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New LIV Golf series raises plenty of questions and eyebrows
When the new LIV Golf series backed by Saudi Arabia came into existence, it raised plenty of questions on who would jump from the PGA Tour to this new league. With guaranteed appearance fees in the millions offered, it wasn’t a huge surprise some of the biggest stars like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have decided to join. Some of pushback to the new league comes as a result of the Saudis' track record on human rights issues. The PGA Tour had warned players there would be repercussions of playing in those events and responded by suspending those who are, indefinitely. But can they legally do that? Richard Franza, dean of the Hull College of Business said golfers are independent contractors and the suspensions may end up being challenged in court. “Nothing will be resolved until it goes to court,” said Franza. “I think there are three things that could determine if it goes to court or not. First — if someone is playing LIV Golf wants to play in a PGA Tour event and they are barred. Second — if somehow the stance on majors changes, which I think is very plausible. Third — will these guys be included in the official World Golf Rankings? This is important because the OWGR help determine automatic entry into the majors.” Right now, golf’s four majors, the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and The Open Championship, are not run by the PGA Tour and have indicated they would not bar those playing in the LIV Golf series. It’s apparent to most this is a money move by the players. With the millions of dollars being guaranteed to Mickelson, Johnson and others, they are securing their future. There are also only eight events in the LIV Golf series with a team component. Each tournament is just three rounds, compared to the four in a PGA Tour event. Franza said they may also be challenging the PGA Tour to change how they do business. “I think in the grand scheme of things the guys would like to stay with the PGA Tour. But for some of them, it’s a way to try to get the PGA Tour to change things. I don’t know if they (LIV players) are looking for guarantees or not, but they’re probably looking for bigger purses, although purses have already gotten pretty big. I think they may want different events that aren’t all stroke play events,” added Franza. In fact, the PGA Tour has recently announced significant purse increases for some of their tournaments as a response to the LIV Golf series. If you're looking to know more about what's next for players and the business side of golf, then let us help. Richard Franza is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Beyond the Media Pitch: How to Secure Better Coverage in Today’s Noisy Market
At our webinar earlier this month, we were joined by Wilf Dinnick, a communications and media professional with more than 25 years of global experience as a journalist working in national broadcast, digital and early-stage startups. Wilf has covered major stories for news networks including ABC News, CNN, CBC News and Al Jazeera and is a past winner of the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award. This vast experience on both sides of the camera has given him a keen understanding of what it takes to secure media coverage in today’s environment. Here are 3 key takeaways you missed: #1 The Odds of your Media Pitch Resulting in Coverage are Disappointingly Low - And the Trend is Not Good Wilf Dinnick discussed the sobering stats from a study of over 400,000 pitches conducted by Propel media that reveal that only ⅓ of emails sent to journalists are opened. But equally disappointing is the fact that only 3% of pitches result in coverage and this trend appears to be continuing. What Dinnick went on to explain is that “journalists see many pitches as an interruption as most fail to clearly demonstrate relevance to the stories they want to publish for their audience. #2 Journalists are Busier than Ever. So You Need to Connect with Them In Places they are Going for Story Ideas and Expert Sources Dinnick also shared some important data that reveals how journalists are spending their time. Where they get their story ideas and how they search for experts. This helps explain the diminishing rate of return on traditional media pitches. For instance, Twitter remains dominant as a platform used by journalists to quickly discover trending stories. So making your story ideas more discoverable with appropriate hashtags on social is an important way to promote your experts in the flow of the conversation as a story is breaking or emerging. Wilf also highlighted the importance of dialling into the daily news cycle by looking in the same areas journalists are going for their ideas. The latest research reveals that journalists find newspapers and magazines most valuable. Why? Sites such as the Washington Post, CNN, BBC, New York Times and Axios are well funded and resourced to develop the longer format, well-researched stories. They often focus on exclusive stories and break important news that is echoed through other outlets. And they set the pace of the news cycle as it echos through regional news outlets where journalists look to localize the story for their audiences. Closely monitoring these sites allows you to be in touch with the key stories and offer clear value to journalists, by offering your experts who can help explain key developments in the context of their research or localize the story for a regional audience. #3 There are Ways to Beat the Odds and Improve your Media Coverage by Following Proven Best Practices When Pitching Despite the poor odds when pitching journalists, there is hope for media relations and PR pros. Dinnick unpacked a number of important best practices that can substantially improve your