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Expertise Marketing and Content Marketing - Is There a Difference?

We often get asked the question about how Content Marketing compares to Expertise Marketing. It’s ironic that still to this day many of our academic clients don’t refer to what they do as “content marketing.” But corporate customers are well acquainted with the importance of developing content to build reputation, relationships and revenue. Adding to the confusion are all the names that are bantered about by marketing departments and agencies - There’s inbound marketing popularized by companies such as Hubspot. And there are more bespoke “Thought Leadership” programs that are often developed by outside agencies such as Weber Shandwick and Edelman. While there are a lot of common elements to these programs there are some important differences that we focus on when developing and launching Expertise Marketing programs with our institutional and corporate clients. Here’s a deeper dive to help you better understand the value of Expertise Marketing. Introducing Expertise Marketing Expertise marketing is the practice of making the knowledge and skills of your human resources more visible to your partners and audiences. It draws attention to the value that your people can bring as brand ambassadors and strategically leverages the work your experts are doing to tell a more personal story. In many cases, expertise marketing can also be used to showcase your strengths in research and innovation. Creating a stronger digital presence, expertise marketing more effectively uses your channels to connect with audiences such as media, customers, partners and donors. It builds a sense of trust with your customers and above all else, it helps establish your reputation as an industry leader. ex•per•tise mar•ket•ing 1. The practice of collectively promoting an organization’s experts as brand ambassadors to demonstrate their skills or knowledge. 2. Best practices to publish and connect The Value of Expertise Marketing Reputation - Positions research, client work, thought leadership perspectives and achievements in the context of relevant topics that are in the news. Market Awareness - Expertise marketing makes it easier for key audiences to find expert content and people in search engines and on the organization’s website. Audience Engagement - Provides more intuitive search features for visible content which can be expanded to include assets such as video, social, and publications to drive richer conversations with audiences. Metrics on performance in areas related to expert development, content contribution and audience engagement page views and inquiries can be tracked. Demand Generation -  Increased number of direct leads/ inquiries from audiences such as: Customers/Students Industry Partners Alumni Donors Media New Employee Recruits Conference Organizers Talent - Better engage stakeholders, researchers & subject-matter experts in the development and distribution of content while improving recruitment and retention of talent. Internal Collaboration - Better coordinate the knowledge and resources across internal communications teams and other departments as they engage experts. Provide a faster, more efficient way to generate content for breaking news and events. Content Contribution - Increase the size of the organization’s digital footprint by aggregating more content and distributing it contextually to multiple websites and third-party databases. Efficiency - Help employees get their jobs done faster and more efficiently. Enable them to find information faster, speed up internal processes and foster collaboration among people in multiple locations. Leverage Current and Future Infrastructure - Properly integrated, new technology investments should integrate seamlessly to leverage existing/proposed infrastructure such as content management systems (such as WordPress™) and marketing automation systems (such as Hubspot) How is Expertise Marketing Different from Content Marketing? A More Human Approach: People buy from people. That’s why content that is more personalized and attributed to specific experts who are well-identified as expert sources is far more trusted than most company-sponsored content. A More Collaborative Process that Engages Employees: A more structured “win-win” model empowers experts to contribute their knowledge. Expertise marketing is a proven way to build culture and celebrate diversity which assists with talent retention and recruitment. An Efficient Way to Create More Content to Boost SEO & Website Traffic: Engaging your experts creates a larger hub of “owned” content that is proven to boost PageRank in search engines and site traffic. Expert content is used by organizations to enhance their “About Us” page, staff/faculty/physician directories, newsroom pages, research pages and speakers bureaus. Optimized Content Formats Better Connect with Audiences: A variety of short format, long format and visual content formats (such as expert profiles, blogs, Q&A and videos) are designed to engage specific audiences at various stages of the customer journey. Improved Calls to Action & Analytics Boost Demand Generation & Leads/Inquiries: Experts become more approachable as “lead magnets” that generate measurable inbound opportunities, avoiding common issues of lost customer leads due to poor processes and workflow. You might be surprised at how much value expertise marketing can bring to your organisation. The chances are, that the time you are currently spending on ineffective content marketing strategies will be greatly reduced with a redefined focus on expertise marketing. By putting the focus back on the skills and relevance of your experts, as people, you're not only making them more visible but also establishing your brand reputation which will simultaneously generate more leads and increase efficiency.

