Big Data in Corporate Communications

The dawn of the digital age may have started with the humble personal computer (PC) which gave rise later to mobile laptops, but has since taken several exponential leaps such as the emergence of the Internet in the 1990s to Cloud technology and development of the ubiquitous daily apps and social media platforms.

In other words, we are now living in the age of Big Data where data pervades our daily lives and there is a need to make sense of what is relevant and useful

Some time back, organisations focus on the amount of data available. But now, the  focus shifts from size of data to its importance and  the depth, quality and benefits of  data-driven decisions.

Today, individuals and organisations are exposed to a constant, overwhelming flow of information. Big data is now impacting business, industry, land and air transport, Inevitably, it has to be incorporated into communication strategies.

Data-driven superior  integrated communication tools enable people to anticipate trends/events, evaluate outcomes, to act more quickly and intelligently.

By using data, PR professionals can “predict” news cycles and newsmaking trends, detect what kinds of stories do best in different places and  where to invest in  relationship building.

More than 90 cent of worldwide data is now stored digitally and there is a plethora of options to access and mine it. So, companies and organisations should not dither in leveraging this big store of knowledge to refresh brands and create innovations  to delight customers and stakeholders.