Grupo Agatep chairman and CEO Norman Agatep, APR, highlighted the power of data in brand storytelling at the 32nd National PR Congress of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), held on September 11 to 12 at Solaire Resort North in Quezon City.
As Congress chairman and PRSP vice president–external, Agatep said data plays a crucial role in crafting stories that inform, persuade, and inspire.
“The data points themselves are not the story. Your human ability to draw connections and weave meaning into those numbers is what makes storytelling powerful,” he said as he shared six best practices for creating data-driven narratives.
Among the practices he highlighted was the importance of letting data reveal the story it naturally supports, tailoring it to the audience’s values and interests, and focusing only on insights that reinforce the brand’s core message.
He added that communicators should look for patterns and relationships in data to uncover meaningful insights.
Presenting these through clear, creative visuals makes complex information more engaging, while framing data around real human experiences builds empathy and trust, he added.
Agatep noted that using data with emotion and purpose allows brands to create richer, more resonant content.
“All you need is to examine data with a human heart. Don’t be intimidated by the numbers, but instead allow your feelings to motivate you to create a story from the figures and transform logic into magic. Because in truth, data is your friend, and if you realize that it can fuel your stories to solve real-life problems that you are passionate about, then you should be good,” he said.
