How PR pros can turn data into stories that stick

Data might not tug at heartstrings on its own, but in the right hands, it can become a storyteller’s most powerful tool.

For Michael Kaye, director of brand marketing and communications at ARCHERand OkCupid, those statistical insights offer an informed way to spotlight human behavior and create culturally relevant narratives.

Whether the goal is to land press coverage, shape brand messaging or create social content, knowing how to find, interpret and frame data can make the difference between a forgettable pitch and a viral hit.

“Data gives you credibility,” said Kaye, who will lead a panel on data and communications at Ragan’s upcoming PR Daily Conference. “It’s the most powerful way to show how trends connect with people so you can tell a story that really matters.”

Think like a journalist

The best data stories don’t read like reports – they read like headlines. Kaye recommends that communicators ask: Would this make me pause if I saw it in a news feed?

This mindset helped OkCupid land press ahead of the 2024 presidential election in the United States. Months before Election Day, the dating app added a dozen voter-focused matching questions, like “Are you voting?” and “Is it a deal breaker if your date supports a different candidate?” When asked about their political views, 44% of users chose “other” instead of liberal, moderate or conservative, a stat featured in CNN’s “Swiping Right Ahead of the Election” piece.

By tying the insight to the recent presidential election and political polarization, the team turned a behavioral stat into a compelling media pitch about dating and civic engagement.

“The key is to frame it in a way that’s human,” Kaye said. “No one wants to read a spreadsheet. They want to read about how dating is changing, how people are showing up differently, how values are shifting.”

“Lead with the insight and make it emotional,” he added.

However, data-driven storytelling only works when the insights feel authentic to the brand.

“It has to make sense coming from you,” Kaye said. “If it feels random… or like you’re chasing a trend, people won’t trust it.”

Start with what you know

Kaye’s approach to data is simple: start with what the brand already has. At OkCupid, that means millions of responses to in-app questions about politics, dating habits and cultural attitudes.

When Kaye started at the company, he was the only person dedicated to communications globally. With limited support, he realized his greatest strength would be data. “I went to the data team and said, ‘I need you to train me like a data analyst.’”

Kaye now performs regular “data dumps” into a Google Docs and gradually creates story ideas from it  based on current media coverage, what he’s hearing through social listening and even personal observations. He’ll then share those insights in a trend report, blog post, social content or direct media outreach, often timing releases strategically, like on “Global Love Day.”

“Some stories are just like, I want to get (the data) out there because it might help with SEO,” he said. Other times, having done that trend research, he is able to tell when “something could be a really big PR moment for us.”

Turn insights into stories

In 2020, Kaye noticed a data shift in how people were dating during the pandemic, including a “explosion” of usage of the app He turned the observation into a pitch that The Atlantic covered and the New York Times tapped into multiple times.

“When you can show how individual behavior is part of a larger cultural moment, that’s when people pay attention,” he said.

OkCupid also used data to explore how Gen Z responds to social issues like climate change. Kaye voiced surprise over the depth of user sentiment. After analyzing millions of responses, the data revealed that most daters believe in and are concerned about climate change.

In response, Kaye coined the term “Thunberging” – named in honor of activist Greta Thunberg – to describe the trend of people matching over shared environmental values. This data drove more than 500 media stories, but it also led to product innovations.

The app added more questions on climate change and introduced a “climate change advocate” badge. These insights also spurred collaborations with organizations such as One Tree Planted.

“No one cares about impressions anymore,” Kaye said. “We need to collaborate more closely with finance teams, data science teams, to figure out creative ways to show the impact of our work.”

Data meets the cultural moment

Kaye wanted to create buzz around in early 2023. He added questions to the app about AI to the app to understand user perspectives.

Using ChatGPT, Kaye drafted new matching questions and positioned OkCupid as “the first dating app in the world that was really connecting people all around the globe on what matters to them through AI.”

This approach generated coverage in outlets like Fast Company, Gizmodo and NBC News – and led to a surge in logins within 24 hours.

“Storytelling doesn’t just follow culture,” Kaye said. “It shapes how a brand shows up in it.”

The PR Daily Conference will take place May 21-23 in Washington, D.C.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.