LONDON — Grayling has developed a proprietary methodology and diagnostic tool, Advantage Analytics, to give clients a data-led assessment of their brand or business health and track progress to show the impact of its work.

Advantage Analytics uses a mix of digital data, Grayling’s own audience intelligence, client and market data, and in-house analysis, to provide a score of a business, organisation, or brand’s performance, including variables such as brand visibility, perception, political alignment, digital asset strength and ESG visibility.

Organisations receive a 0-5 score that identifies their reputational, commercial, political, regulatory, and societal advantage compared to competitors.

Grayling’s chief innovation officer Nathan Kemp (pictured, second left) said: “The challenges facing brands and businesses have never been more complex so it’s essential we continue to innovate to help clients navigate those headwinds.”

Senior research and insights director Rachel Rowlinson, who joined the agency a year ago from Britain Thinks to build out Grayling’s research capability, partnered with Grayling veteran, data and insights director Ayer Mehmet, to build the tool.

Mehmet (pictured, right) said: “Like most comms agencies, we rely on a strong data stack of tools that help us understand the environment that our clients operate in. What we sought to achieve with Advantage Analytics is a robust, top line diagnostic of an organisation’s health that factored in our know-how in community engagement, digital comms, political analysis, brand equity building, crisis management and corporate reputation, but in a methodical way backed by data.”

Rowlinson (pictured, second right) added: “Showcasing the efficacy of our campaigns is paramount, but it’s equally vital for the future of the communications industry to adopt a broader, long-term perspective on how our work contributes to an organisation’s overall value.”

The launch is the culmination of a year-long development process, piloting the tool with clients such as The Co-op Group. It follows other investment in the agency’s research and data capabilities, including doubling the size of its data stack and, most recently, recruiting Aoife McPolin-Hall (pictured, left), who joins this month as a research executive.

Ahead of the UK and EU elections next year, the Grayling research and analytics team has also extended the geographic reach of its social listening tool GPol, which captures what elected MPs are saying on social media across Europe.

Grayling is currently exploring how to automate Advantage Analytics through emerging AI technologies and roll it out across its global network.