Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles hosts a best-of-Season-Nine greatest hits episode, featuring: Kelly Beaver, Ipsos UK & Ireland; Angela Balakrishnan, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO); AI pathfinder and TED Talker, Susan Etlinger; senior comms advisor at Wadds Inc., Stephen Waddington; founder of Social for Good, Kerry Watkins; and, the Ohio State University's Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher.

Themes include the Market Research Society's "Campaign for Better Data", ultra-processed data in the age of AI, information rights and public trust, engineering-level rigour in PR and evidence-based measurement, authentic LinkedIn strategy for nonprofits and digital wellbeing (living life 24/six), and narrative cognition with anomalies, intuition, creativity, and leadership.

Chapters (mm:ss)
00:00 Intro and wrap-up setup
00:22 Kelly Beaver, Ipsos, on the Campaign for Better Data
01:08 Ultra-processed data
42:41 Tool and weapon framing
44:26 Data Commerce Conference guests
45:07 Shedding a trail of data
54:48 Thanks to guests
56:06 See you again soon

Data Malarkey

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• Suggest a guest: https://www.usingdatasmarter.com/guest

Professor of Story Science, Angus Fletcher, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to dig into narrative cognition, creativity, and innovation in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Drawing on Project Narrative (based at Ohio State University) and his book Primal Intelligence, Angus explains why logic is not reality, why adults struggle with intuition, and why the most effective stories and breakthroughs start with an anomaly. We explore intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense as core human capabilities that enable us to outperform computational optimisation and AI when the world is changing fast and low on (reliable) data.

Angus shares lessons from U.S. Army Special Operations training and a NASA case study on empowering young engineers, showing how leaders can detect anomalies early, design new plans for new environments, and build cultures that reward creativity over certainty. If you care about decision making, leadership, AI vs human judgment, innovation strategy, and story science, this episode is for you.

Resources and links

• Project Narrative (Ohio State University) - https://projectnarrative.osu.edu/

• Primal Intelligence (Angus' 2025 bestselling book) - https://www.angusfletcher.co/

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Social for Good founder, Kerry Watkins, joins Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, to talk charity communications, nonprofit social media strategy, and building authentic engagement on LinkedIn. They cover why relying solely on a company page limits reach ("LinkedIn particularly wants people to network with other people"), how to swap broadcast posting for proactive engagement and relationship metrics, and why "people want to see real people".

Kerry explains what AI is changing in social media - automatic targeting that often outperforms manual audiences, internal tools for accessibility alt-text and brand voice (GPT) - and where AI undermines trust when captions feel "too ChatGPT." We also dive into 24/six, Kerry's digital wellbeing project: digital detox experiences, learning to "sit with that uncomfortableness", and the "sparkly brain" that follows time off-grid.

If you work in non-profit marketing, charity comms, or purpose-driven social, this episode is packed with LinkedIn strategy, engagement measurement, AI in social media, and digital wellbeing insights you can use immediately.

Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com

Resources and links

• Social for Good - https://www.socialforgood.co.uk
  
  

• The Social for Good Accelerator for charities and purpose-led organisations – https://www.socialforgood.co.uk/accelerator
  
  

• Kerry's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-watkins/
  
  

• 24/six, Kerry's "side hustle" – https://www.24six.co.uk
  
  

• Take the Data Storytelling Scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com