Step by Step: Creating Data-Driven Content that Commands ... · A Perfect Storm: Factors Converging...

January 14, 2016

Step by Step:

Creating Data-Driven Content that Commands Coverage

Carrie Driscoll

Vice President

212.445.8383

cdriscoll@krcresearch.com

South America

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Meet the Presenter

Carrie Driscoll

Vice President

cdriscoll@KRCresearch.com

(212) 445-8383

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Meet the Presenter

Carrie Driscoll

Vice President

cdriscoll@KRCresearch.com

(212) 445-8383

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THE Challenge

Working in the “age of mobile,” digital news and social media, it is increasingly

challenging to break through the noisy and crowded media environment.

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Data Drives Headlines & Breaks Through Clutter

In a data-driven world,

numbers speak and

can help break through

the clutter,

BUT ONLY…

Data is in the driver’s seat. It’s there, it’s useful and it’s

valuable, even hip.

“The Age of Big Data” (February 12, 2012)

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if “served” in a lively, interactive way through multiple formats

that can make their way to different destinations.

Data is…

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FUN… COOL… SEXY!!!

Big Business to the Rescue

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At a time when many businesses have bottom lines that are larger than many first world

countries’ GDPs and have more economic weight behind them – indeed business has a role to play.

Businesses are no longer idly standing by and “lobbying” for their cause – they are stepping up and

into action.

And, businesses are getting more credit for stepping up and addressing problems ahead of

government action, or in some cases in reaction to a governmental action.

A Perfect Storm:

Factors Converging toward Thought Leadership

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Thought Leadership

Data is SEXY

Extensive Content

Multi-faceted Media

Content

Corporate Reputation Matters

Consum-er

Expecta-tions &

Loyalties

Social Issues

Amplified

Inter-connected

World

No Govern-

ment Progress

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TYPICAL APPROACH

TO RESEARCH VS. THIS APPROACH TO RESEARCH

Objectives Generate statistics to support

communications Enable a company or brand to take ownership of a “big”

and meaningful idea to showcase as their platform

Research

Design

Shorter-length Quantitative Survey

Multi-phase Research Program

(Literature Review, Academic/Media Partners, Qualitative

& Quantitative)

Research

Content

Generate interesting facts Explore and define a central

hypothesis or hypotheses

Outputs

Press Release, Infographic, Snackables Press Releases, Infographics, Snackables, Op-Eds,

White Papers, Indices, Videos, Microsites, Myth

Busters, Fact Sheets, Quizzes, Blogs, Social Media,

etc.

Multifaceted stakeholder engagement program based

on content generated by research results

Ongoing engagement of stakeholders in meaningful

conversations and interactive dialogue to build and

solidify relationships

Investment Less time, money and resources More time, money and resources

How This Research Approach is Different

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A Data-Driven Approach to Creating Original Content

A rigorous approach and process to research will drive

credibility, authority, and reach to gain maximum media & stakeholder engagement.

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EXPLORE EXAMINE EXECUTE ENHANCE

ENGAGEMENT

Test Hypotheses

Raise Visibility / inform Program

Create Content

Develop Assets

Meta-Analysis

Identify Collaborators

Engage Stakeholders

Explore

Meta-Analysis

Identify Collaborators

EXPLORE

Test Hypotheses

Create Content

EXAMINE

Develop Assets

Engage Stakeholders

EXECUTE

Raise Visibility / inform Program

ENHANCE

ENGAGEMENT

Case Study: Academic & Media Partnerships CIT: Voice of the Middle Market

KRC is currently partnering with CIT on the fourth annual CIT Voice of the Middle

Market Study, the results of which -- and any notable movement from prior years –

is now much anticipated by stakeholders, the media, and the investment community.