odds. Drawing on research from a number of media organizations that track journalist engagement, he laid out a number of guidelines that you should be following when putting together your media pitches. Some of these included: Timing Your Pitch Journalists are more receptive to pitches early in the day between the hours of 5am and 11am. This is when the stories are breaking and work is being assigned - and journalists are looking for expert sources. Also, there is evidence that pitching earlier in the week on a Monday or Tuesday yields better results. Keeping it Brief The research Dinnick presented on the profound changes that have been happening in Newsrooms and the overload that journalists are experiencing underscores the importance of being to the point with journalists. That begins with understanding how journalists are spending their day - glued to mobile devices. “This impacts how you need to write subject lines that generate curiosity and fit into mobile devices, given the limited set of characters they can display,” said Dinnick. He also shared stressed research that shows the body copy of a pitch should be under 200 words. Mind the Links Loading a journalist up with lots of links to research, videos, and media coverage in the body copy of your pitch may seem like a good idea to help them evaluative a story idea But this is a no-no. It creates unnecessary clutter and detracts from the key messages you want them to focus on. Instead, journalists report they want as few links as possible. Wilf Dinnick recommends 1-2 links max. It’s important to note that this will present a challenge if you don’t have your content organized into comprehensive expert profiles which include important information that journalists want to see such as past media and speaking appearances, research, publications, education/credentials, affiliations etc. There was a lot to take away from this session which was jam-packed with research and best practices for media relations and PR pros. However, perhaps the most important lesson was how to ”flip” the traditional approach to pitching 180 degrees - starting the pitch process by first developing “owned” content that gets published to your website. As Wilf Dinnick stated, “you have to think like a journalist” as you approach the story ideas you want to pitch. Start with owned content and publish stories that focus on your experts which clearly show them to be relevant and credible while making their work more engaging and human through visual media helps “set the table for the journalist.” If it’s well structured and engaging, it gives journalists the added context they need to immediately understand how your pitch is relatable to their audience. What’s most powerful about this approach is that it helps media relations and PR pros avoid the “earned media trap.” Instead of being overly focused on coverage, we can think more strategically about the value we bring to the organization as storytellers to create quality “owned” content that boosts search engine (SEO) authority and PageRank as well as site engagement with visitors to boost reputation, relationships and revenues. It was clear from the many examples shared by healthcare organizations, universities and associations that this approach is where the real gains can be made. And how media relations and PR pros can show more tangible value to their organizations. Stay tuned for more on this topic of owned content and how it helps improve your media coverage as we explore this in our next post. To see the entire webinar, make sure to sign up for BrightTalk to watch the full webinar here.
UCI experts available to discuss Roe v. Wade ruling
With the Supreme Court set to rule on Roe v. Wade, UCI would like to provide experts you can reach out to for comment: • Michele Goodwin, Chancellor of Law at UCI’s School of Law, focuses on constitutional law, torts, health law, and feminist jurisprudence. An internationally renowned pioneer and pathbreaker, She has spoken often to media about reproductive rights issues and the Roe vs. Wade issue. Goodwin has helped to establish the field of health law and subspecialties in law and medicine, including biotechnology and biosciences and the law, as well as race and bioethics. Her scholarship has been cited by courts, congress, civil society organizations, and news media worldwide. If you are interested in speaking with Michele, you can reach her directly at (773) 543- 6160 or mgoodwin@law.uci.edu. • Aziza Ahmed, UCI professor of law, examines the intersection of law, politics, and science in the fields of constitutional law, criminal law, health law, and family law. Her work advances multiple scholarly conversations including those related to law and social movements, race and the law, and feminist legal theory. You can reach Aziza on her mobile at (510) 778-3031 or coordinate with our team for an interview. • Charles Anthony “Tony” Smith, UCI professor of political science and law, received his PhD from the University of California-San Diego and his JD from the University of Florida. His research is grounded in the American judiciary but encompasses work in both comparative and international frameworks using a variety of methodologies. The unifying theme of his research is how institutions, and the strategic interactions of political actors relate to the contestation over rights, law & courts, and democracy. He has published seven books and more than 30 articles on the history and politics of the Supreme Court. You can reach Tony via email casmith@uci.edu. • David Meyer, professor of sociology, political science, and planning, policy & design, can discuss the effect of the decision on political mobilization, especially the anti-abortion and abortion rights movements. He can also talk about those movements and the courts more generally. You can reach David via emaildmeyer@uci.edu.
