Data Visualisation


Regardless of the medium, PR professionals are still essentially in the business of creating compelling ways in which to get their client's message across.

Burson-Marsteller

• Regardless of the medium, PR professionals are still essentially in the business of creating compelling ways in which to get their client's messages across.
• One of the key trends in this area is Data Visualisation or Infographics

• A study at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania showed that in presentations, when information is conveyed orally, people retain only 10 percent of the content. But when a presentation includes visuals amd words, that number increases to 50.
• In an era when we are inundated with news and media stories that have to fight for space amidst this deluge, infographics can make a real difference in helping a client stand out from its competitors.

• Infographics are much more than a pretty picture.
• They provide users with 4 distinct elements:
  1. same mental model
  2. attention-getting mechanisms
  3. content retention
  4. engagement from start to finish

• Data visualisation is something that IBM - one of the most innovative companies in the world - is taking a keen interest in.
• They have even launched a website called Many Eyes which they see as a "living laboratory" allowing you to upload data sheets and see them be transformed into a variety of visualised formats.

• You are sure to remember the story of the Chilean miners. There were 33 Chilean miners trapped in a mine who were not going to be able to be freed for months. Although this was headline news when it first broke there was an element of compassion fatigue over time. To counter this Newsweek produced this amazing infographic called "Think of the Miners" showing how small the bore hall was that was used to send them all their daily needs. As you can see, it's a very powerful medium for getting your narrative across.
• Take a look at these stunning examples of creative infographics and these data visualisations. 
• This video is well worth taking the time to watch - journalism in the age of data http://bit.ly/idY8ki
• The New York Times and the BBC websites are also good reference points, as they are both at the forefront of data visualisation.

• Ideas should be topical
• Research is key and data needs to be accurate
• Design is critical to take you on an entertaining visual journey
• The title is important and needs a recognisable theme
• Spread the word aggressively among key online and offline influencers
• Promote your content/Infographic on social media e.g.. Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and StumbleUpon, etc
• Establish metrics to measure success
• Make sure you have the URL of your firm and the research links embedded in the image so that you always get the credit for your work and in return, credit those whose research made it possible for you to create a visual representation