Diamond's and Data

I watched "Blood Diamond" this weekend and it made me think of change and what it takes. While thousands of Africans are killed and kidnapped each year to support an illegal diamond trade and rebel groups, it's one story that triumphs over many. Lot's of numbers causes us to be desensitized to the whole of the problem. In our world, I can show you ever increasing consumer issues, or quality problems or distributors who are becoming less loyal to our brand each day. But those numbers are not acted on in our world. No reaction- no change. Too many reports for too few eyes.
What does get reacted to is a consumer letter to a CEO- it's gets people moving. Considering that, we should embrace the small numbers- the letters and calls into our CEO's office. It puts a face on an issue. Like the one man in Blood Diamond- it took a real-life story to get peoples attention. How's it work in your world? Does all that data help change anything?