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Engagement with government, companies and the public sector to build relationships, support funding and generate leads for
consultancy and training services

The brief

The Open Data Institute is a not-for-profit that demonstrates the impact and value of data, and offers high-level training and consultancy services. Since 2012, Allegory has provided the ODI with strategic counsel and tactical communications support designed to

  • Significantly raise the profile of the ODI
  • Position the ODI as data governance thought leaders
  • Increase inbound requests for ODI consultancy and training

Allegory has helped us achieve a significant impact in the data sector, positioning the ODI as thought leaders in our domain. As a result, the ODI has been able to make the most of the profile-raising opportunities, weaving in messages about our work on data ethics, data infrastructure, data institutions and data governance.

ODI Summit 2019 at Kings Place Copyright Paul Clarke, cc by 4.0

Our response

Telling the data story can be challenging, so we developed a campaign that would bring it to life for our target audiences – public sector leaders, C-suite executives and citizens. We aimed to show how data helps develop better public services, enables businesses to create new products and services, and helps people make better decisions. More recently, we have developed thought leadership regarding the role of data infrastructure in supporting AI. 

Tackling societal issues in a timely and effective way can be challenging without good data. Allegory developed a ‘flagship stories’ programme for the ODI that would showcase this in a compelling way to the target audiences. From a blank page to the publication of a report and digital tool, we created the shortlist of flagship story ideas, project-managed the research process and delivered the communications to the media and stakeholders. The most recent report explores four parts of the cost of living crisis: housing, debt, food, and fuel. It is accompanied by two digital tools, drawing together datasets that provide information on the crisis and related support services. Together they show how the crisis is affecting different communities across the country.

Standout achievements include:

  • Securing keynote speaker slots for the ODI team at global events such as GovTech Congress, CogX, the UK’s first AI Fringe, DataConnect and the Dubai Future Forum.
  • Generating numerous enquiries for the ODI consultancy and training services, with potential clients citing media coverage as their route to the ODI.

Open Data Institute and Allegory team photo at the ODI Summit 2019 at Kings Place. Copyright Paul Clarke, cc by 4.0

The outcome

The campaign and thought leadership that Allegory developed and delivered for the ODI helped to bring the potential of data to a wider audience – and demonstrated where there are gaps in publicly available data that make tackling the issues challenging. 

The ‘flagship story’ programme has generated coverage in a range of key national and vertical media, including: The Daily Express, The Sunday Express, The Daily Telegraph, Politico, Dazed, and Business Today. The ODI’s Global Head of Policy was also interviewed for BBC Politics North West and London Live.

The programme created content that the ODI was able to successfully use to engage new and influential stakeholders. The ODI cited it in UK Government consultations, Select Committee hearings, political party conferences and other third party events. This led to approaches from potential funders and interested parties within the private sector for the ODI’s consultancy and training services.

 

See more of our work in the data sector here, or contact us to explore how Allegory can help your organisation with a campaign like this.

 

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