Position CIT as the

“go to” source for

insights and data about

the middle market

sector of the economy

Multi-phase research

approach:

Literature review

In-depth interviews

Stakeholder survey

White paper and

infographic

Academic Partnership

with Professor Arnoldo

Hax from MIT’s Sloan

School of Management

and Media Partnership

with CNBC

Identified white space on the

middle market for CIT to claim

Created website to highlight

research findings:

http://tinyurl.com/8asev5l

Conference and networking

event for middle market

executives at the NY Stock

Exchange

Consistent drumbeat of

engagement with stakeholders by

showcasing the study findings on

the CIT microsite with the

collateral KRC developed,

including a full results report,

white paper, and infographic

Multiple publications including

The Wall Street Journal’s

Market Watch and

DailyFinance

Interview with CIT Chairman

and CEO John Thain on

CNBC’s “The Closing Bell

with Maria Bartiromo”

CIT and Professor Hax rang

the Opening Bell at the NYSE

OBJECTIVE METHODOLOGY OUTCOME MEDIA

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Conducting a Meta-Analysis of existing

literature will clearly identify and validate

ownable white space opportunities and

ensure that the research focuses on a storyline

that is indeed unique, differentiating,

authentic, & credible.

In the Meta-Analysis, we will use

secondary research to examine

surveys that have been covered in the

mainstream media within the past 12-18

months.

Neglecting to conduct a Meta-Analysis:

Leaves the research more vulnerable to replicating

findings and storylines from another organization

Decreases the media value of the research

Renders the research insights less useful for

business, sales, and marketing purposes

FIND YOUR

WHITE SPACE

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Identify White Space Opportunities

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Collaborating with Media and/or Academic Partners will:

Maximize Media Coverage

Leverage the properties, audience and/or customer base

of the media and/or academic partners

Act as a voice to the marketing & communication campaign

Bolster Credibility

Validate and lend credibility to the research and program

Add Value

Advise on the research topics and angles to ensure that the

research and resulting content and assets will generate interest

among stakeholders and the media

Garner FREE PR!

Establish a (typically) FREE, mutually beneficial relationship

with a Media Partner, based on the exchange of promotion and

coverage by their outlets, for original content generated from the

research, which will help fill their 24/7, content-hungry news cycle

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Partner with Media & Academics

Partners should be selected based on a

number of factors including expertise,

brand fit, mediability, traditional &

social connections, and reach.

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

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CIT in Action: Academic & Media Partners

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Examine

Meta-Analysis

Identify Collaborators

EXPLORE.

Test Hypotheses

Create Content

EXAMINE

Develop Assets

Engage Stakeholders

EXECUTE

Raise Visibility / inform Program

ENHANCE

ENGAGEMENT

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Test Hypotheses, Generate Ideas, & Gain Buy-in

with 1:1 KOL In-Depth Interviews

Interview internal and external KOLs to vet the

white space concept and hypothesis and to

gauge the level of and pique their interest in

engaging with the content that will flow from the

research.

These qualitative 1:1 interviews will help:

Ensure that the interests of key parties are reflected

in the study

Incorporate the knowledge and insights of internal

and external experts into the research

Gauge levels of interest in the research in general

and the topics we are planning to explore

Raise interest in and gain buy-in from stakeholders

prior to public release

Understand awareness of the brand as a thought

leader initially and allow for benchmarking in the

future to see how attitudes may change over time

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Learnings from in-depth interviews with KOLs will

inform and hone the quantitative research.

Quantitative Survey

Conducting proprietary research via a robust

scientific quantitative survey will generate

data statistics to create original content and

develop extensive multi-channel assets.

Surveying multiple stakeholder groups will enable

comparisons and reveal any expected or surprising

similarities and/or disconnects, as well as to ensure

we hear and tell a more holistic story, which will

maximize media outreach and the range of target

publications.

Social Media Landscape

Analyzing the social media landscape is another

source of quantitative data, which can be used to

create and develop additional original content and

multi-channel assets.

Generate Original Content from Quantitative Research

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Quantify the Social Media Conversation Landscape

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Conducting this analysis produces quantitative data for use in content

creation and asset development, positioning the brand as an authority on

and leader in the social media discourse around the white space –

which enables the brand to ultimately drive the online, in addition to the

offline, social conversation.

To accurately analyze the conversation landscape, humans – not

machines that claim to but cannot accurately interpret context and dual

word-meanings – examine relevant hashtags, tweets, posts, and

comments and then quantify them, by coding the conversation.

Existing automated social listening tools monitor sentiment and count

“likes” and “tweets,” but automated analyses do not lend to strategic

guidance or actionable insights.

