”
Source: IBM CMO survey, 2011

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MCKINSEY
CLAIMS THAT
THE US ECONOMY
NEEDS AT LEAST
1.5 MILLION
MORE DATA
PROFESSIONALS

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— Name, 2005
9
“Separating the poets from the quants will be a
disaster for strategic planning in particular,
allowing some planners to exempt themselves
from the data they can't be bothered to
investigate, and allowing other people to think
that they are a strategist though they haven't a
brand strategy or creative bone in their body.”
— Richard Huntingdon, Saatchi & Saatchi, 2012

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— Name, 2005
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“Data doesn’t narrow your choices.
It opens your mind.”
— Venetia Taylor, Google, June 2015

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STRATEGISTS’ USE OF DATA
NEEDS TO SHIFT AWAY
FROM OPTIMIZING AT THE END
TO INSPIRING AT THE BEGINNING.

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DATA IS JUST EVIDENCE
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
THE MATH IS PRETTY BASIC.
THIS SHOULD BE A HOME GAME
FOR GOOD STRATEGISTS.

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SEVEN STORIES
ABOUT TELLING
STORIES WITH DATA

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1. WHEN WORKING OUT THE
ARITHMETIC OF THE PROBLEM
REVEALS A NEW ANSWER

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WHERE DOES A SUPERMARKET
FIND AN EXTRA £2.5 BILLION
OF CUSTOMER SPENDING?

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14 MILLION CUSTOMERS
X 52 WEEKLY SHOPS
X 3 YEARS
X AN EXTRA £1.14 PER VISIT
= £2.5 BILLION

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HOW DO YOU FIND A DISRUPTIVE
WAY IN TO MUSIC TEACHING?

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85%
WISH THEY
LEARNED TO
PLAY AN
INSTRUMENT
34%
TOOK A
MUSIC
CLASS
8%
REGULARLY
PLAY AN
INSTRUMENT
Source: Gallup 2009, Statista 2008, US census 2009, New York Times 2012
1%
PLAY
WEEKLY
WORKING OUT THE ARITHMETIC BEHIND LEARNING MUSIC

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MUSIC PRODIGY
IF THE CHALLENGE IS
THAT PEOPLE STOP
LEARNING, WHY NOT
CHARGE THEM FOR
STOPPING?

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2. HOW A MAGIC NUMBER
CAN BECOME A PIVOT
FOR EVERYTHING ELSE

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SKATERS
SPEND 40%
OF THEIR
SKATING TIME
REPAIRING
THEIR
BOARDS Source: Mountain Dew Jay Chiat awards paper, 2015

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95% OF
ATTEMPTS TO
QUIT SMOKING
END IN FAILURE
HALF OF ALL
ATTEMPTS TO QUIT
SMOKING BEGIN
SPONTANEOUSLY
Source: GSK; University College Hospital

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MORE THAN
90% OF BRITISH
PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT CHILDREN
SHOULD DRINK
MORE MILK
MILK DRINKING
AMONG BRITISH
CHILDREN HAS
FALLEN EVERY
YEAR SINCE THE
1950s
Source: The Dairy Council, IPA Effectiveness Awards, 2002

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MANAGINGVOLATILITY
50%
Of US adults could not
cover an emergency $400
outlay without borrowing
money or selling something
THESCALEOFTHEPROBLEM
$103BN
Revenue of the ‘alternative’
financial service industry:
check cashing, pawn shops,
payday loans
BORROWINGCOSTS
$1,100
Low income households’
typical annual outlay on
alternative financial
services
UNDERSTANDING THE POVERTY TRAP
Source: US Federal Reserve, Ideas 42

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3. HOW ASKING QUESTIONS OF THE
DATA GAVE DIFFERENT ANSWERS

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WHAT’S HAPPENING TO
AXE BRAND USAGE ?
11-18 PENETRATION
IS HOLDING STEADY
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Axe user penetration, age 11-18
Source: Axe APG paper via BBH London

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WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING TO
AXE BRAND USAGE ?
11-18 PENETRATION
IS HOLDING STEADY
11-12 PENETRATION
IS RISING
17-18 PENETRATION
IS FALLING 11 to 12 13 to 14 15 to 16 17 to 18
Axe user penetration, age 11-18
Source: Axe APG paper via BBH London