Aston University biofuel experts advise on how Ukraine can build back greener

• Aston University biofuel experts provide advice on Ukraine’s recovery • Professor Patricia Thornley and Dr Vesna Najdanovic were invited to Royal Society conference • Outcomes will be presented to policymakers at Ukraine Recovery Conference in June. Two Aston University scientists have provided expert advice on how the UK’s wealth of research can support Ukraine’s reconstruction. A two-day conference was organised by the Royal Society and its outcomes will be presented to policymakers ahead of the UK government-hosted Ukraine Recovery Conference in June. As Ukraine is one of the largest agricultural producers and exporters it also generates large amounts of agricultural waste which could be used to produce biofuels and valuable chemicals. This could decrease the country’s fuel import dependency and increase the revenues for the sector. Researchers at the conference explored how to tackle some of the many challenges facing Ukraine, from rebuilding its economy, health and wellbeing, regional security and planning for a green recovery. Professor Patricia Thornley who is director of Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), was one of the just three academics invited to contribute to an infrastructure roundtable session. Professor Thornley said: “I was honoured to be asked to attend the infrastructure roundtable and share my expertise on renewable energy and sustainable products. “Ukraine has significant sustainable agricultural and forestry residues, which can be valuable to plug potential gaps in oil and gas supply for heating in the short term. But in the long term these can provide opportunities to produce sustainable bio chemicals and materials which could provide a basis to grow green chemical, material and construction industries. “UK researchers, such as those at EBRI at Aston University and the Supergen Bioenergy Hub, have the experience needed to work on developing these solutions to build back greener. Research evidence and expertise have a vital role to play in supporting policy makers to tackle the complex and urgent challenges related to the reconstruction and recovery of a resilient, sustainable Ukraine.” Meanwhile, Dr Vesna Najdanovic presented opportunities to develop bioenergy and bioproducts in Ukraine at the event and participated as a panel member. Ukraine’s recovery: rebuilding with research, which brought together Ukrainian and UK researchers and policy makers, was held on 15 and 16 May in London. It was funded by Universities UK International, Research England and the British Council and supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering. 

New research sheds light on how human vision perceives scale

Researchers from Aston University and the University of York have discovered new insights into how the human brain makes perceptual judgements of the external world. The study, published on 8 May in the journal PLOS One, explored the computational mechanisms used by the human brain to perceive the size of objects in the world around us. The research, led by Professor Tim Meese, in the School of Optometry at Aston University and Dr Daniel Baker in the Department of Psychology at University of York, tells us more about how our visual system can exploit ‘defocus blur’ to infer perceptual scale, but that it does so crudely. It is well known that to derive object size from retinal image size, our visual system needs to estimate the distance to the object. The retinal image contains many pictorial cues, such as linear perspective, which help the system derive the relative size of objects. However, to derive absolute size, the system needs to know about spatial scale. By taking account of defocus blur, like the blurry parts of an image outside the depth of focus of a camera, the visual system can achieve this. The maths behind this has been well worked out by others, but the study asked the question: does human vision exploit this maths? The research team presented participants with photographic pairs of full-scale railway scenes subject to various artificial blur treatments and small-scale models of railway scenes taken with a long exposure and small aperture to diminish defocus blur. The task was to detect which photograph in each pair was the real full-scale scene. When the artificial blur was appropriately oriented with the ground plane (the horizontal plane representing the ground on which the viewer is standing) in the full-scale scenes, participants were fooled and believed the small models to be the full-scale scenes. Remarkably, this did not require the application of realistic gradients of blur. Simple uniform bands of blur at the top and bottom of the photographs achieved almost equivalent miniaturisation effects. Tim Meese, professor of vision science at Aston University, said: "Our results indicate that human vision can exploit defocus blur to infer perceptual scale but that it does this crudely – more a heuristic than a metrical analysis. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the computational mechanisms used by the human brain in perceptual judgments about the relation between ourselves and the external world." Daniel Baker, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of York, said: "These findings demonstrate that our perception of size is not perfect and can be influenced by other properties of a scene. It also highlights the remarkable adaptability of the visual system. This might have relevance for understanding the computational principles underlying our perception of the world. For example, when judging the size and distance of hazards when driving.”