Covering SCOTUS? Our experts are ready to help with your stories
It's looking like the next couple weeks could be busy and monumental for any reporter covering the Supreme Court. Important decisions are coming down regarding abortion, environmental protections, gun laws and more. It will be a busy news week; if you are a reporter the time is now to line up your expert sources and key contacts. If you are a journalist covering the Supreme Court and how these decisions are impacting American life and politics, that’s where Augusta University can help. Dr. Martha Ginn, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Ginn is available to speak with media about this topic — simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
MEDIA RELEASE: CAA survey says gas prices affecting summer travel plans
Rising fuel prices means those heading out on road trips this year are being forced to make adjustments. A recent survey conducted by CAA South Central Ontario has found that rising gas prices are having an impact on road trip plans now that gas is higher than $2 per litre. Seventy-six per cent of those surveyed say they have a road trip planned within the province this year, while 26 per cent are planning an out-of-province road trip, and 23 per cent are planning to drive to the US. Of those who are planning a road trip, 64 per cent of these respondents said gas prices are likely to impact their road trip plans. While some are limiting the number of trips they take overall or driving shorter distances, some travelers are planning around gas prices, and others are adjusting their budget to accommodate fuel prices during their trip. As we transition into summer, there are easy ways to save money on fuel. This includes controlling speed and limiting hard stopping, avoiding unnecessary idling, and being mindful of your vehicle’s temperature. Savings can also start at the pump, as CAA Members save 3 cents per litre when filling up at select Shell gas stations. More summer fuel saving tips: Don’t start your car until you need to – your vehicle will “loosen up” as you drive. Turn off your vehicle if you’re going to be waiting for longer than a stoplight. Avoid “jackrabbit” starts and hard braking. Fuel economy peaks between 80-90km/h. Use cruise control to maintain your speed to get more distance out of your fuel tank. Gradually cool down your vehicle by first rolling down your windows to air out the vehicle, then turn on your air conditioning gradually. Close your windows and sunroof when highway driving, and use a window shade when the car is parked to help keep the vehicle cooler Keep your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. Set a reminder on your phone to check it monthly. Plan your route to avoid backtracking and unnecessary mileage. Planning is essential to ensure road trip safety. “We recommend you plan routes ahead of time and share them with someone, bring a map as a backup to your GPS, and check the weather ahead of time,” says Kaitlynn Furse, Director of Corporate Communications, CAA South Central Ontario. “We recommend a daily driving maximum of 800km per day with 15-minute breaks every two hours to ensure you are well rested before you get behind the wheel.” Be sure to pack your CAA membership or download the CAA app for peace of mind on the road. As a part of planning a trip, it’s important to ensure your vehicle is safe and reliable. Here are some ways to get your car road trip ready: Check your tires. Ensure the tire pressure meets the manufacturer's recommendations to improve your vehicle's handling and extend the life cycle of your tires. Top up your fluids. Consider packing extra summer washer fluid and change your oil if you are close to your regularly scheduled appointment. Clean your windshield. Clean any debris inside and out and replace worn wiper blades. Check your lights. Make sure your headlights, brake lights and turn signals are working properly. If you have kids, teach them about road safety by involving them in the process. Test the battery. Intense heat can cause just as much havoc on your car battery as the frigid cold. If your battery is older than three years, have a professional test your car battery and replace it. CAA Battery Service will test, boost or replace your battery. Pack an emergency roadside kit. Whether you buy a pre-assembled kit or create your own, it should include a few essentials like a flashlight, jumper cables, working jack cellphone battery charger, water and non-perishable food. Double check your licence plates are renewed. Doing a quick spot-check online is easy and will help you avoid the risk of getting a ticket. Renewing your licence plate is free. For CAA Members, when you run out of gas, a limited supply of gasoline will be delivered to your disabled vehicle to enable you to reach the nearest open service station, or in accordance with towing service provisions, a tow will be provided to a facility where fuel is available. Specific brands or octane ratings cannot be promised. CAA surveyed 1,697 respondents via a CAA Member Matters Panel in South Central Ontario from May 27 to June 5, 2022.
ChristianaCare’s Future of Health Scholarship Program Honors 10 HBCU-Bound Students
Unique opportunity pairs $500,000 in support with paid summer internships To strengthen and diversify the health care workforce for years to come, ChristianaCare has provided $500,000 in scholarships to 10 students in Delaware who plan to pursue degrees in health care. The financial support, through ChristianaCare’s Future of Health scholarship program, provides $12,500 in support annually per student, plus a paid internship each summer, for students to attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “Partnering with the HBCU Week Foundation this year was an exciting new adventure for ChristianaCare, and one we knew we needed to be a part of, given our commitment to the community and to building our health care workforce of the future – in and of the community,” said Bettina Tweardy Riveros, J.D., chief health equity officer and senior vice president of Government Affairs and Community Engagement at ChristianaCare. “It is important for us to remove barriers that are impacting Delaware residents from being able to pursue higher education at historically Black colleges and universities. Being able to offer scholarships, internships and support to these students is another way that we know we are opening up the door to diversify the health care profession.” The scholarships represent an ongoing approach by ChristianaCare to improve health equity, community health and inclusivity and diversity. In 2020, ChristianaCare made a public commitment to being an anti-racism organization. For its efforts, ChristianaCare has been ranked one of the Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes magazine, as well as the No. 2 health care employer in the nation for diversity and inclusion and the No. 40 employer nationally overall. “If you want to know more about an organization, see where they invest their dollars,” said Pamela Ridgeway, chief diversity officer for ChristianaCare. “An investment of $500,000 for Delaware residents who choose to go to HBCUs says a lot. The fact that it comes with summer internships for every year and the expectation of employment at the end shows that we are an organization with a commitment.” “The HBCU Week Foundation is proud to partner with ChristianaCare to help support these future health care professionals by giving them the academic and networking experiences needed to excel in their intended career choices,” said Ashley Christopher, Esq., founder and chief executive officer of HBCU Week Foundation, and an alumna of both Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. “The medical field should reflect the communities it serves, and this partnership is one way to help make that happen.” Here are the students who earned scholarships through ChristianaCare’s Future of Health scholarship program, and the HBCUs they elected to attend: Aniyah Barnett, Hampton University. Brooke Brothers, Delaware State University. Solomon Devard, Lincoln University. Mychele Gibson, Howard University. Aa’khai Hollis, Bowie State University. Kianna Kelley, Delaware State University. Delaney Leonard, Howard University. Madison Perry, Jackson State University. Tania Paden, Delaware State University. Cierra Holmes, Delaware State University.
Worth Longest research on more targeted aerosol drug delivery systems
Michael Hindle, Ph.D., a professor in the VCU Department of Pharmaceutics, and P. Worth Longest, a professor in the VCU Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, have invested years of time and millions of dollars to address challenges found in the field of medical aerosols. In particular: While smaller particles are more effective in delivering drugs into the lungs and airways, these tiny particles are often exhaled out immediately when taking a dose. Current aerosol delivery systems — think asthma inhalers — effectively deliver just 10 percent of an aerosolized dose. That’s fine for most asthma and COPD sufferers who use standard inhalers with existing medications, as these patients only need a small amount of the potent drugs to reach the lungs and have an effect. “But the medical world wants to use the lungs for delivery of other drugs, whether it’s locally to the airways or systemically to the body, and for that, you need more efficient devices,” Hindle says. To effectively use inhaled drugs for complex medical conditions requires more of the aerosol to reach the airways and to potentially target different regions of the airways — plus the devices to get them there. “Our work is about doing something different — changing that ballgame from having 90% of the drug wasted and 10% make it to the lungs, and flip it so that we get just 10% lost and 90% in the lungs,” Hindle says. “That’s always been our goal.” Taking aerosols from lab to lung Over more than a decade, the duo and their teams have created the three keys to making aerosol drug-delivery work: “developing the strategy, developing the device, and developing the formulation,” says Longest, the College of Engineering’s Louis S. and Ruth S. Harris Exceptional Scholar Professor. “When you see inhalation of aerosols fail, or a new pharmaceutical aerosol product fail, one of these areas has often been neglected. Between my lab and the Hindle lab, we have expertise in each of these different areas.” The fourth component — commercializing their inventions — is underway through a partner in Quench Medical in a deal signed in 2020 thanks to VCU Innovation Gateway. The Minnesota-based company, led by founder and CEO Bryce Beverlin II, Ph.D., has identified lung cancer, severe asthma, and cystic fibrosis as potential initial applications using VCU’s intellectual property, the licensing of which covers both the aerosols and the delivery devices. “It’s very difficult for an academic institution to develop a drug product,” says Hindle, the Peter R. Byron Distinguished Professor in Pharmaceutics. “So Bryce has moved forward with a team of manufacturers, clinical testing plans, and is talking to the Food and Drug Administration.” The VCU researchers had not previously pursued lung cancer as a possible application until Quench came along, Hindle says. “The idea that you could deliver a chemotherapy locally to the lungs is obviously very advantageous, because you don’t get the systemic side effects through the body like with traditional chemotherapy,” he says. “You’re just delivering drugs direct to that site of action for targeting the metastases in the lung.” In May, Quench presented data using the VCU technology to the Respiratory Drug Delivery conference in Florida showing that using a chemotherapeutic dry powder aerosol in rats was highly effective. It significantly reduced tumor burden but used half of the standard IV-delivered chemo dose. “This approach also aims to decrease the total drug delivered with reduced systemic drug levels in the circulation to decrease systemic toxicity,” the report read. It noted the efforts “solve a critical unmet medical need to develop new strategies to improve treatment outcomes in patients with lung cancer.” Heavy interest nationally Hindle and Longest have millions of dollars in funded projects underway, backed by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their work is building on the reputation of VCU’s Aerosol Research Group, founded in 1988 by emeritus professor Dr. Peter Byron (the name on Hindle’s professorship). The group’s work spans a wide variety of research areas in aerosol formulation and delivery. Hindle and Longest have worked together since 2006. While Hindle is focused on drug formulations, Longest is the engineering and computer modeling expert. His background is in biological fluid flow, and prior to joining VCU in 2004 had worked in the area of blood flow in vascular disease. But he wanted to differentiate his work, and found VCU’s reputation in medical aerosols was the place he could, in his words, “make an impact.” Through computer models, Longest and his team can understand how powders or liquids will turn into aerosol particles and the behaviors they will undertake when delivered into the body. “The lung is an area of the body where we have all these complex phenomena occurring with airflow and moving walls,’” he says. “It really takes high performance computers to understand it.” Drs. Longest and Hindle have developed a series of technology platforms that produce particles that are tiny when entering the lungs to minimize deposition losses in the mouth and throat — but grow in size as they travel down the warm, humid airways. One of the devices uses a mixer-heater to produce tiny particles, other technologies use a pharmaceutical powder or liquid containing a simple hygroscopic excipient such as sodium chloride; it is this excipient that attracts water from the lungs and makes the particles grow and deposit in the lungs with high efficiency. Eyes on infants Lately, the pair have been working on a method of aerosol drug delivery to newborns and prematurely born babies. “It’s a different set of challenges when you’re trying to deliver aerosols to infants who are born prematurely, and don’t have the ability to breathe on their own due to the lack of airway surfactant,” Hindle says. “And that’s something that, academically, we thought we were in a position to try and make a contribution to the field.” The group is working with funding from the NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a method of delivering an aerosol surfactant to infants that will hopefully remove the need to intubate these fragile babies. In addition to striking licensing deals with Quench and building relationships with additional partners, Innovation Gateway has backed the pair’s work with an initial $25,000 from VCU’s Commercialization Fund as well as a just-awarded additional $35,000. “We turned that into a series of intellectual property that has resulted in three licensed patents and a whole family of IP in relation to both formulations and devices,” Hindle says. “There’s been lots of interest in delivering drugs to the lungs, it’s just been very difficult to institute any sea change, because the pharmaceutical industry is relatively risk averse.” And so their research continues, as Quench moves forward to bring their inventions to the bedside. “What I’m doing, I don’t really consider it work — it’s an opportunity to interact with great colleagues and contribute to a mission that will be very helpful to a broad range of people,” Longest says. “I also see it as a big responsibility. We want to do this in the right way. Because people’s health and lives are at stake. We want to make sure we approach this with a large sense of responsibility, and do our best.”
Aston University signs City of Sanctuary pledge
City of Sanctuary supports groups and organisations to build a culture of welcome and hospitality Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary It is committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status. Aston University has become a supporting organisation of City of Sanctuary UK to demonstrate its commitment to helping people fleeing violence and persecution. City of Sanctuary is a charity supporting a network of groups across the UK and Ireland working to build a culture of welcome and hospitality within their communities. Earlier this year, the University opened a new Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement. The centre officially launched with an event bringing together designers, artists and academics to discuss how to investigate and publicise violence against migrants. Other initiatives set up by Aston University to support refugees and asylum seekers include: a new sanctuary scholarship scheme for students who have sought refuge in the UK the student-led Enactus Society Chance for Change project, facilitating integration and employment for refugees supporting the Kozminski Foundation run by Kozminski University in Poland, which provides support for victims of the war in Ukraine students in the University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship undertaking PhD research into refugee entrepreneurship funding for an emergency training package for Ukrainian interpreters, supporting local organisations in contact with Ukrainian refugees. Dr Angela Jeffery, director of regional strategy at Aston University, said: “Aston University recently launched its Civic University Agreement, outlining our commitment as an anchor institution to improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural life of our local communities. “Becoming a supporting organisation of the City of Sanctuary is one of many steps the University is taking to support our region and society. We endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter and agree to act in accordance with its values. We are committed to achieving University of Sanctuary status by welcoming asylum seekers and refugees into the university community and fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion for all.” City of Sanctuary chair, David Brown, said: “As a diverse and vibrant university in a diverse and vibrant city, Aston University is in a really strong position to welcome and support asylum seekers, refugees and other migrants as they seek to build new lives in the UK, and to contribute their skills and energy to the University community, to Birmingham and to the Midlands. “With colleagues in the City of Sanctuary movement, I warmly welcome Aston University’s commitment to become a University of Sanctuary.”