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GETTING DRESSED
GOLD
APG PAPER
CANNES FILM LION
https://vimeo.com/44675170

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4. WHEN SEARCH REVEALS
HOW REAL PEOPLE REALLY FEEL
ABOUT YOUR BRAND

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SEARCH TREND FOR OMBRE HAIR
Source: Google Trends, USA, 2004-present

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RISINGTREND
OMBRE
DIP DYE
FOLLOWUPSEARCH
HOW CAN I DO
OMBRE HAIR
MYSELF?
THERESULT
OMBRE
APPLICATOR
KIT
HOW WOMEN REALLY THINK ABOUT HAIR
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/case-studies/loreal-paris-builds-brand-love-with-search.html

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THECATEGORY
ORGANIZED
BY NEED
Dry hair
Flyaway hair
Red hair
THECONSUMER
SEARCHED
BY OCCASION
Date hair
Beach hair
Wedding hair
THERESULT
HAIRSTYLE.COM
L’Oreal site
Inspiration and education
by occasion
HOW WOMEN REALLY THINK ABOUT HAIR
Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/case-studies/loreal-paris-builds-brand-love-with-search.html

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SEARCH TREND FOR ROSE WINE:
THE ULTIMATE SUMMER DRINK HAS A WINTER PEAK
Source: Google Trends, worldwide, 2009-14 / thanks to Think With Google

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5. HOW DATA CAN SHINE A LIGHT
ON EVEN THE MOST SUBJECTIVE
CULTURAL QUESTIONS

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IS ART BECOMING
MORE OR LESS POPULAR?

37. VISUAL CULTURE IS EXPLODING, BUT BEYOND THE WALLS OF MUSEUMS
Source: NEA’s A Decade of Arts Engagement: Findings from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 2002-2012; National Center for Education Statistics Data from 1970 - 2011
US adults attending
art museums / galleries
2002, 2008, 2012
27%
21%
+104%
+209%
Growth in all
Bachelors
Degrees
Growth in Visual
and Performing
Arts Degrees
420m users
206m registered blogs
120k signups per day
900 posts per second
Fastest growing
social app in 2014
300m users
100% growth
in adults users
2012 – 14

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WHAT MAKES GREAT TELEVISION?

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THE HIGHEST-RATED TV SHOWS ON ROTTEN TOMATOES
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
2012 2013 2014
Sherlock
Homeland
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Girls
Justified
Don’t Trust The B…
Luck
The Walking Dead
New Girl
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones
The Returned
Mad Men
Girls
Orange Is The New Black
The Walking Dead
Nashville
Masters of Sex
The Americans
Jane The Virgin
The Good Wife
Hannibal
Veep
Fargo
Transparent
Orphan Black
The Americans
The Walking Dead
Orange Is The New Black

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RECURRING THEMES
The old order is falling: The Americans, GoT, The Walking Dead, Veep, Mad Men, Orphan Black
Exploring sexuality: Masters Of Sex, Girls, Transparent, Jane The Virgin
Strong women: Orange Is The New Black, The Good Wife, Veep, GoT, Mad Men, Orphan Black
Epic productions: Luck, Game Of Thrones, Sherlock
Serials: Breaking Bad, The Good Wife, Mad Men, Game Of Thrones, The Americans
Sequels: 60% of top-rated shows are sequels
Source: Co:Collective analysis

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WHERE ARE ALL THE COOL KIDS?

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HIPSTER SEARCH TERMS
Source: GOOGLE TRENDS

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WHERE ARE THESE HIPSTER SEARCH TERMS CONCENTRATED?
Source: GOOGLE TRENDS

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6. WHEN AGGREGATED DATA
SHOWS PATTERNS ABOUT
HOW BRANDS BEHAVE IN GENERAL

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Source: Mountain Dew Jay Chiat awards paper, 2015

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PANEL DATA ACROSS CATEGORIES,
COUNTRIES AND YEARS TELLS US
THAT BRANDS GROW THROUGH
PENETRATION, NOT LOYALTY

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LOYALTY RATES ARE SIMILAR FOR SIMILAR-SIZED BRANDS
Source: MRI, 2012
Restaurant Visited in last
6 months (MM)
Visited in last
1 month (MM)
% of visitors who
are regulars
Olive Garden 41 25 61
Red Lobster 29 18 62
Chili’s 27 17 63