Aston University hosts campus reunion for Malaysian alumni

A group of Malaysian alumni visited Aston University for a special reunion with the University alumni team on 4 May. During the visit, the Malaysian alumni group enjoyed a variety of activities, including meeting with the alumni relations and development team. The group was also taken on a campus tour, which included visits to the library and the Students' Union building which opened in May 2019. Whilst touring the campus the alumni group had the opportunity to meet with faculty members and learn about the latest research being conducted at Aston University. They also had the chance to catch up with old friends, reminisce about their time at the University and share stories about their current work and lives. Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, said: "We were delighted to welcome our Malaysian alumni back to campus and hear about their experiences since graduation. “Our alumni are an important part of our University community, and we are proud of their achievements and contributions to economies and societies worldwide. We are committed to building strong relationships with our alumni networks around the world." The group of Malaysian alumni included graduates of the University who have gone on to hold executive positions in different industries: Tan Sri Al Amin, chairman of SME Corporation Malaysia, a government agency for the development and enhancement of SMEs Datuk Mustaza, a retired former CEO of Senai Desaru Expressway Berhad Datuk Adnan, chairman of the board of directors of RPM Engineers Sdn Bhd Ir Abdul Rashid Haron, technical director of Transafe Consult Sdn Bhd Dr Wan Maimun, president of Wanita Industri Binaan Malaysia, a company that aims to facilitate the participation and success of women in the Malaysian construction industry. Kerrie Holland, executive director of alumni relations and development at Aston University, said: "It was fantastic to see so many alumni returning to campus, catching up with old friends, and sharing their stories. We look forward to seeing them again soon, either on campus or at one of our alumni events."

New book for students explores how open science practices can reform the 'replication crisis' in psychology

A new book, A Student’s Guide to Open Science: Using the Replication Crisis to Reform Psychology, has been published, providing students and researchers with a comprehensive guide to open science practices and how their implementation can enhance research transparency and rigour. In the book, Dr Charlotte Pennington who is a lecturer in psychology at Aston University, explores the "replication crisis" in psychology, which refers to the difficulties in reproducing research results to test the robustness of findings. Through the book, students will gain an understanding of the origins and drivers of the crisis and learn how open science practices can transform research practice, enhance research transparency, and improve replication and reproducibility. The book contains various features, including an overview of landmark events that will mark the history of the replication crisis in the years to come, case studies of classic psychological studies undergoing replication, ‘test yourself’ activities to reinforce learning of key concepts, and top tips for adopting open science practices. It also includes useful illustrations to aid understanding and facilitate revision. Dr Pennington said: "The replication crisis has highlighted significant issues in the field of psychology and beyond and has led to a lack of trust in some research findings. However, it also provides a platform for reform – to improve research practices and the wider culture, with the discipline of psychology paving the way. I am proud that there is now a textbox that provides students and researchers with a handy guide on how to improve transparency and rigor in research through open science practices. “It is essential for all students to have a fundamental understanding of the challenges posed by the replication crisis and how open science can address them." The book has received high praise from experts in the field. Professor Chris Chambers from Cardiff University said: "This book should be on the reading list for all university science degrees and on all library bookshelves. It is concise, accessible, and remarkably interactive, with brilliant use of examples and learning activities.” Dr Madeleine Pownall from the University of Leeds said: "It is essential reading for anyone who wants to make sense of open science, by covering complex content in an accessible and hands-on way. My hope is that every psychology student will finish their degree with a heavily annotated, well-thumbed copy of this important and timely book.” Professor Brian Nosek, executive director of the Centre for Open Science at the University of Virginia said: “The last 10 years have been a whirlwind in psychology: identification of faulty research practices, frequent failures to replicate findings, research on how the field could improve, and adoption of new solutions to make research more transparent and credible. It is a lot to take in and it is hard to know where to start. “I am frequently asked to recommend a reading that provides an overview of what has been learned during the last 10 years and a gateway for getting started with open science. With this book, now I have an answer.” A Student’s Guide to Open Science: Using the Replication Crisis to Reform Psychology is now available in print and online formats.