Aston University wins share of £118m funding to accelerate its research impact
The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) investment over three years focuses on maximising impact, knowledge exchange, translation and commercialisation potential within research organisations Funding allows researchers to unlock the value of their work, including early-stage commercialisation of new technologies The University will receive over £580,000 ‘to accelerate UK bright ideas into global opportunities'. Aston University has won a share of £118m in UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding. The Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) investment over three years focuses on maximising impact, knowledge exchange, translation and commercialisation potential within research organisations. Funding allows researchers to unlock the value of their work, including early-stage commercialisation of new technologies and advancing changes to public policy and services such as NHS clinical practice. UKRI, a government body responsible for delivering £8bn research and innovation funding each year, is investing £118 million in the latest round of IAAs to translate research across 64 universities and research organisations. Aston University was successful in gaining both Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) IAA funding – the latter one of only 15 IAA full awards nationally. Luke Southan, technology transfer manager at Aston University, said: “This funding will be transformational for Aston University’s capacity to get the best good from the research it carries out. “We have a pipeline of world-changing inventions, medical treatments, net-zero initiatives and spinout companies that we can give the greatest chance of success through these highly prestigious pots of funding.” UKRI director of commercialisation, Tony Soteriou, said: “The UK is home to some of the brightest, most innovative and creative research teams in the world. They have the ideas and they have the entrepreneurial energy to create businesses and services that could turn sectors on their head. “What they need, what every great commercial idea needs, is support in the critical early stages. The Impact Acceleration Account is the catalyst that allows projects to grow to the next level, attracting investment, forging partnerships and creating jobs. “The breadth of UKRI allows us to work right across the UK’s world-class research and innovation system to ensure it builds a green future, secures better health, ageing and wellbeing, tackles infections, and builds a secure and resilient world.”
Has your cell phone data ever inexplicably slowed down? Worse still, perhaps you’ve had a mobile bill come in way higher than you expected. Keeping track of your data usage can be tough, especially when the billing mechanisms routinely deployed by digital service providers are often more complex than they seem. Things like three-part tariffs bundle a certain amount of “free” data or services into a fixed monthly fee, with an excess charge payable whenever you go over your allocation. These packages are usually marketed to consumers as being simple as well as attractive (who after all doesn’t love the sound of “free data?”) but in reality, they can be hard for people to manage—and failing to do so, punitive. Exceed your allotted data and you end up with subpar services or unwanted costs. Underutilize your allocation and you’re leaving money on the table. Meanwhile, in a world where we use digital services to do any number of things—from scrolling to streaming to storing and beyond—how can we accurately track just how much of our allowance we’re getting through? To address this, service providers are increasingly sending usage notifications to customers at different points of the billing cycle. These nudges are designed to help us to act in our own best interest: to take stock and modify our usage accordingly. But do they work? It depends, says Anandhi Bharadwaj, Vice-Dean for Faculty and Research at Goizueta. She and her colleagues have published a study that looks at the impact of these nudges, and they’ve found that they do help all customers adjust their behavior to stay within their allowance, irrespective of how attentive or inattentive they might be to their consumption speed in general. But there are provisos. First off, these consumption nudges seem to be significantly more effective with customers who have purchased higher data allowance than those who opt for low-capped packages. Then, the timing of nudges matters. When notifications arrive later in the billing cycle—right before a bill is due, say—they have significantly more impact across the board, says Bharadwaj. Companies should take note. “Ours is the first study to really unpack the efficacy of nudges in the digital services space, and it shows that who and when are important factors that service providers will need to take into account if they want to improve customer experiences.” Interested in knowing more - let us help. Anandhi Bharadwaj is an information systems expert bringing a wide range of development and executive training experience to the classroom. Her research examines the adoption, use, and impact patterns associated with technological change. Anandhi is available to speak with reporters - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