The human-based coding & analysis of the social media landscape yield:

Mediable headlines and content for assets that bolster the Deloitte campaign

Meaningful insights around Deloitte’s target audiences

Strategic recommendations for Deloitte communications, building on

existing sentiment

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Case Study: Social Media Landscape Analysis National Pork Board: The State of American #foodporn

Human Auditing of Social Media Conversation

for Thought Leadership

In the case of the National Pork Board, KRC was challenged to turn millions of tweets

using the hashtag “#foodporn” into meaningful thought leadership insights around the

average “American meal.”

Our Approach

Rather than aiming for quantity, the team aimed for quality, hand-coding a selection of

1,500 tweets from a pool of over 30 million on over two dozen variables such as type of

meat, preparation, type of cuisine and tone of the post— among others. The product of

this exercise was a robust dataset that KRC was able to quantitatively analyze.

The Outcome

KRC developed example media headlines for the client and created an infographic

that visualized the findings in a clear and interesting way including:

Meaningful insights around target audience behavior

Strategic recommendations for communications building on existing

consumer sentiment

Mediable headlines and infographics integrated with the client’s current campaign

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Case Study: Social Media Landscape Analysis National Pork Board: The State of American #foodporn

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Execute

Test Hypotheses

Create Content

EXAMINE

Develop Assets

Engage Stakeholders

EXECUTE

Raise Visibility / inform Program

ENHANCE

ENGAGEMENT

Meta-Analysis

Identify Collaborators

EXPLORE.

Develop Multi-Channel Assets from Research Results

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The content generation possibilities from this type of research are rich and numerous.

Social & Research

Results

CIT in Assets: Press Releases

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CIT in Action & Assets

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Develop White Paper to Bolster Credibility

Developing a White Paper, which is an in-depth

interpretation of the research data in narrative

and graphical form, will add heft and credibility

to the campaign to ensure that it is taken seriously

by the media and other key internal and external

stakeholders.

The White Paper will be designed to be shared and

distributed via non-traditional outlets, including

industry conferences, academic journals, and

brand website and/or microsite.

The White Paper also presents an opportunity

to publically showcase executive leadership

and the Academic and/or Media Partner, by

including a signed foreword or introduction.

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CIT in Assets: White Papers

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CIT in Assets: White Papers

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CIT in Assets: White Papers

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Develop Data Visualization as Storytelling Assets

Infographics are a visually-compelling way to present complex data in an engaging, easily

comprehensible and shareable format.

A method to break through the clutter and noise in today’s media to attract attention

An essential component of well-packaged data visualization that can also be broken into smaller, bite-size

“snackables,” with high social media value

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Infographics, Infographics…

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CIT in Assets: Infographics

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Develop “Snack-ables” for Social Sharing

A full-size Infographic can be repurposed into bite-size infographics, or “snackables.”

Utilizing only a handful of statistics makes snackables easily digestible and prime for sharing on

social channels.

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Snackables: A Social Break Down

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CIT in Assets: Snackables

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Economic

Outlook & Growth

The middle market in the

U.S. takes in a combined

annual revenue of $6 trillion

and employs more than 30

million people.†

The following are insights

from middle market

executives in the

United States:

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A stakeholder engagement video or video

series marries the findings of the research

with the overarching platform.

The video would:

Feature a “man on the street” perspective

with stakeholders reacting to the

research results and discussing how their

opinions compare

Engage stakeholders by encouraging

them to share stories about the topic

Be posted on the brand’s website or

microsite as well as on the brand’s social

media properties

Develop Stakeholder Engagement Video

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Work with the third party Academic and/or Media

Partners to develop a custom, branded Index

based on the proprietary research results

around the white space opportunity.

The output is a propriety set of measures in

the form of an Index, to be branded, owned,

and promoted.

Conducting the research at set intervals – i.e.

annually, quarterly – will establish an ongoing

tracking mechanism and generate stakeholder

interest on how the Index scores change

over time.

Tracking these measures will generate

additional content, serialized media

coverage, and ongoing stakeholder

interest and engagement.

Develop Proprietary Branded Index to Track

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A Microsite serves as a centralized location where

stakeholders can go to gather and engage with a constant

stream of up-to-date information – content from the brand,

academic and/or media partners and other third parties.

Ultimately, a well-procured microsite can build a

long-term stakeholder community with the brand at the helm.