Aston University predicted as one of the UK’s leading centres for lab-made meat

• Aston University named as one of the UK’s leaders in the potential future of food • Highlighted for research, teaching, public outreach, industry links and location • Process uses cells taken from animals via biopsy, so doesn’t involve slaughter. Aston University has been named as one of the UK’s leading lights in what is predicted to be the future of food - lab-made meat. The University is one of 17 higher education institutions that are expected to play a major role in the development of cultivated meat. Cultivated or lab-grown meat is made from cells taken from animals via biopsy. The cells are used to create meat which doesn’t involve the slaughter of animals. The process promises fewer greenhouse gases and a decrease in land required for its production compared to traditional livestock. The list of universities has been compiled by Cellular Agriculture UK, a non-profit organisation which promotes the UK’s so-called ‘cell-ag’ sector. Aston University is one of five institutions they chose to highlight in their report Mapping the potential for UK universities to become research and teaching hubs for cellular agriculture. Aston University is described in the report as having potential to be an anchor institution for cellular agriculture, and was highlighted for its research and teaching, public outreach work, links with emerging industry and its central location. Dr Eirini Theodosiou, senior lecturer in the School of lnfrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, focuses on ways to produce enough cell mass to create the meat. She said: “This is still a relatively new food technology. Unlike many others we work on biomaterials for microcarriers/scaffolds for cultivated meat, which puts us in a very strong position, in the UK at least.” Meanwhile Dr Jason Thomas’ work explores the psychology behind supporting people to accept lab-made food. Although many people are willing to try it, there are still many who are reluctant to do so. A recent study of the US and UK found that 35% of meat eaters and 55% of vegetarians claimed they were too disgusted by the idea of cultured meat to even try it. A key goal of his research is how to support people to not just try it but to integrate it into their diet. Dr Thomas said: “We are interested in finding out what factors can influence consumer purchase of and consumption of lab-made meat.” “The engineering/psychology link is one of our USPs and is something Aston University can capitalise on; learning what the consumer wants from cultivated meat, and what would encourage them to consume it, using psychological science, and then incorporating this directly into the production process via engineering. “It is a relatively new food technology, and much work still needs to be done to make it affordable, acceptable and on a massive scale, but it could easily end up being one of the most transformative new foods of the 21st century.”

But do they work? Researchers investigate effectiveness of lactation cookies on human milk production

Ana Palacios’ interview on “Eagle Eye View,” the official podcast of Georgia Southern University. Palacios discusses her research and how being a mom motivated her. Several esteemed nutrition researchers collaborated on “Effectiveness of Lactation Cookies on Human Milk Production Rates: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” which was recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. David B. Allison, Ph.D., dean of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B), is among the researchers who conducted a one-month, randomized controlled trial of lactating parents of healthy babies in the same age range. Their findings revealed no evidence for an effect of consuming lactation cookies on human milk production. “Too often in the field of nutrition and food, strong beliefs—sometimes even well-reasoned conjectures based upon some scientific knowledge—are mistaken for demonstrated facts,” Allison said. “Conjecture is good, but knowing is better. We come to know about the effects of nutrition and dietary supplements through rigorous, randomized, controlled trials. Having conducted such a study on lactation cookies, we found no evidence for their effectiveness. “This does not mean that it is impossible for any lactation cookie to affect human milk production,” he continued. “This study does suggest that the cookies we studied—under the conditions we studied them—have no discernible effect. The burden of proof seems to now be on those who claim there is an effect.” The study followed 176 U.S. parents who were exclusively breastfeeding healthy two-month-old babies. One group of parents was provided a serving of commercially available lactation cookies to consume daily for a month; the other group of parents ate a serving of conventional cookies not designed to increase lactation, each day for a month. Through a weekly survey, parents reported the quantity of milk they produced after following a validated milk expression protocol using a hospital-grade breast pump, providing data that were analyzed by both the study authors and an independent statistician. These data demonstrated that the impact of consuming lactation cookies did not have a significant effect on how much milk was actually produced or perceived to be produced by the lactating parents. The authors assert that consumers should be cautious when considering the potential effect of this product, or any food and/or supplement that promotes health-promoting benefits without published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support its claims. As the researchers noted, these lactation cookies can contain substantial calories and sugars, which could affect postpartum weight loss efforts and related health issues. “Despite being a physician and nutrition scientist focused on early-life nutrition, I still remember how difficult breastfeeding was for me with both of my children,” said study lead author Ana M. Palacios, MD, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. “Our research highlights that lactation cookies, which include added sugars and saturated fat, may not have the said purported benefits of increasing milk production. Purchasing lactation cookies to increase milk production may pose an unnecessary cost and may have additional implications for parents, such as limiting post-pregnancy weight loss and reducing consumption of healthier foods. More research is needed to better understand what foods and nutrients can best help increase milk supply in diverse populations.” The full article, along with the list of contributing authors, is available by simply clicking the article below: Interested in learning more? For more information about this research or to speak with Ana M. Palacios — simply reach out to Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at  jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.