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ENGAGEMENTRATES
FORPASSIONBRANDS:
HARLEY,TIFFANY,NIKE
0.66%
ENGAGEMENTRATES
FORALLBRANDS
ONFACEBOOK
0.45%
ENGAGEMENTRATES
FORTHETOP10BRANDS
ONFACEBOOK
0.33%
FANS ARE FEW IN NUMBER AND LESS ENGAGED THAN YOU THINK:
GROWTH COMES FROM MANY LIGHT BUYERS; ACQUAINTANCES, NOT FANS
Source: Facebook engagement rates reported in Ad Age, 27 January 2012

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THAT’S WHY BRANDS TEND TO GROW ON THE BACK OF PENETRATION, NOT LOYALTY
Source: IPA Effectiveness Awards case studies, quoted in Les Binet & Peter Field, Marketing In The Era Of Accountability
% of effective ad
campaigns reporting
very large effects on
Loyalty campaigns Penetration campaigns
Sales 35 62
Market share 15 35
Profit 18 31

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7. WHEN YOU SEE BUSINESS DATA
DIFFERENTLY THROUGH
A MARKETING EYE

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PANIC! ONLY ONE IN EIGHT OUR CUSTOMERS IS A PRIMARY SHOPPER!
Source: Bain & Co survey of west coast grocery shoppers, 2013
Store Client
% of
customers
who are
primary
shoppers
12
% of
customers
who are
secondary
shoppers
88

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ACTUALLY, EVEN THE BIGGEST SUPERMARKETS DEPEND ON SECONDARY SHOPPERS:
WHAT IF IT’S A SIGNAL OF A MORE REPERTOIRE WORLD?
Source: Bain & Co survey of west coast grocery shoppers, 2013
Store Client Fresh &
Easy
Costco Aldi Trader
Joe’s
Wal-Mart
Supercenter
Von’s Ralph’s Safeway
% of
customers
who are
primary
shoppers
12 15 17 18 19 27 28 32 33

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OH SHOOT! PRICE OR QUALITY DON’T PREDICT THE BEST-LOVED BRANDS:
NET PROMOTER SCORE OF KEY GROCERY RETAILERS
Source: Bain & Co survey of west coast grocery shoppers, 2013

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ACTUALLY, THE DATA SHOWS HOW PEOPLE LIKE THE BRANDS THAT ARE DIFFERENT
Source: Co:Collective analysis of Bain & Co survey of west coast grocery shoppers, 2013
Store Costco Trader Joe’s WinCo Wholefoods
Net promoter
score
72 71 53 40
Distinctive
features
Members only
Bulk sales only
One-off megadeals
on nonfood items
Private label
Limited SKUs
‘Treasure hunt’
Employee-owned
Open 24/7
No credit cards
Bag your own groceries
Premium price
Organic
Gourmet meets
health food

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DATA STORY SLAM

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HOW COULD
YOU USE DATA
TO TELL THE
STORY OF
TINDER?

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TINDER MOBILE DATING MARKET SHARE
Source: Mobida

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TINDERAVAILABLEMARKET
51%OFUSADULTSARE
SINGLE
TINDERUSERS
50MMUSERS
12MMDAILY
TINDERUSAGE
1BNSWIPES
12MMMATCHES
77MINUTESEVERYDAY
TINDER NUMBERS
Source: BBH New York, CityLab
2015REVENUETARGET
$75MILLION
ADVERTISINGREVENUE
$22.5MILLION
SUBSCRIPTION
$10/MO
FORTHEPREMIUMPRODUCT
Tinder Plus
Unlimited swipes
Undo mistaken swipes
Passport feature allows you to search
people from outside your area

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Q1. WHAT INSIGHTS AND ASSUMPTIONS
CAN WE MAKE ABOUT TINDER?
Q2. HOW SHOULD TINDER THINK ABOUT
HITTING ITS $75MM REVENUE TARGET?
SO HOW WOULD YOU USE THIS DATA, AND WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED HERE,
TO ANSWER TWO BASIC QUESTIONS?

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THANK YOU.

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SOURCES, REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION
FOLLOW
@THINKWITHGOOGLE
@FIVETHIRTYEIGHT
@PROFBYRON
@THEDATAOFCOOL
READ
BYRON SHARP, HOW BRANDS GROW
LES BINET AND PETER FIELD, THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT