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MEDIA RELEASE: CAA Manitoba Survey Reveals Troubling Lack of Travel Insurance Preparedness

A recent member survey conducted by CAA Manitoba has unveiled concerning statistics regarding the lack of travel insurance awareness and preparedness. Despite the financial risks associated with travelling unprotected, the survey found that 38 per cent of members in Manitoba who travel don’t always purchase emergency medical travel insurance, highlighting a potential vulnerability. "In a world of uncertainties, our survey highlights a critical gap in travel preparedness among Manitobans," says Susan Postma, regional manager, CAA Manitoba. "At CAA, we believe in empowering travellers with knowledge so they can explore confidently and securely." The survey also discovered that almost a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) ventured on their last trip outside the province without any form of travel insurance, exposing themselves to potential financial burdens in case of emergencies. CAA Manitoba is launching its inaugural CAA Travel Wise Week In response to these findings, CAA Manitoba is launching its inaugural CAA Travel Wise Week to emphasize the crucial importance of travel insurance education. The campaign aims to inform and educate Manitobans on the risks of inadequate coverage and provide valuable insights into securing appropriate protection for their travel adventures. According to claims data from Orion Travel Insurance, the average cost of a medical claim has increased by 14 per cent since 2019. “Costs associated with everything from an ear infection to the use of an air ambulance have risen over the last few years due to medical inflation, underscoring the continued importance of travel insurance for life’s unexpected complications,” says Postma. As part of the CAA Travel Wise Week, CAA Manitoba has curated a list of the top ten tips to help individuals stay protected against common travel concerns: Top 10 Tips for Travel Protection: Make sure all your documentation is in order before you book. It is recommended passport renewals be completed six months before your planned trip. Your passport should still be valid six months after your travel date, as this is required in several countries. Read up on Government of Canada travel advisories for your destination. Understand the risk level associated with travel to a particular destination by checking the Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories website. Individual travel advisories remain on a country-by-country basis. Speak with your physician to discuss your travel plans. Speak to your physician to ensure you are up to date with needed travel vaccines and have them prescribe enough medication for the length of your trip. Ensure all the medication you take is packed in your carry-on and in its original bottles with labels intact. Consider purchasing travel insurance at the time of booking your trip. To lock in the best protection, book your travel insurance at the same time you book your trip. Doing so will give you the peace of mind that both you and your investment are protected. Insurance must be in place before things go wrong for you to benefit from coverage. Know the cancellation policies for everything you booked. Make sure you understand any key dates related to cancellation and changes, this includes accommodation, flights, car rentals, tours, cruises. Get to the airport early. CAA recommends arriving at the airport at least two hours before domestic flight departures and at least three for international flights. Check limits or restrictions. Travel insurance is often touted as a perk for certain credit cards but can be drastically limited to both benefits and the sum insured. Check limits or age restrictions on credit cards, employee benefits, and pensions to determine if you need additional travel insurance coverage. Stay connected. It is important to have access to trusted, up-to-date information while travelling so you can monitor changing conditions and requirements and adapt accordingly. Bookmark the Global Affairs Canada website prior to departure and check it regularly while abroad. It is also a good idea to sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad. Find these and more information at www.caamanitoba.com/travel Note emergency contact numbers. Provide your travel agent with contact details while travelling abroad and keep all important phone numbers handy; this includes how to call for help and your travel insurance assistance phone number. Protect your ID. Make sure you have a digital version and paper version of your travel insurance wallet card, tickets to various events and attractions and even your passport. You may also want to leave a copy of important paperwork with family members or friends. For more information, visit www.caamanitoba.com/travelwise The survey was an online quantitative survey done with the CAA Members Matter Panel in Manitoba between September 22 - 29, 2023. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 4.0% at the 95% confidence level.

MEDIA RELEASE: CAA Survey Reveals Troubling Lack of Travel Insurance Preparedness

A recent member survey conducted by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has unveiled concerning statistics regarding the lack of travel insurance awareness and preparedness. Despite the financial risks associated with travelling unprotected, the survey found that 40 per cent of members in Ontario who travel don’t always purchase emergency medical travel insurance, highlighting a potential vulnerability. "In a world of uncertainties, our survey highlights a critical gap in travel preparedness among Ontarians," says Kaitlynn Furse, director of corporate communications at CAA SCO. "At CAA, we believe in empowering travellers with knowledge so they can explore confidently and securely." The survey also discovered that almost a quarter of respondents (23 per cent) ventured on their last trip outside the province without any form of travel insurance, exposing themselves to potential financial burdens in case of emergencies. Additionally, 33 per cent of people who travel with travel insurance relied on the coverage provided by their credit cards, raising concerns about coverage limitations, especially for those over 65. CAA SCO is launching its inaugural CAA Travel Wise Week In response to these findings, CAA SCO is launching its inaugural CAA Travel Wise Week to emphasize the crucial importance of travel insurance education. The campaign aims to inform and educate Ontarians on the risks associated with inadequate coverage and provide valuable insights into securing appropriate protection for their travel adventures. According to claims data from Orion Travel Insurance, the average cost of a medical claim has increased by 14 per cent since 2019. “Costs associated with everything from an ear infection to the use of an air ambulance have risen over the last few years due to medical inflation, underscoring the continued importance of travel insurance for life’s unexpected complications,” says Furse. As part of CAA Travel Wise Week, CAA SCO has curated a list of the top ten tips to help individuals stay protected against common travel concerns: Top 10 Tips for Travel Protection: Make sure all your documentation is in order before you book. It is recommended passport renewals be completed six months before your planned trip. Your passport should still be valid six months after your travel date, as this is required in several countries. Read up on Government of Canada travel advisories for your destination. Understand the risk level associated with travel to a particular destination by checking the Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories website. Individual travel advisories remain on a country-by-country basis. Speak with your physician to discuss your travel plans. Speak to your physician to ensure you are up to date with needed travel vaccines and have them prescribe enough medication for the length of your trip. Ensure all the medication you take is packed in your carry-on and in its original bottles with labels intact. Consider purchasing travel insurance at the time of booking your trip. To lock in the best protection, book your travel insurance at the same time you book your trip. Doing so will give you the peace of mind that both you and your investment are protected. Insurance must be in place before things go wrong for you to benefit from coverage. Know the cancellation policies for everything you booked. Make sure you understand any key dates related to cancellation and changes, this includes accommodation, flights, car rentals, tours, cruises. Get to the airport early. CAA recommends arriving at the airport at least two hours before domestic flight departures and at least three for international flights. Check limits or restrictions. Travel insurance is often touted as a perk for certain credit cards but can be drastically limited to both benefits and the sum insured. Check limits or age restrictions on credit cards, employee benefits, and pensions to determine if you need additional travel insurance coverage. Stay connected. It is important to have access to trusted, up-to-date information while travelling so you can monitor changing conditions and requirements and adapt accordingly. Bookmark the Global Affairs Canada website prior to departure and check it regularly while abroad. It is also a good idea to sign up for Registration of Canadians Abroad. Find these and more information at www.caasco.com/travel. Note emergency contact numbers. Provide your travel agent with contact details while travelling abroad and keep all important phone numbers handy; this includes how to call for help and your travel insurance assistance phone number. Protect your ID. Make sure you have a digital version and paper version of your travel insurance wallet card, tickets to various events and attractions and even your passport. You may also want to leave a copy of important paperwork with family members or friends. For more information, visit www.caasco.com/travelwise The survey was an online quantitative survey done with the CAA Members Matter Panel in Ontario between September 22 - 29, 2023. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 1.6% at the 95% confidence level.