Why shoppers are paying more for a fake Amazon discount

By Halle Burton According to new research by Jinhong Xie, a Warrington College of Business professor at the University of Florida, more than a quarter of Amazon vacuum cleaners sold have increased their prices while pretending to offer discounts. Xie’s pricing phenomenon research is joined with Sungsik Park at the University of South Carolina and Man Xie at Arizona State University, publishing their analysis in the Marketing Science journal. A product’s price increase is paired with a previously unadvertised listing price, which encourages Amazon shoppers to receive a deceitful false discount. This faux discount drove higher sales despite the price increase, and shoppers end up paying 23% more on average. “When you see this list-price comparison, you naturally assume you are getting a discount. It’s not just that you didn’t get a discount. You actually paid a higher price than before the seller displayed the discount claim,” said Xie. Regulations currently prohibit deceptive pricing by requiring truthful price comparisons from the sellers, but a list price can still be misleading under these circumstances. Shoppers are misled by the timing of price comparisons where retailers advertise a price discount that actually only gives the impression of a deal. “Current regulations are all about the value of the list price, and they don’t say anything about misleading consumers by manipulating the timing of the list price’s introduction,” Xie said. Xie and her colleagues followed more than 1,700 vacuums on Amazon from 2016 to 2017 gathering observational data on their prices. “We found that by increasing the price by 23% on average, the seller achieves a 15% advantage in their sales rank among all products in the home and kitchen category,” Xie said. Xie encourages consumers to be aware, not make assumptions about discount claims and utilize multiple websites to compare prices. “We think that consumer organizations and regulators should evaluate this new marketing practice to determine whether and how to manage it.”

Aston University wins grant to make research more sustainable and environmentally friendly

