Kevin Systrom, Instagram’s CEO, provided an interesting example of why we need to understand and focus on consumer needs, instead of being dazzled by product features. Talking about the launch of Instagram Stories, in an interview with Kara Swisher for the Recode Decode podcast, he said: We found that the biggest problem people had with … Continue reading Instagram: one product, two needs
Author: anacanhoto
Video: Digitalisation of SMEs
When I was at Oxford Brookes University, I worked on a project about the digitalisation of small and medium businesses (SMEs). We looked at how these businesses were using digital technologies, and which factors supported the successful adoption and depletion of these technologies. This was a project developed with Drs. Sarah Quinton, Rebecca Pera, … Continue reading Video: Digitalisation of SMEs
Grandpa has gone digital
When we talk about digital technology – how it is used, what it is used for, how it is likely to grow… – we tend to focus, explicitly or implicitly, on young(ish) users. Millennials, for instance. I confess I do that, too. But, according to work done by Professor Merlin Stone and his team … Continue reading Grandpa has gone digital
Something for your weekend #6: bug business (podcast)
If you have 30 minutes free this weekend, listen to the 'Bug Business' episode of the Start-Up podcast (season 5, episode 6). If has some valuable marketing lessons about introducing a new product / idea. In this case, the new idea is is trying to convince people to eat insects, but the lessons are valuable … Continue reading Something for your weekend #6: bug business (podcast)
May 2017 round-up
My heart broke twice, this month: when I woke up to news of the attack targeting children and young people at Ariana Grande’s concert; and when I learned that some dear friends are facing a very difficult challenge. Both these news immediately put my personal ‘problems’ into perspective (swiftly downgrading them to mere inconveniences), … Continue reading May 2017 round-up
Day in the Life of an Academic #7: exams and viva
Got up at 6 am, as usual. However, instead, of squeezing in a bit of writing, as I usually do, I squeezed in a bit of marking. You see, I am in the middle of exam marking season, and I need to go through this particular pile and pass it on for second marking by tomorrow. … Continue reading Day in the Life of an Academic #7: exams and viva
Fake missing persons appeals
After the Manchester terror attack, there were some amazing displays of humanity, online and offline. But there was also a phenomenon that is, at the very least, bizarre, if not just plain cruel: people tweeting fake appeals for missing ones. For instance, someone used the image of a girl who had been murdered, in a … Continue reading Fake missing persons appeals
The teen with no phone number
Last weekend, the teen had a friend over who has a smartphone. Well, what teen does not have one, these days, right? The reason I am mentioning this is that said friend’s smartphone did not have a sim. Initially, I thought that they meant that the sim was malfunctioning. But, no. What they meant was … Continue reading The teen with no phone number
The murky link between customer satisfaction and loyalty
Intuitively, it is easy to accept the claim that customer satisfaction leads to repeat purchases. After all, if you have a choice, why would you abandon a brand that has surpassed your expectations1; and why would you keep buying from a brand that has disappointed you? Happy customers buy again. Unhappy customers, move on. … Continue reading The murky link between customer satisfaction and loyalty
6 steps to promote your work on social media – a guide for academics and other researchers
Let’s face it: social media can be overwhelming for new comers. There are so many different platforms that it is difficult to know where to start. Yet, social media are firmly part of mainstream culture, and can really help extend the reach and impact of research. With that in mind, I developed a 6-step … Continue reading 6 steps to promote your work on social media – a guide for academics and other researchers