Leap Years and the Connection Between Astronomy and Our Lives

Most of us know February 29 as a whimsical anomaly—nothing more than a chance to tease our friends or colleagues born on this day as technically being a quarter of their purported age. But how often do we think about the origins of the day as we now know it? Or about the near-universal implementation of this specific way to keep track of time? Do we ever consider the impact a leap year could have on everyday life? Frank Maloney, PhD, an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University, has been teaching for nearly 12 leap years (47 years). He is an expert in timekeeping and calendaring, calling them a “fundamental connection to our lives, ruled by the motion of objects in the sky,” because “everyone has to agree what day and time it is.” Dr. Maloney currently teaches a course called “Earth: Our Habitable World,” where he discusses this and other connections between astronomy and people’s lives. In the case of leap years, the astronomical phenomenon from which they originate—the Earth’s time to orbit the sun—is a very important one to accurately track. “You want your calendar to keep pace with the seasons,” Dr. Maloney explained. “There are all sorts of ways of measuring the pace of the Earth around the sun, but the way that [also] keeps pace with seasons is called the tropical year, and unfortunately, there’s not an integer number of days in that year. We can’t ignore it, because after the first year you’re off by a quarter of a day and after four years off by a full day, and so on.” Ancient civilizations were aware there were slightly more than 365 days in a solar year but didn’t know exactly how much more. Gradually, the seasons would become unsynchronized with the calendar, and those various civilizations added days back in at random times to realign. “In those days, it might be possible to leave one area in April, and arrive [somewhere else] the previous December,” Dr. Maloney joked. The concept of a leap year began with the Roman Empire’s implementation of Julius Caesar’s namesake calendar on January 1, 45 B.C.E., at his behest. The Julian calendar was a solar calendar, which consisted of a 365-day year, and a 366-day leap year every four years, without exception. It was often added as a duplicate day in the middle of February. “But a year is not exactly 365 and a quarter days. It’s a little bit less,” Dr. Maloney explained. “By the Middle Ages, it was 10 or so days out of whack with the tropical year. Astronomers would have seen that very easily... but the reason to change it was not there.” Not until the late 16th century, that is. And the reason it did change was because Easter had moved out of line with the vernal equinox. “Nearly all calendars have a mystical, religious or theological component,” Dr. Maloney said. “In the Roman Church, Easter is reckoned as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox, or first day of spring.” In order to have Easter fall back in line with the equinox, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull in 1582, which declared a year to be a more accurate 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes in length (roughly). What that meant for leap years was that, instead of every four years without exception, they would now occur every four years except on century marks, unless that century mark was divisible by 400. For example, 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was. The years 2100, 2200 and 2300 will not be leap years. The global switch to a new calendar was not easy or done in haste. To enact the initial calendar change, 1582 went from October 4 to October 15 to eliminate extra accumulated days. Catholic countries mostly followed suit soon after, but many others resisted, as citizens feared it was a political trick. It took centuries to get to the near-universal use of the Gregorian calendar we have today. Great Britain and other Commonwealth nations did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. An individual such as George Washington could have been considered to be born on one day in the Julian calendar and have a different birthday in the Gregorian calendar. In the American colonies, September 1752 skipped to the 14th day of the month from the second. The most recent country to switch from the Julian to Gregorian calendar was Greece in 1923. By then, the calendar was roughly two weeks off from the tropical year. In the early 1900s, when globalization was commencing, this was a big deal. “You could get in an airplane and fly someplace, and not even know what day you’d be landing. According to the calendar, it’d be time travel,” Dr. Maloney said. Saudi Arabia still used a few elements of the Islamic calendar for fiscal purposes until 2016, and Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal and Ethiopia are the only countries in the world that do not officially use the Gregorian calendar currently. So, what does all this mean for people today? For starters, historians and genealogists must be careful when studying historical dates and events. For example, a country may have still been using the Julian calendar during a particular time period, or perhaps an event might have occurred during the time days were skipped to make the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendars. “If an infant were born [in the American colonies] on the second of September 1752, for example, and died on the 14th, they were not really 12 days old,” Dr. Maloney said. “Or if a war began in a country one day but started on a different day in a different country, it causes confusion.” Leap years and other adjustments to timekeeping can also cause a plethora of computing and software issues, impacting multiple industries. This is especially true in the digital age where time-stamping is so ubiquitous. Case in point, on occasion, we actually have to add a leap second to time to account for the slowing of Earth’s rotation. These leap seconds are added after 11:59:59 on either December 31 or June 30, when needed. “There’s a great deal of controversy about this particular practice,” Dr. Maloney said. “It really confounds software. A jet airplane, for example, can travel a fairly long distance in one second. Time has to be kept now to fractions of seconds, [even for things like] lawsuits and insurance policies. Timekeeping is a very important task for astronomers.” It seems those astronomers have it figured out... for now. Even the Gregorian calendar will eventually need an adjustment, as its margin of error is about 27 seconds per year. That means every 3,236 years—so sometime in the early 4800s—an additional extra day will need to be added somewhere to correct it. Luckily, we have some time to plan ahead.

Tales of Christmas Past: Preserving Your Family History During the Holidays

Baylor’s Institute for Oral History shares seven simple best practices to get the conversation started (Credit: FG Trade Latin/Getty Images Collection E+) During past family Christmas gatherings, many of us remember when older relatives regaled everyone with tales about their fascinating life stories, firsthand experiences as an eyewitness to history or simply sharing how favorite family traditions started. So how do you preserve those precious family memories during the holidays? Baylor University oral historians Stephen Sloan and Adrienne Cain Darough have recorded and preserved the oral history memoirs of thousands of individuals through their work with Baylor’s renowned Institute for Oral History, home of the national Oral History Association. Together, the historians share seven simple best practices to help family members begin oral history conversations that enrich recollections of the past and capture your family memories. “The holiday season brings about the opportunity to spend time with family members, especially those you may not be able to see on a frequent basis,” Cain Darough said. “This presents the perfect opportunity to conduct oral histories to capture the stories and experiences of your family and loved ones, to learn more about them, the history of your family, traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation and more.” Seven best practices for preserving your family’s oral history 1. Ask first! Make sure your family member wants their story to be documented or recorded. That is the first – and most important – question to ask, said Adrienne Cain Darough, M.L.S., assistant director and senior lecturer with the Institute for Oral History. Ask first. “Many oral historians have run into the spot where someone says, ‘Oh, my grandpa would be great for that topic,’ and you get there and it's, ‘Grandpa does not want to talk to you.’ So first, make sure they want their story recorded,” she said. 2. Determine the type of recording equipment you want to use. Decide if you want to record your interview with an audio recorder or use a video recording device. It all depends on your needs and comfort level with the technology. For family members who are unable to travel this holiday season, you can include them by capturing their stories using a remote recording platform like Zoom, which became a vital tool for oral historians when COVID struck in 2020. Helpful resources from Baylor’s Institute for Oral History include: How to choose the right digital recorder Oral History at a Distance webinar on the dynamics of conducting remote oral history interviews Remote Interviewing Resources guide (Oral History Association) 3. Research your family member’s life and their timeline to help you formulate your questions. Recording a family member’s oral history is more than just putting down a recorder in front of them and saying, “Talk.” If you’re recording an oral history over Christmas with a family member, are there specific things that you want to know that are related to the holiday? For example, what was Christmas morning like for them as a child? How did your favorite family traditions start? What is their favorite holiday dish? (Maybe they could even share the recipe. “You can finally learn why Nana’s banana pudding doesn’t even have bananas in it,” Cain Darough said.) “Doing your research to try to form those questions will help you get around the reluctance to talk sometimes,” Cain Darough added. “The favorite thing that I love to hear is, ‘Oh, I don't have much to say,’ or ‘I'm not that important.’ And then you sit down with them, and you listen to their stories, and your mind is just blown by the things that they've seen and experienced.” 4. Start with the basics: “Where are you from?” When Baylor oral historians conduct an interview, they generally begin with some life history of the subject, providing important context for historians. “Ask questions early on that are easy for them to answer: a little bit of the backstory, a little bit of where they're from, where they grew up,” said Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Oral History, executive director of Oral History Association and professor of history at Baylor. “I want to understand the lens through which they experienced events, and the only way I can do that is, who was this? What was formative in their life growing up? Who spoke into who they were? What did they learn? Where did they go? What did they do? Those are the sorts of things that I would be exploring early in the interview.” One of the questions Cain Darough enjoys asking is, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” “You want to give them something that's very easy and comfortable to talk about,” Cain Darough said. “What was your favorite subject in school, just to see if that was something that continued on in their life. If there's a certain hobby or something that you know that they're affiliated with, when did you learn about that? Tell me more. What's your interest with this? And then they'll get to talking.” 5. Ask open-ended questions – without making any assumptions. With oral history, it is important that you don’t go into the interview with a specific agenda or try to lead anyone to a certain conclusion. “We can do this very subtly by assuming information, but you can't assume anything about their experience with the topic,’” Sloan said. “If we assume information, it could be very far from how they encountered whatever event that may have been. Allow them to relate the ways in which they lived these experiences.” 6. Listen closely. Listening is an important facet of gathering oral history. But historians say you are not only listening for what they're saying, you're also listening for what they're not saying. “Are there things that are being skipped around?” Cain Darough said. “For example, sometimes when you're talking to veterans about their combat experience, it may be the first time that they're reliving or retelling these stories. They need time, and you just have to be prepared for that.” 7. Be patient. It might take your subject some time to warm up to the conversation. “If you're talking to someone who is 80, 90 or even 100, that's a lot of memories that they have to go through, so patience is important,” Cain Darough said.

Aston University establishes Design Factory Birmingham as a global innovation hub for Midlands

• Birmingham becomes the latest city to join a global network of design and digital consultancies • Based at Aston University, expertise in areas such as 3D printing will be shared to boost the local economy • It will include a space named after the late Dame Margaret Weston, former director of the Science Museum. Birmingham has become the latest city to join a global network of design and digital consultancies set up to solve real world challenges through effective problem-solving. Design Factory Birmingham will be based at Aston University, one of just two hubs in the UK outside of London. The city officially joined the Design Factory Global Network on Wednesday 14 February and as a result Aston University will open the doors to its state-of-the-art facilities to other organisations. Shared understanding and common ways of working enable Design Factories in the network to collaborate efficiently across cultures, time zones and organisational boundaries fostering radical innovations. Businesses, industry partners, entrepreneurs, staff and students will be able to collaborate on projects that will involve technologies such as 3D printers and design software. The University will be sharing its expertise in artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, data science and web, app and graphic design to boost the local economy. Currently there are 39 innovation hubs in 25 countries across five continents based in universities and research organisations. The Design Factory will include a space named after the late Dame Margaret Weston, former director of the Science Museum. Dame Margaret had studied electrical engineering at one of Aston University’s predecessor institutions and went on to be the first woman appointed to lead a national museum. She left a generous gift to Aston University in her will, which will be commemorated in the Birmingham Design Factory in honour of her engineering background. (l-r) Felipe Gárate, Professor Aleks Subic, Professor Stephen Garrett The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, Professor Aleks Subic said: “The Design Factory Birmingham is another key milestone in our ambition to be a leader in science, technology, and innovation, driving socio-economic transformation in our city and region. It is important to the Midlands because it will make a direct contribution to innovation led growth in partnership with industry and businesses. However, this is not only a local launch but also a global launch as Design Factory Birmingham is a global innovation hub, and an integral part of the Design Factory Global Network involving 39 innovation hubs around the world.” The head of the Design Factory Global Network Felipe Gárate from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland attended the official launch in Birmingham. He said: “I am delighted to welcome Aston University as our latest member. “We are on a mission to create change in the world of learning and research through passion-based culture and effective problem-solving. “Shared understanding and common ways of working enable Design Factories in the network to collaborate efficiently across cultures, time zones and organisational boundaries fostering radical innovations.” The launch event was used to showcase design projects that are already running and companies attending were given the chance to meet placement students who could boost their existing expertise. Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Professor Tony Clarke said “This unique space on campus will bring together multi-disciplinary teams of hands-on innovators, collaborative thinkers and creators. “We will be delivering a wide range of services including software application development, product design, creating protypes using a variety of technologies including laser and water cutting, digital and design training courses, and helping companies obtain innovation grants for projects.” As a member of the global network the Birmingham Design Factory at Aston University will participate in two global design challenges - one run by McDonalds and the other run by the Ford Motor Company. ENDS Notes to Editors There are 39 Design Factory hubs around the world https://dfgn.org/ In the UK there are three; London, Birmingham and Manchester. About Aston University For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally. Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world. Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020. Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world. For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk

The road to heat resilience

University of Delaware researchers are leading a heat mapping project to address the urban heat island effect caused by climate change. Dana Veron and A.R. Siders, co-directors of the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, have laid out a plan of action that aims to understand the heat distribution, particularly in vulnerable communities. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related death in the United States, making urban heat islands a significant public health concern. In an effort to tackle this issue head on, Veron and Siders – who are also professors at UD – have been working with UD’s Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (CEMA) and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to map heat in Wilmington, Delaware. The 2023 WiST (Wilmington and Surrounding Townships) Heat Watch has been in the works since late 2021. The initial proposals were developed by CEMA and DNREC. UD’s Climate Hub became the coordinating entity soon after. “This was our first externally funded project that allowed the Hub to serve the role we envisioned for it, as a central point of contact and communication, a facilitator networking amongst many partners across different sectors,” said Dana Veron, High heat-absorbance in urban areas leads to increased energy consumption, emissions, and strains on energy systems. The mapping project is part of a broader trend in urban sustainability planning and cooling strategies, driven by the need to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The researchers anticipate using the data to influence future city planning, incorporating green infrastructure to reduce the urban heat island effect. The Climate Hub team plans to present the preliminary results in a virtual town hall meeting, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and collaboration in addressing climate-related challenges. The campaign demonstrates the potential for universities to lead collaborative efforts and engage students in climate research and community outreach. Dozens of other Heat Watch campaign teams have incorporated their findings into climate and heat mitigation strategies. In Virginia, Richmond officials have made heat vulnerability and urban heat islands a determining factor in their upcoming city and sustainability planning endeavors. In New Jersey, the city of Newark introduced several proposals offering equitable solutions to heat emergencies, including increased funding for cooling centers and urban green spaces. Every Heat Watch mapping campaign develops a report detailing heat distribution across the target city. Digital maps that display predictive heat-index models mindful of land coverage and topography are also publicly released. “This is the beginning of the work,” said Veron. “All the partners are anxious to get the map because what’s really exciting is what happens next.” To set up an interview with Veron or Siders, visit their profiles and click the "contact" button.

Countdown To the Big Game: Dr. Tyrha’s Top Five Super Bowl Commercials for the Past Five Years