University awarded grant to develop more sustainable separation method through AstraZeneca’s Open Innovation CoSolve Challenge at ELRIG Dr Vesna Najdanovic will explore use of the solvent ethyl lactate It is a biorenewable and environmentally friendly alternative. An Aston University scientist has won a $25000 grant in the AstraZeneca Open Innovation CoSolve sustainability challenge to help to make research more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Dr Vesna Najdanovic, senior lecturer in chemical engineering at the University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), successfully pitched her idea to explore a new method using ethyl lactate as a solvent. Ethyl lactate is a biorenewable and environmentally friendly alternative solvent produced from lactic acid and ethanol, both obtained by fermentation of biomass. Currently hazardous organic solvents such as acetonitrile are widely used instead. Dr Najdanovic won the AstraZeneca’s Open Innovation CoSolve Sustainability Challenge at the European laboratory research & innovation group (ELRIG) Research and Innovation meeting. She said: “Throughout my research career, I have been working with various green solvents, such as supercritical fluids, ionic liquids and biosolvents, to improve chemical and separation processes. “I am delighted to be selected by the expert judging panel and the highly engaged audience to apply my knowledge to develop greener analytical methods using ethyl lactate as a solvent for liquid chromatography. “I hope this project will pave the pathway to use this environmentally friendly alternative solvent while reducing carbon footprint and pollution”. The pharmaceutical industry generates the highest amount of waste per mass of products compared to other chemical industry sectors, such as the petroleum industry, bulk and fine chemicals. Dr Kelly Gray, CoSolve sustainability programme lead at AstraZeneca, said “In order to protect people, society and planet we have to identify and develop solutions to deliver sustainable science. The goal of the CoSolve sustainability programme was to do just that and identify innovative ideas to practical challenges faced by researchers across scientific disciplines in R&D.” Sanj Kumar, CEO of ELRIG, said “Ensuring that drug discovery processes become sustainable is a priority issue to the ELRIG community, so partnering with AstraZeneca on the CoSolve initiative, by hosting the pitching and final award ceremony, is not only an honour, but raises the awareness of sustainability to our community. Dr Najdanovic and her innovation are a worthy winner and ELRIG is proud that we are able to share her success story.” As much as 80% of this waste presents hazardous organic solvents obtained from petrochemical sources. For example, the pharmaceutical industry consumes 50% of globally produced acetonitrile, of which 20% is a solvent for liquid chromatography, a widely used analytical tool in research and development laboratories. After its use, most acetonitrile is discarded as chemical waste and subsequently incinerated, generating greenhouse gases and other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and highly toxic hydrogen cyanide. The CoSolve sustainability challenge award builds on Dr Najdanovic’s previous work employing ethyl lactate as a solvent for various separation processes. Her new project supports EBRI’s wider objectives of using bioproducts to deliver low-carbon and environmentally sustainable solutions.

When Our Feelings Become Physical: Understanding Our Bodily Responses To Emotion

Alicia Walf is a neuroscientist and senior lecturer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute whose research interests are fueled by the broad question: Why are there individual differences in stress? This question led to studying hormones' actions for growth and plasticity in the brain and body. She has since refined her pursuit to include consideration of body, brain, and mind relationships as they relate to memory, perception, social cognition, and emotions. Dr. Walf has taken a cross-species and cross-discipline approach in her work. Dr. Walf’s studies of the effects and mechanisms of stress and well-being often occur in the “wild,” such as in architectural built environments, artistic installations, interactions with technology, contemplative practices, conference rooms, and classrooms. Here, Walf examines what we know and what we have yet to learn about the physical manifestations of our emotions. Over 100 years ago, the earliest ponderings of how feelings are reflected in our body were described. Also, several decades ago, the first personality associated with an intense stress response was Type A personality. This personality type is characterized by quickness to anger and competitive drive as well as the negative consequences of chronic stress on the cardiovascular system. Recent work in mice shows that increasing heart rate produces an anxiety-like state (Hsueh et al., 2023, Nature). Now, a focus is trying to link changes in the body with feelings to brain mechanisms. Even after all of these years of study, we do not fully understand if there is a signature bodily response associated with specific feelings. For example, both anger and love (and other feelings that have been studied like jealousy) are associated with changes in the body that look indistinguishable from stress. The heart beat quickens, the eyes widen and the pupils become larger, blood rushes to the muscles and surface of the body. As surface body temperature and blood flow rises with these changes, a blush may become apparent on our cheeks. Indeed, a study showed that people have similar responses in describing which areas of the body are activated or deactivated in different emotional states; that is, where they feel these emotions in their body (Nummenmaa et al., 2013, PNAS). In this study, people said that love most greatly activated the head and trunk, whereas anger’s activation of the body was more focused on the head, arms, and chest. We can agree that love and anger – and all the strong feelings we have – mentally feel quite different from each other and we also have different behaviors. Those differences are likely due to a cognitive component, or how we assess the current situation in relation to what we know and our past experiences. Neuroscientists would argue that there are likely different brain circuits active in an angry and love state (and others), but those precise mechanisms are yet to be figured out. To date, we understand that feelings of love activate a reward pathway. Neurochemical differences may also play a role. For example, release of dopamine in this reward pathway and oxytocin in areas involved in social bonding are tied to love. The challenge of understanding the links between these expressions of emotions in the body to the mechanisms in our brain remains. Walf is available to speak with media - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.