Data-Driven PR Key to Trust and Sustainability in Investment Banking, Experts Say

Communications professionals in the financial sector should move beyond intuition and use research, analytics and measurable outcomes to protect trust and support business sustainability, experts said at a webinar hosted by Mr Victor Adaha as part of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) Project Based Internship (PBI) Programme.

The webinar brought together communications practitioners, academics and students to discuss how data can strengthen reputation, investor confidence and long-term performance in investment banking.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Samuel Ayetutu, chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State Chapter, described trust as the primary product investment banks sell and said public relations plays a key role in building credibility and confidence.

Ayetutu urged finance communicators to be “intelligent communicators” who base decisions on data rather than intuition. His presentation focused on trust, data as a predictive tool and the need for data-literate communicators.

He defined data-driven PR as public relations guided by facts, analysis and data to inform strategy, implementation and evaluation. He also warned that acting without evidence could put financial institutions’ reputations at risk, saying misinformation or damaging silence can erode their integrity, expertise and relationships.

Another speaker, Olalekan Otun, executive director of Minds & Brains Media & Events Ltd, outlined ways data-driven PR can support sustainability in investment banks. These include using stakeholder surveys, feedback analysis and stakeholder mapping to identify concerns about transparency and governance, as well as using media analytics and monitoring to detect reputational risks early.

Otun said communications should be assessed through measures such as trust, engagement, message comprehension and reputation trends, rather than publicity metrics alone. He added that “Supporting ESG responsibilities with verifiable sustainability performance and guarding against greenwashing.”

He said Data PR “Reinforces strategic management and excellence theory by positioning PR as a source of intelligence for organisational decision-making.

Otun also presented the C-STEP framework, which covers data collection, analysis, insight creation, big ideas, planning, implementation and measurement. He urged organisations to ask “why” before launching corporate social responsibility initiatives or campaigns and to link each effort to measurable key performance indicators and business outcomes.

During a question-and-answer session, Adaha stressed the importance of working with investor relations, call centres, and risk and audit teams to access reliable data. Tools discussed at the webinar included Google Alerts, social listening, sentiment and predictive analytics, customer complaint and website analytics, and dashboard reporting.

Adaha identified barriers to adopting data-driven PR, including poor data quality, organisational resistance, low budget priority for communications, privacy and regulatory constraints, technology costs and the risk of information overload.

To address these challenges, he recommended building multidisciplinary communications teams that include data analysts and AI professionals, integrating communications analytics into executive decision-making, investing in AI-powered media intelligence and social listening tools, and presenting figures and dashboards alongside narrative.

He emphasised that data must be collected and used ethically, with respect for privacy, accuracy and transparency, adding that technology complements but cannot replace ethical corporate behaviour.

Academics were encouraged to research the relationship between data-driven communication, reputational capital and financial sustainability. Practitioners were urged to develop skills in research, analytics and AI.

Responding to questions about whether AI and data-driven PR would reduce opportunities for traditional media professionals, Adaha said: “AI is here to stay and will displace only those who cannot use AI, but should be treated as a tool that assists and structures PR work rather than replaces professionals.”

Participants also discussed the ethical misuse of AI and the risk of exposing trade secrets, highlighting the need for AI policies, training and adaptation.

The forum included Dr Jide Johnson, director of special education at NIPR; Dr Rasheed Buhari of the University of Lagos Department of Mass Communication; and Dr Lateef Odegbenle, faculty member in development and strategic communication at the University of Abuja, among others.