The microsite can engage stakeholders in multiple ways:

Take a test to see how they compare to the research

Download white papers, collateral, & apps

View and share Stakeholder Engagement Videos to

show the range of stakeholder perspectives

Watch videos from the Academic and/or Media Partner,

other third parties, and/or industry experts

Upload videos of their own stories and testimonials on

the topic to share with the community

Test knowledge of the topic for contests and learn new

information via Myth Busters and Check Lists

Read and comment on blogs curated by the brand or

the Academic and/or Media Partner

Develop Microsite for Ongoing Engagement

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CIT in Assets: Microsite

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http://www.cit.com/middle-market/index.htm

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Enhance Engagement

Test Hypotheses

Create Content

EXAMINE

Develop Assets

Engage Stakeholders

EXECUTE

Raise Visibility / inform Program

ENHANCE

ENGAGEMENT

Meta-Analysis

Identify Collaborators

EXPLORE.

Convene Stakeholders to Launch & Promote Platform

Global Summits

CIT in Action: Convening Stakeholders

@ the New York Stock Exchange

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Drive Coverage by Traditional Media & Beyond

Coca Cola Sustainability Solutions Summit Brings Together

Amazon, Unilever and PEPSICO

Coca Cola Leads Summit to Address

Sustainability Solutions.

Partnering with the Wall Street Journal and high

level academics, Coca Cola convened businesses

and NGOs to discuss the issue of sustainability

and what a solution for the future looks like.

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Top Executives from Different

Companies Come Together To

Address Sustainability at the Coca

Cola Sustainability Solutions Summit

Maximize Reach via Multiple Social Channels

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Amplify & Continue Coverage via Social Media

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Google brings together top businesses to talk cybersecurity solutions. http://on.wsj.com/josfvn93

Recently attended eye-opening Google Cyber

Summit, here’s what I learned:

http://bloom.bg/1DmMHjH

#cybersecurity #cyberresilient

#securesolutions

Fantastic holistic view of hacking and the

cybersecurity problem, and real consensus

and genuine solutions from Google Cyber

Summit. #cybersecurity #cyberresilient

#securesolutions

KRC Research Case Studies

Bentley University

A Case Study

Case Study: Media Partnership Bentley University: The PreparedU Project

How does a small, four-year, regionally-known business school

bring greater national awareness to its successful curricular

model, while forging greater partnerships for brand

recognition?

Our Approach

The PreparedU Project: a research-driven conversation led

by Bentley University and President Gloria Larson, in

partnership with Bloomberg, to bring solutions to the millennial

job preparedness gap.

The Outcome

Reinforced positioning of President Larson as a savvy,

business-aligned thought leader in higher education

Garnered coverage by Tier-1 media outlets, including the

New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post,

the Boston Globe, and all Bloomberg properties

Earned nearly 20K unique views for the launch event from

Bloomberg HQ in NYC, a 32% increase in YOY brand

mentions, and 100M earned media impressions

Produced ongoing serialization opportunities for media

coverage, visibility, and stakeholder engagement

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Bentley Launch Video

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Bentley in Action: The PreparedU Project

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9 stakeholder

audiences

1 Most comprehensive

study of preparedness

to date

4 phases

of work

11 topics

explored

average

interview

duration

in minutes

3,149 quantitative

interviews

conducted

16 potential

solutions

tested

307 polling

questions

asked

24 qualitative

in-depth

interviews

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Bentley in Action: Media Partner

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Bentley in Assets: Storybook

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Bentley in Assets: Personifying Stakeholders

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Bentley in Assets: The Story Personified

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Bentley in Assets: Storytelling Infographic

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Bentley in Assets: White Paper

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Bentley in Assets: Microsite Community

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Bentley in Action: Convening Stakeholders

@ Bloomberg HQ NYC & Beyond

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Bentley in Action: Convening Stakeholders

@ Bloomberg HQ NYC & Beyond

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Bentley in Assets: Ongoing Serialization

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Q&A

Carrie Driscoll

Vice President

212.445.8383 (direct)

cdriscolll@krcresearch.com

KRC Research

909 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10011

www.krcresearch.com

@krcresearch | #krcfindings

Our insight. Your breakthrough.

Thank You!