Advertising executive and multicultural media expert Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, , is a sought-after media commentator on the brands who win big during the game's commercial breaks. Commercials always are the most anticipated and talked-about aspect of the Super Bowl, but the expanding digital landscape requires advertisers to use more authentic and nuanced strategies to reach consumers. Advertising executive and multicultural media expert Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, is a sought-after media commentator on the brands who win big during the game’s commercial breaks. How do companies break through the noise and make a lasting impression on viewers? Lindsey-Warren – or Dr. Tyrha, as she is known – says the key is empowered storytelling. As a consumer behavior scholar, Dr. Lindsey-Warren’s research is rooted in narrative transportation theory – in other words, storytelling – that exudes the emotion of empowerment and its impact on consumer attitudes, behaviors, purchase intention and message recall. “There is a growing space for cleverly crafted and positive storytelling that can break through the clutter and competition and get the attention of Millennials, Gen Z and Alpha generations in an authentic and meaningful manner,” Lindsey-Warren said. At the top of every year, Dr. Tyrha always enjoys exposing the juniors and seniors in her advertising class to the joys of storytelling in advertising by way of the Super Bowl commercials. By leveraging the Super Bowl as an “edutaining” entry point for student learning, Dr. Lindsey-Warren finds it to be a fun and wonderful way to bring many advertising lessons to life for her students, including branding, consumer targeting and segmentation, social media campaign analysis, and more. To that end, here are Dr. Tyrha Lindsey-Warren’s top picks for the best Super Bowl commercials over the past five years. COUNTDOWN TO THE SUPER BOWL: DR. TYRHA’S TOP 5 SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS #5: Company/Brand: AMAZON Title of the commercial: “#BeforeAlexa” (With Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi) Year it ran in the Super Bowl: 2020 Link to the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLUwmnPJIGk Ad Agency that produced the commercial: Droga5 Dr. Tyrha’s rationale as to why this ad is so good: In my opinion, this was a wonderfully creative and clever introduction of the Alexa product by Amazon. The nostalgic storytelling in the spot humorously does make you wonder and realize how “did” we all live “before Alexa?” The commercial is multigenerational, incorporates women extremely well, and is so funny! #4. Company/Brand: NFL Title of the commercial: “Bring Down the House!” Year it ran in the Super Bowl: 2022 Link to the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PhfMtZce1k Ad Agency that produced the commercial: Co-directed by Peter Berg of Film 47 and Arthur Mintz of Swaybox Studios Dr. Tyrha’s rationale as to why this ad is so good: In 2022, the NFL creatively leveraged the power of animation to get our attention with this wonderfully told story with children as the lead Talent and set in a situation that all families can relate to! The spot is so much fun and keeps you guessing as well as laughing with Grandma saving the day in the end. The commercial is multigenerational, multicultural, and incorporates women and girls extremely well. #3. Company/Brand: MOUNTAIN DEW & DORITOS (OWNED BY PEPSICO) Title of the commercial: “Doritos Blaze vs. Mountain Dew Ice” (with Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage) Year it ran in the Super Bowl: 2018 Link to the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2tyVjEuqcY Ad Agency that produced the commercial: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Dr. Tyrha’s rationale as to why this ad is so good: The “in your face” storytelling of this commercial – performed exquisitely by acclaimed actors, Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman, and accompanied by the perfect voiceover narrators in Rappers Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes – is so much fun and truly unforgettable! The commercial also cleverly makes you pay attention to the presentation of the products being promoted as well as compels you to wonder as to “when did you last have a Mountain Dew and some Doritos?” This commercial is multicultural, multigenerational, multibodied, and incorporates women well and UBER memorable! #2. Company/Brand: NFL Title of the commercial: “The 100-Year Game” Year it ran in the Super Bowl: 2020 Link to the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJjiIuH1VnY Ad Agency that produced the commercial: 72 and Sunny Dr. Tyrha’s rationale as to why this ad is so good: If you love the game of football, you have to love this ad that celebrates the fun and contagious spirit of the game. Truly, this commercial has something for everyone who loves the game of football! The unassuming opening of the ad’s storytelling set at an awards banquet and led by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell quickly evolves into a fun and rambunctious game of football with NFL players of all ages in their tuxedos destroying the ballroom with their play. The musical hip-hop soundtrack alone for the spot is amazing, current, and supports the action of the storytelling extremely well. This spot is multigenerational, incredibly diverse in age ethnicity and more, as well as weaves women and girls into the spot ever so cleverly. A truly memorable ad and so much fun! #1. Company/Brand: Mr. Clean (OWNED BY P&G) Title of the commercial: “Cleaner Of Your Dreams” Year it ran in the Super Bowl: 2018 Link to the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozuWoZITX3Y Ad Agency that produced the commercial: Leo Burnett Dr. Tyrha’s rationale as to why this ad is so good: Every year I show this commercial to my Advertising students at Baylor University and they absolutely LOVE this ad! The storytelling of this commercial leverages the animated Mr. Clean in such a clever manner, while showing the product benefits at the same time, and not being “in your face” with the product’s selling proposition. The music and the dancing accompaniment to the storytelling all help to bring an emotional connection to the viewer, especially the female audience. Plus, the spot is just super funny and so much fun! Every time I see this ad, I want to run and buy Mr. Clean. And, I tell my female students every year that when they get older, they are going to LOVE a man who can clean a house!!!! Additionally, this was an incredibly smart move by P&G to put this ad in the Super Bowl. This is due to the fact that the “current and future market power of women – as a whole and by segments – is undeniable and truly cannot be ignored by marketers, especially the NFL.” Today, women influence more than 80% of all consumer spending; 89% of the financial decisions are made by women; and globally, women control more than $20 trillion in worldwide spending. In addition, nearly 24.3 million African American women are brand loyalists and cultural trendsetters who have influence over the $1.2 trillion in Black spending power. And, Forbes reported in 2018 that “women constituted about 49 % of the 108 million-plus people who watched” that year’s Super Bowl – and they paid closer attention to the ads!

Reinventing the laser diode: free public lecture by Professor Richard Hogg

Professor Richard Hogg joined Aston University in spring 2023 His inaugural lecture is about laser diodes, the tiny components that are a vital part of everyday life The free event will take place on Tuesday 28 November. The latest inaugural lecture at Aston University will explore the laser diode and what’s in store for it in the future. Professor Richard Hogg will explain how his future research might make laser diodes do some of the things that they currently can’t do. The laser diode turned 61 years old this month and the tiny components are a critical part of everyday life. Professor Hogg said: “They are now at the heart of the continuous transformation of society. “They transmit data to allow instantaneous, ubiquitous communication and data access. “They allow light to be used for cutting and welding, for sensing and imaging, for displays and illumination, and data storage. “And in the guise of a laser pointer they can even be used to entertain your cat!” He will discuss different classes of laser diode and their operation and applications. Professor Hogg joined Aston University in spring 2023 and is based at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT). It is one of the world’s leading photonics research centres and its scientific achievements range from medical lasers and bio-sensing for healthcare, to the high-speed optical communications technology that underpins the internet and the digital economy. The professor is also chief technology officer at III-V Epi, which provides compound semiconductor wafer foundry services. The free event will take place on the University campus at Conference Aston, on Tuesday 28 November from 6pm to 8pm and will be followed by a drinks reception. It can also be viewed online. To sign up for a place in person visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/717822585677?aff=oddtdtcreator To sign up for a place online visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/717824260687?aff=oddtdtcreator

Celebrating 140 years of the Gretsch Company

Georgia Southern University helped Fred and Dinah Gretsch – and a roomful of other supporters and musical friends – celebrate 140 years of the Gretsch musical instruments company and “that great Gretsch sound” at a recent anniversary celebration at Savannah’s Plant Riverside district. Benefitting the Georgia Music Foundation, the event was held in a space that is a living testament to the partnership between Georgia Southern and the Gretsches, whose name are on the University’s school of music. “That Great Gretsch Sound!” Museum is a spotlight destination in the heart of downtown Savannah that tells the rich history of the Gretsch family and company. The space celebrates Gretsch’s ever-growing worldwide musical community, honors the Gretsch family commitment to music education, and showcases hundreds of Gretsch’s most storied instruments. In addition to the instruments and artifacts on display in Savannah, Georgia Southern is working to build one of the most comprehensive digital document collections of music industry history, thanks to decades of resources collected by Fred and Dinah and donated to our University Libraries. Together, through innovative pathways, Gretsch and Georgia Southern are creating renewed interest in performance and music education amongst K-12 students throughout our region. And, this fall at Georgia Southern, the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music saw a 25% increase in enrollment – with nearly 20% of the school’s students focused on our Music Industry program. “Fred and Dinah, we thank you for your tireless efforts to make Georgia Southern a more musical place,” Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero said. “Your guidance, resources, and imagination have helped us soar to new heights, and we look forward to our future together. “ The evening included performances by Georgia Southern Gretsch School of Music students, and Tony Arata, a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame who grew up on Tybee Island and studied at Georgia Southern University. Interested in learning more about the Gretsch's involvement with Georgia Southern or the Gretsch School of Music? Contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Announcing The NEW ExpertFile

Promoting your expertise just got easier with a host of new platform features. Well the world’s best platform for Expertise Marketing just got even better! We’ve just released the latest release of ExpertFile and it’s huge. Our newly designed, mobile-ready platform provides the most intuitive, collaborative solution for creating, managing, and showcasing your experts and insights. Whether you are managing content directly on your website or promoting it through one of our powerful distribution channels like our expertfile.com search engine used by leading media outlets, you will find a lot of great new features packed into this release. With a host of new and enhanced features, streamlined workflows and more advanced analytics we’ve made showcasing your expertise, capturing valuable inquiries, and tracking your results easier than ever. You will see some exciting improvements that enable you to create highly customizable, searchable directories and media-rich profiles and content features to sharing valuable expert insights with detailed Posts and Q&A. Built for marketing and communications professionals and compatible with your current systems we continue to take the burden out of managing your expert content, and eliminate the need for ongoing, costly or time-consuming IT projects. The following highlights some of the great new features and functionality that can be found across the platform. We hope you take a moment to explore the new ExpertFile.  And please let us know what you think!   Cheers, Robert ------------ Robert Carter Co-Founder & VP Product | ExpertFile A Quick Tour of What's New with the ExpertFile Platform Home Screen Experience the power of the ExpertFile Platform from the moment you log in. The *NEW* Home Screen is your gateway to a wealth of essential information related to your account, key analytics, recent activities and more. With intuitive menus and a new universal search bar for easy discovery, the Home tab is your jumping off point for effortlessly exploring all your expert content and quickly connecting with valuable inquiries. Our refined layout features clear tab structures, quick action buttons and links making it a breeze to create and manage your experts and their insights, whether creating detailed media-rich profiles, insightful posts, Q&A or other featured content. Plus, gain valuable insights and optimize your expertise marketing strategy with convenient access to resource links and tools to grow your online presence both on your website, through Google or by one of our powerful distribution channels. New Home Screen features include: Quick action buttons to access all frequent activities Universal search capabilities for all your expert content User/license overview Analytics summary Recent content & login activity People Tab Manage your experts and your team through the People tab. Quickly add users and create captivating mobile-ready profiles that showcase their knowledge and thought-provoking content. Effortlessly update experts profiles using our user-friendly inline editor or take advantage of bulk actions to make changes across your entire team. Easily create and assign your experts to categories and tags enhancing discovery and building of custom directories and featured content. Transition profiles seamlessly from drafts to public visibility, or establish private password-protected viewing for exclusive restricted access directories and targeted profile outreach. Build the perfect support network. Manage your experts, their content, and inquiries with ease, while collaborating with diverse teams. With unlimited admins and agent users, we allow for more efficient management and better visibility across your entire roster of experts or within specific groups of experts. Easily add users from a diverse range of departments such as marketing communications, digital, research, analyst relations, and more to help maintain fresh and engaging expert content and ensure you never miss valuable inquiries. Assign agents to make edits or handle inquiries on an expert or multiple experts behalf. Extend your reach with access to leading tools for leveraging your experts, including easy export functionality and variety of integrations options for your website and with external platforms. New People Tab features include: New user setup enhancements Streamlined profile status options Advanced filtering capabilities People specific activity log Post Tab The Post tab is the starting point for sharing your organization’s insights on current news, trending topics and more by creating shareable Posts that connect back to your experts. Interactive and mobile-ready, Posts let you quickly deliver expert, SEO friendly content to your audiences on any device at any time. Quick links allow you to create drafts including using our new AI Brainstorming feature to help generate ideas and initial drafts. For more interaction with your expert Posts streamline content discovery and expand your content distribution capabilities by tagging your Posts. Whether you choose to publish immediately or schedule for future release, you have the flexibility to align your content with breaking news, important announcements, cyclical trends or your marketing calendar. Finally increase the power of Posts by assigning individual experts to each post to better connect your insights to your experts, driving more profiles views and valuable inquiries. New Post Tab features include: Quick create button with AI brainstorming Advanced filtering capabilities Bulk action management options Connected “experts” visibility Enhanced tag management Post specific activity log Q&A Tab The Q&A tab makes leveraging the power of Q&A easy. Deliver insights through expert curated Q&A, either with a single question and answer from an expert or organization, or allow for multiple experts to provide a variety of answers. By connecting your answer to your experts, you’ll drive profile views and capture valuable inquiries. Streamline content discovery and expand your content distribution capabilities by tagging your Q&A. New Q&A Tab features include: Quick create button Advanced filtering capabilities Bulk action management options Connected “experts” visibility Enhanced tag management Q&A specific activity log Analytics Tab Track your performance with the customizable features of the new Analytics Tab. Access current metrics across all important areas from your people to Posts, Q&A and inquiries. Define your view by type and time period. Quickly export your monthly PDF reports or create custom exports to allow for detailed reporting that matches your organization’s reporting cycles. Easily export all your metrics to create additional reports in other systems you currently use. New Analytics Tab features Include Content-type specific reporting Date range filtering Customizable graphing capabilities Enhanced data exports Downloadable monthly reports Bulk actions & Filtering Inquiries Tab The Inquiries tab provides access to all the capabilities you need for viewing, managing and responding to your opportunities. The layout lets you quickly understand the nature of your incoming inquiries whether they’re related to media, speaking, research, customer/business requests and more. Quickly view key details of all incoming inquiries including time-sensitive requests that require immediate follow-up. Activate only the type of inquiries you’re looking to receive through our inquiry type setup. At the same time keep unwanted messages away from your experts with our AI Quarantine function that monitors all your incoming inquiries and proactively blocks messages that can be reviewed later. Ensure total visibility with our mailing list functionality that enables inquiries to be seen by type beyond the specific setup for each expert. New Inquiry Tab features include: Enhanced AI Quarantine protection Organization wide blocking Network level blocking Enhanced inquiry filtering Inquiry specific activity log Settings The new Settings section provides easier more intuitive access to a wide variety of account customizations and system settings to tailor your implementation.  This includes access to integration options from Custom API to Embeds and our WordPress plugin. New Settings Section features Include Enhanced brand management capabilities Improved asset uploader Refined layout New “Customer Success” resources