From customer behaviour insights to AI-driven ad targeting, data is everywhere in today’s marketing landscape.
But what really helps campaigns cut through the noise? It’s all about the storytelling, turning numbers into compelling narratives that resonate.
That’s the philosophy at three&six, a performance marketing agency that prides itself on pairing analytics with creative impact.
As co-founder Tristan Heaword puts it: “Data tells us what’s happening. Storytelling tells us why it matters to those people.”
Why storytelling still matters in a data-first era
In an industry increasingly obsessed with dashboards and KPIs, it’s tempting to think numbers are enough.
But as Heaword explains, they only get you so far: “People will do anything if they believe in it. Data can play a role in that decision-making, but it’s the story wrapped around the data that makes something believable. As marketers, we don’t just want someone to say ‘that’s nice’ and move on, we want them to act.”
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For Lindsey Sagnella, VP of content at three&six, the key to great storytelling lies in relatability and authenticity.
“Travel, for example, is all about creating memories. With hospitality specifically, there are plenty of opportunities as it thrives on emotional connection,” she says.
“Hoteliers can really benefit by highlighting their guests’ experiences in their marketing. For example, on social media, they can leverage user-generated content that guests are already sharing on their own channels. Incorporating those memories into the hotel’s marketing strategy not only makes guests feel special, but also adds authenticity because it showcases real experiences from other guests.”
And if you can inject a touch of humour along the way? Even better. “A good joke works, too,” Heaword laughs.
“Whether it’s a video or an image, you won’t remember the marketing message exactly. What you will remember is the feeling and emotional connection to that ad. That’s why authenticity, relatability and creating a connection really matters.”
Turning data into storytelling opportunities
So how does three&six approach this and turn data into great storytelling opportunities for its clients?
“three&six uses data as a signpost,” explains Heaword. “Data is a guide that can tell you whether the message you’re putting out there is actually resonating.
“You’re not going to get it right every single time with one ad that wins the internet, there’s a lot of testing that goes on with different variations in various audience segmentations.”
Whether you’re producing a creative asset or writing content, the “real magic” comes from pairing creativity with audience understanding.
Sagnella agrees, adding that one of three&six’s strengths lies in how the team interprets data.
“We don’t just report or focus on numbers,” she explains. “That would be one of the biggest mistakes that marketers make.”
Instead, the team at three&six translates and curates data insights for each specific hotel or destination brand, analysing their performance in context with competitors, broader industry benchmarks and their own historical performance.
“We also pair that analysis with consumer trends and insights, using all of that information to inform strategy,” she adds.
This approach shapes everything from creative briefs that guide photography and video production to the development of larger campaigns: “It’s really about gathering data from multiple sources and using it to inform future strategies.”
From insight to impact: The Florida Keys weather campaign
A standout case study for three&six involved its work for a hotel in the Florida Keys that was struggling with last-minute bookings, affecting the resort’s ability to plan effectively for staffing levels and operational needs.
Digging into the data, three&six identified a clear pattern: guests booked when the weather was good.
The solution? Weather-powered ads. By plugging a live weather API into Google Ads, three&six served messages like “It’s 84 degrees this Saturday in the Keys.”
“We were already tapping into the reason why people were going there, but in a sea of other ads and OTAs [Online Travel Agents] and various other people trying to compete for business, we were trying to put the message out as early as possible so it resonates,” Heaword explains.
“Whilst it’s not data in the traditional sense, it’s data in terms of understanding the entire user journey and how that worked for that specific hotel, and how, why, and when people were booking.”
The campaign worked because it didn’t just state facts, it connected data to desire. And the results were impressive. Click-through rates soared, conversion rates jumped as holiday-goers acted on the promise of a sun-soaked break, and revenue lifted significantly.
Finding the balance: data and creativity
While some marketers may draw a line between data and creativity, the two work hand in hand at three&six.
“One leads to the other and it’s more cause and effect, rather than balance. Sometimes the starting point is the creative and it’s the data that gives you feedback, other times creativity leads,” says Heaword.
“The magic happens when you understand the audience, listen to the data, and then create something they’ll actually remember.”
That’s why testing, particularly for those overseeing content such as video, is crucial.
“It’s often a feedback loop, with data serving as the foundation but not necessarily the finish line,” explains Sagnella.
“You want to constantly evaluate the data once the creative has been implemented. If you’re testing a particular piece of creative, whether that’s visual assets, narrative, text, or copy, and it’s not quite hitting the mark, you can try and optimise it, not only through different targeting, but also by adjusting the copy and assets themselves. You can shift gears as needed, all while paying close attention to the data on an ongoing basis.”
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One of the biggest mistakes three&six sees brands make when trying to make data stick without a good storytelling plan? Misinterpreting the data.
“The biggest one comes down to how people view traditional marketing channels. Rather than creating something like a video, mood board, or even part of a website, many focus purely on the channels themselves,” says Heaword.
Marketers may look at ROI under a given attribution model and dismiss channels that haven’t delivered immediate revenue.
“The data is far more complex than that. If you’ve got a prospecting campaign reaching new audiences who have never heard of your brand before, and you suddenly switch it off because it’s not converting immediately, which very rarely happens with prospecting campaigns, it impacts the rest of your campaigns that were converting,” he explains.
“You’ll see them start to see them convert less, because you’re no longer feeding the top of the funnel.”
Brands need to “understand the data” and should steer clear of “fixating too much on one piece of data and thinking that’s it”.
Warning of the dangers of chasing a single metric at the expense of the bigger picture, he recalls how a client at a former business was obsessed with Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) which hit revenues.
“Be careful of the metrics you are constantly chasing and make sure you understand the data and the knock-on effect that that data has.”
Storytelling in the age of AI
Looking ahead, both leaders agree AI will play a bigger role in marketing and storytelling. But not in the way many fear.
“As we see AI flood our feeds with content more and more, the only thing that is going to cut through is human-led storytelling that actually feels real and authentic,” says Sagnella.
Although it will help with the creative process, ultimately a human “has to make that decision”.
“There might be less people in that chain than there once were, but there will be someone, especially when money is concerned, certainly in the short and medium-term, maybe in the long-term. Who knows?” says Heaword.
“People will want human-created content, even if it’s AI-assisted.”
Comparing it to the Swiss watch industry, he notes that every industry that has undergone some kind of ‘revolution’ has faced fears that it would ‘kill the industry’.
“Everyone thought digitisation would kill the luxury watch industry. Fast forward to today, Swiss watches are handcrafted, premium timepieces, that became even more desirable,” he explains.
“Take Rolex, for example. You have to get on a waiting list to buy one; you can’t just walk into a shop. The same will happen with AI. It will be cheap, fast, and could probably replace 10% of marketing roles. But what emerges alongside it will be something slightly different, even a bit rough around the edges, but authentic, because a human has been involved.”
In the end, data tells brands what’s happening, but it’s storytelling that explains why it matters and convinces people to act. The secret lies in weaving the two together.
As Heaword puts it: “The magic happens when you understand the audience, listen to the data, and then create something they’ll actually remember.”
