Sherlock Holmes said, “It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.” 

Data, when used well, is not simply a means of validation but the foundation upon which many of the strongest PR stories are built – the right number, introduced at the right moment, can shift a pitch from interesting to unavoidable, carrying with it an authority that words alone can’t achieve. 

Being data-led doesn’t mean bombarding people with numbers; rather, it means using numbers to prove that your words are true. Relevant data encourages true understanding, turning loose ideas into meaningful insights and allowing journalists to write stories readers can trust.  

If you don’t yet have data to support your story, start now. Commission a survey, create a simple poll or explore third-party research. Done right, this insight can unlock new narratives, strengthen media outreach and bring more integrity to your ideas. Some of the best stories are hiding in your database. Think customer feedback, campaign performance or internal benchmarks. It doesn’t need to be big or complicated – just relevant. 

Here are three tips on how to elevate your approach using data. 

1. Cut through the noise with fresh insights 

Journalists are time-poor and flooded with pitches. A clear, surprising or timely number helps your story rise to the top of the pile. 

To show the scale of cyber risk, CyberCX didn’t settle for saying “cyberattacks are rising.” It named the targets – healthcare (17%), financial services (11%), and education (8%). 

The data, featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, laid bare the severity of the threat Australia faces. It gave journalists a hard, timely news hook and showed why the story mattered now. 

When pitching to media, lead with your strongest insight. Make it easy to spot what’s newsworthy. 

2. Arm your spokesperson with proof 

Data gives spokespeople instant credibility. It turns a good comment into a strong, evidence-based one. 

Rather than simply saying “AI boosts productivity”, Sandie Boswell, Grant Thornton’s national managing partner for tax, backed it with hard numbers in The Australian Financial Review. She said that employees using Copilot accessed 15.6% more time off each fortnight between March and December 2024 than they did during the same period in 2023. 

The data became the story, ensuring the spokesperson came across as authoritative, not promotional. 

3. Bring data to life with human stories 

Data works best when it’s paired with human context – a story or example that makes the numbers resonate. 

Atlassian turned a niche subject into a headline: how emojis shape workplace communication. The study found 88% of Gen Z employees say emojis are helpful on the job, helping add tone, clarity and personality to messages. Only around half of Gen X and Boomers agreed. 

At face value, emojis might seem trivial. But the data uncovered a subtle and relatable insight about generational dynamics and hybrid communication. Suddenly, something we all use (or avoid) became a conversation about culture and connection. The AFR ran with it, calling emojis “the new digital body language.” 

The story landed even harder thanks to a real example: a Ubank product manager explaining how emojis helped “make the workplace feel more connected and human.” 

Find your edge with data-driven storytelling 

Great public relations agencies help organisations strengthen stories with data, whether it comes from within the business, empirical research or government data. Specialist agencies help find the sharpest angles, shape them for media, and help land stories with impact. 

As statistician W. Edwards Deming once said, “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” 

In PR, opinions fade. Data gets remembered. 

Denise Foo is a Senior Account Manager in Australia.