Publicis-owned communications consultancy MSL UK has launched a new data-driven insights tool as part of its new UK positioning ‘We Build Belief.’

The new technology platform, MSL Belief Stack, is able to measure audiences’ deep-held beliefs and values, as defined by professor Shalom Schwartz, combining these with over a million data points provided by target audience company GlobalWebIndex (GWI). The tool provides insights into the communications and growth challenges faced by companies, while also helping compare audiences, allowing brands to differentiate competitors and identity belief gaps - the difference between a brand’s score and true belief or advocacy.

“The MSL Belief Stack moves us beyond simple ‘what and how’ insights into understanding the ‘why’. In an increasingly values-led world, we believe this is a powerful lever in creating change and preference, something all clients strive for. We also believe this is a unique data-driven tool that is a leap beyond the industry’s existing insight methods,” says group CEO of MSL UK, Chris McCafferty.

The MSL Belief Stack has been built in a partnership between MSL UK, Publicis Data Practice, GWI, and academic professor Shalom Schwartz, who created the Theory of Universal Human Values, which boils down all human values into 19 Shalom Universal Values, or beliefs about how the world should be.

The MSL Belief Stack is fuelled by up-to-date data from 40,000 representative people provided by GWI, including their belief scores mapped across the 19 values. By using this data, the MSL Belief Stack analyses the values held by consumer audience groups and by a particular brand’s target audiences. A belief score is then calculated, based on the alignment of the two.

“The insights at the extremities of Belief are proving to be the most powerful. What do a brand’s true Believers believe? What about its non-believers? These insights are leading to rich creative briefs and powerful creative work for our clients,” says Jo Grierson, managing director at MSL Group.

MSL has worked with the likes of PUMA, Subway, and Bank of America.