https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights daily 0.75 2026-09-21 https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/jack-leach-1-and-the-power-of-simplicity-in-data-visualisation monthly 0.5 2026-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/d22d6a54-8565-4a5a-ad2d-45238ff0b8ff/1789924706149.jpg Our insights - Jack Leach 1* and the power of simplicity in data visualisation - Where I see a lot of data viz used in communications (and by communicators) going wrong is trying to include too much, trying to make the graphic relay too many stats. As a result it hinders rather than helps the storytelling. Watching Yorkshire demolish Somerset at Headingley this last week, with Jack Leach playing, 7 years on from a very famous cricketing day, reminded me of his now legendary 2019 ‘wagon wheel’ of scoring shots. A simple stat and a date. To the right audience (millions of England cricket fans) it’s pure goosebumps stuff, setting off a heady maelstrom of emotion and drama. A name, a stat, a date and a place, to evoke a huge groundswell of pride and emotion. Ask any cricket fan where they were, they will almost certainly know. To an England cricket fan, it’s probably the most famous, beautiful and important 1 not out ever scored. And what the graphic doesn’t say anywhere is that Ben Stokes scored a scarcely believable 135 that day, to beat the Australians. But that doesn’t need saying, and no additional cluttering needed. As cricket fans, we are already there, back in the moment. We see Stokes, playing an innings for the ages, and we are fully engaged. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/to-show-comms-impact-like-this-youre-going-to-need-to-get-better-with-data monthly 0.5 2026-09-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/78e3c2d3-2dc3-4fd3-881d-2553ca8620f3/Screenshot+2026-09-18+100014.png Our insights - To show comms impact like THIS you’re going to need to get better with data - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/b33ec344-5f83-43ea-be16-c77330ee07da/Screenshot+2026-09-18+095802.png Our insights - To show comms impact like THIS you’re going to need to get better with data - Make it stand out The Strike Communications report does the hard yards and shows actual impact. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/gov-areas-of-research-interest-insights-report monthly 0.5 2024-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/281d6a04-d6d0-447d-8418-bb6aa4783795/Screenshot+2024-09-04+095549.png Our insights - Untapped Impact: Exclusive insights for effective engagement with Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/general-election-battle-bus-tt monthly 0.5 2024-06-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/94a00136-9032-4246-afbf-5834f769853a/Screenshot+2024-06-03+002131.png Our insights - General Election 2024 - Battle Bus Top Trumps - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/beyond-the-rts-trends-and-tips-for-translating-data-into-tactics monthly 0.5 2023-04-19 https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/if-this-is-my-mid-life-crisis-bring-it-on monthly 0.5 2022-10-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/11673588-a925-44f9-9f65-80aa2416ac65/commsUnplug22-0623.jpg Our insights - If this is my mid-life crisis… bring it on - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/eslq0ndkhlrbk3kwivaxknwajolx3u monthly 0.5 2022-06-14 https://www.whetstonecomms.com/insights/my-two-word-summary-of-ref2021-everyones-great monthly 0.5 2022-05-14 https://www.whetstonecomms.com/home daily 1.0 2022-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610aed401314a93c0c56c0a8/1629311170755-EK8T8SHEUE6GIU2XYNZ2/Group+64Icon+components.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610aed401314a93c0c56c0a8/1629311387162-1SE3STPSULJEF9NM32BK/Group+73icon+components.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610aed401314a93c0c56c0a8/1629311200989-KTFG8LV11KTXHGX15IRY/Group+65Icon+components.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610aed401314a93c0c56c0a8/1629311223049-Y9B9PWZKI3RPVU0S6FIT/Group+67Icon+components.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511387030-5LI1E5QMVTQ2RY9S00A4/20140228_Trade+151_0046+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618511440608-5BVMHVN4WR2I9YQV1WWR/Aro+Ha_0010+1.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/fe485259-7c60-494d-bdec-a3ef1646716e/Whetstone+Chat+3.png Home - Communications and PR sharpened by data We are a consultancy with a simple mission - to help communicatons teams, agencies and professionals face their fear of data. We’ll help you see golden insights to reset strategies, drive campaigns and tell great data stories. And we’ll help your talented teams go from being data scared to data sensational. https://www.whetstonecomms.com/about daily 0.75 2022-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/abc706e0-f74b-4b9f-9d80-ae28fcf59813/27781496251_9c5a89be9c_o.jpg About - Getting you from data scared to data sensational Whetstone Communications is a unique consultancy founded by Alex Waddington, an award-winning communications, PR and external affairs professional with over two decades of experience. Alex’s innovative approach to using textual and numerical data in corporate communications and PR practice was recognised in 2025, when he was named on the Impact 50 list of independent practitioners. Our innovative and curiosity-led work spans: data literacy training for communications and PR teams and agencies data deep dive digital audits (especially social media) how to use data to find and show your impact data storytelling and data story ideation effective data visualisation using AI for data analysis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62645d3a96b4f0383ee4d33c/237fe76c-79bd-4f52-ab4c-01e7d953355d/Impact-50-logo+%281%29.png About https://www.whetstonecomms.com/services daily 0.75 2026-09-21