Marketing Intelligence in PR: An Underused Asset or a Risk Worth Taking?

By Beth Hardwick

As the media landscape becomes more fragmented and complex, PR teams are under pressure to find stories that cut through. Traditionally, market research has played a central role in this – surveys, polls and studies designed to uncover new insights and spark media interest. But that approach is becoming harder to justify: budgets are tighter, and journalists question brand intent and research credibility. 

At the same time, many businesses are sitting on a far richer – and largely untapped – resource: their own marketing intelligence. Every day, companies collect vast amounts of data through customer interactions. This data is already being used extensively by marketers and advertisers to personalise experiences, improve relevance and drive ROI. Yet it’s rarely explored through a PR lens. That’s a missed opportunity. 

When viewed creatively and responsibly, this information can reveal fascinating patterns in behaviour, preferences and decision-making. Linked to wider social, economic or cultural trends or moments, those patterns can become genuinely newsworthy stories with no cost attached. Better still, regular updates can create an ongoing flow of insight rather than a one-off hit. 

We see strong examples of this in the media already. Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign is a standout: personalised data is used to surprise and delight individual users, but aggregated insights used as part of PR activity fuel broader conversations about listening habits, cultural moments and emerging trends. Rightmove takes a different but equally effective approach, using its housing data to track property prices and market shifts to add value to political and economic conversations.  

Crucially, this isn’t something only tech giants can do. Many brands have data that’s just as powerful within their own sectors. With one of our clients Gekko, we analysed digital shelf data to predict the best moments to buy over the Black Friday weekend. The insight was timely, useful and media-friendly – and it didn’t require a single survey.  

The appetite is there, but risk is often cited as a barrier. Concerns around commercial sensitivity or customer privacy can stall progress before ideas get off the ground. But with such a wealth of information available, there is almost always a safe story to be found. By avoiding sensitive metrics and aggregating data so individuals can’t be identified, brands can create compelling content with minimal risk. 

The opportunity is clear. As traditional research becomes harder to sell in, marketing intelligence offers PR teams a smarter, faster and more cost-effective route to relevance. It’s time for brands to start looking at their data through a storytelling lens. 

Need strategic PR and marketing support that delivers real impact? Let’s talk! hello@visiblepr.co.uk