A Pill inside Peanut Butter !

I have dog and he has fallen ill. So, what do I do ? I call up a veterinary doctor and he suggests me some pills. Now, when I am trying to give my dog a pill he just spits out the pill every time. Then I try again by opening his mouth forcefully but in vain. I call up a friend asking for an advice. He tells me to embed my pill in a peanut butter. And, I get the desired task completed successfully. The point here is to provide people information in a way they like.  If you will force them to accept things in a very crude way they will spit out the things. So for you, dog is your client (Please don't use this example while presenting to the client else you will get a pill that will not be embedded in a peanut butter), Pill is the data you need to present and peanut butter is the story which you are building around that data.

Most organizations recognize that being a successful, data-driven company requires skilled developers and analysts. Fewer grasp how to use data to tell a meaningful story that resonates both intellectually and emotionally with an audience. Marketers are responsible for this story; as such, they're often the bridge between the data and those who need to learn something from it, or make decisions based on its analysis. As marketers, we can tailor the story to the audience and effectively use data visualization to complement our narrative. We know that data is powerful. But with a good story, it's unforgettable.

Rudyard Kipling once wrote, "If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten."€ The same applies to data. Companies must understand that data will be remembered only if presented in the right way. And often a slide, spreadsheet or graph is not the right way; a story is. Executives and managers are being bombarded with dashboards brimming with analytics. They struggle with data-driven decision making because they don'€™t know the story behind the data. In this article, I explain how marketers can make that data more meaningful through the use of storytelling.

Identify the audience

 Most captivating storytellers grasp the importance of understanding the audience. They might tell the same story to a child and adult, but the intonation and delivery will be different. In the same way, a data-based story should be adjusted based on the listener. For example, when speaking to an executive, statistics are likely key to the conversation, but a business intelligence manager would likely find methods and techniques just as important to the story.

Let Audience visualize the data

Extremely efficient and visual way to tell a story is by using charts,graphs and maps. Large data set can be transformed and incorporated into an interesting story using these techniques. It takes data to the next level and adds value to the story.The visualization provides more content for those interested in diving deeper into the data.

Marketers are responsible for messaging; as such, they'€™re often the bridge between the data and those who need to learn something from it, or make decisions based on its analysis. By rethinking the way we use data and understanding our audience, we can create meaningful stories that influence and engage the audience on both an emotional and logical level. In short , the taste of peanut butter should make the pill easy to swallow.