USAFacts is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic initiative dedicated to making government data easy to find, use, and trust. Founded by Steve Ballmer, the organization aggregates publicly available data into accessible reports, visualizations, and tools that help people understand how the government is serving its citizens. Its mission—grounding public conversations in facts—makes USAFacts a uniquely credible voice in an age of information overload and political polarization.
USAFacts’ suite of data products, including its annual State of the Facts report, election-year analyses, and topic-specific dashboards, helps journalists, policymakers, educators, and everyday Americans evaluate government activity without spin. As the organization expanded its offerings and its public profile, it needed a partner who could help amplify its voice while preserving its commitment to objectivity.
Challenge
As the national conversation became increasingly polarized, USAFacts needed to grow awareness and engagement without compromising its nonpartisan ethos. In addition, the organization sought to elevate the visibility of its leadership team, including founder Steve Ballmer, in a way that strikes a balance between reach and selective, mission-aligned placement. USAFacts needed a sustained communications strategy that would:
- Increase the use of its data and reports in media coverage
- Strengthen brand trust and credibility
- Equip journalists with reliable, accessible data resources
- Maintain its unwavering neutrality while participating in high-profile conversations
Solution
INK implemented a multi-track visibility strategy designed to elevate USAFacts’ brand, expand its influence, and deepen trust across audiences without ever compromising neutrality:
1. Strategic Leadership Positioning: We positioned USAFacts’ leaders as authoritative, mission-focused voices across key opportunities and reserved Steve Ballmer for rare, high-value moments where his presence would reinforce the organization’s credibility and amplify data stewardship. These engagements showcased the organization’s commitment to factual rigor and responsible interpretation of government data.
2. Issue-Timed, Nonpartisan Storytelling: Our campaign calendar was built around political and civic milestones like budget releases, administration decisions, government shutdowns, and the State of the Union. For example, the State of the Facts poll with AP-NORC spotlighted Americans’ trust in information sources, enabling USAFacts to enter national conversations without taking a political stance.
3. High-Impact Journalist Engagement: To expand media relationships, INK led in-person interactions at conferences such as Milken, Aspen Ideas, and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Summit. We also executed targeted press tours in Washington, D.C., directly connecting USAFacts experts with top-tier reporters. These touchpoints helped position USAFacts as a go-to authority for credible, nonpartisan data.
4. Awards Strategy for Third-Party Validation: An integrated awards program strengthened USAFacts’ industry recognition and credibility. Accolades from outlets like Fast Company and Digiday reinforced the organization’s role as a civic innovator and increased visibility among new audiences.
Results
USAFacts saw measurable, sustained impact across engagement, media visibility, and brand credibility:
- 178,000 visits to USAFacts.org and 30,000 new newsletter signups following The Daily Show appearance, the show’s highest-rated episode in seven years.
- 75% year-over-year increase in media coverage, with 9,024 total articles, including earned stories and organic citations of USAFacts data.
- Strengthened relationships with major outlets such as TIME, Axios, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC, where USAFacts became a trusted data source.
- Improved newsletter engagement, including higher open rates and more downstream content pickup by reporters.
- Industry recognition from Fast Company, Digiday, and finalist placements in the Shorty Awards, bolstering USAFacts’ credibility with influential audiences.
These results reflect not only increased visibility but also deeper integration of USAFacts’ data into national reporting and public discourse. Next, USAFacts and INK plan to expand mission impact by becoming a reliable resource for local newsrooms and college newsrooms, including the development of scalable training designed to help local publishers, journalism schools, and student newsrooms utilize USAFacts’ datasets and visualizations in their reporting. By empowering the next generation of journalists with trusted, nonpartisan tools, USAFacts aims to strengthen civic education and broaden its long-term impact.
