Archive for the ‘Social Marketing’ Category

Hand-washing and mask-wearing: Covid rules we would be wise to keep – The Guardian

At the height of the pandemic, there was hope that lessons learned from this period would provide the foundations for a healthier society. No longer would snotty commuters swap germs on packed trains; if people were ill, they would stay home or at least wear masks to protect others.

Now few people are masking, and I have lost track of the number of friends with colds who have happily coughed on me in recent weeks. Rather than building back better, the country seems to have reverted to business as usual, circa 2019.

It did not have to be this way, psychologists stress. And we may have missed the perfect opportunity to boost the nations health and productivity.

Being sick with flu or endless colds is not good for individuals, for families, or for a productive workforce, said Prof Susan Michie, the director of the Centre for Behaviour Change at University College London.

Having adopted these new behaviours, we could have been encouraged to say: Actually, this is worth thinking about to protect you and others from numerous other illnesses. There hasnt been a sense of learning from the past or from elsewhere.

Asia could have provided a good starting point. Although surgical masks were in use before the 2002-04 Sars epidemic, the outbreak embedded the habit of wearing one to protect others from infection. Three months after the epidemic was declared over in Hong Kong, 60%-70% of people said they would wear a mask in public spaces or the workplace if they had cold- or flu-like symptoms, while 94% reported still frequently washing their hands.

Michie said: Some of it is about social norms, but interpersonal trust is also much higher in many south-east Asian countries than it is here and we know that trust is really important in terms of adherence to protective measures.

Western countries such as the UK also tend to be more individualistic: Theres more of a Do I fancy it, or not [attitude] in the UK, rather than a sense of societal obligation and responsibility.

Even so, psychologists dispute the notion that widespread behavioural change could not happen here. Before the introduction of an indoor smoking ban, many derided the idea that people would move their habit outdoors to protect others health.

Michie also remembers the furore when legislation was brought in to make the wearing of seatbelts compulsory: People said, No one will do this and Its a terrible infringement of individual freedoms. But the combination of legislation, backed up by clear and coherent messaging, meant that everybody took it on board.

A key problem is that many of the healthy behaviours enacted at the peak of the pandemic regular hand-washing, social distancing, mask-wearing, working from home, and self-isolating when sick were inseparable from the Covid rules, which chopped and changed according to the level of infection.

Stephen Reicher, a professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews, said: It was never argued that measures like ventilation arent just about Covid. They arent even just about infectious disease. There is a whole literature showing that poorly ventilated spaces impact cognitive performance, leading to declines in task performance and complex decision-making. So, for schools and universities, which are about learning, and offices, where people are taking important decisions, good ventilation is a good idea.

The problem is, we never posed things in those terms. It was just about Covid. So, if you forget about Covid then you forget about those measures, as opposed to thinking about: how do we produce a healthier society?

Being ill is not just a miserable inconvenience, it can also be expensive. According to a recent report by the National Engineering Policy Centre, even outside a pandemic, the lives lost and sick days caused by seasonal influenza cost roughly 8bn a year.

As the UK faces a potential twindemic of Covid and influenza in the coming months not to mention an abundance of everyday colds and stomach bugs this failure to build back better may yet come back to bite us.

Already, health leaders are urging a return to mask-wearing with the number of people testing positive for Covid in England rising. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the number of people testing positive for Covid rose by 29% between the weeks ending 17 September and 24 September. All UK hospitals are under significant pressure and a new Covid surge is a very heavy straw on the camels back, the leaders said.

Politicians were warned about the risks of reverting to business as usual once Covid restrictions were lifted. In its final report, the governments Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviour (SPI-B) of which Michie and Reicher were members outlined strategies for embedding Covid-safe behaviours into peoples everyday routines.

Having commissioned the report, the government did absolutely nothing with it, Michie said.

Central to SPI-Bs recommendations was the need for a coordinated programme to shape the financial, physical and social infrastructure in the United Kingdom, the report said. Education, regulation, communications, social marketing and provision of resources will be required to ensure that all sections of society have the capability, opportunity and motivation to enact the behaviours long term.

Staying home when unwell, or wearing a good-quality mask is not always practical without adequate support, Reicher explained: When Boris Johnson announced the lifting of all measures, he was asked: Shouldnt people stay at home if theyre infected? He said: I wish we were more like Germany, where when people are sick they stay at home. What he failed to mention was that in Germany sick pay is 100% of peoples income, whereas the UK has one of the lowest rates in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development].

Now we have a cost of living crisis, the odds of people being able to lose out on income and stay at home if theyre ill is even more fanciful. The same goes for buying Covid tests if youve got symptoms.

In the absence of state support, the onus is on those who can afford to protect others, to do their bit. This includes employers and educational organisations. Nobody questions the fact that we have clean drinking water at work, but were still getting unsafe air, said Michie. It doesnt make sense.

Spreading the message that seasonal coughs, colds and other everyday infections are not inevitable, and there are ways to reduce the risks, is a good first step.

Do: Keep your distance from other people if you are unwell, and ideally stay at home.

Do: Wear a good quality FFP3 mask if you have cold-like symptoms and cannot stay at home or if you are in close contact with someone who has symptoms.

Do: Regularly wash your hands with soap and water, or use hand gel if this is impractical.

Do: Ventilate shared spaces by opening windows and doors.

Do: Sterilise frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails and doorknobs.

Do: Close the toilet seat before you flush, as small amounts of what you are flushing become aerosolised, meaning you can breathe them in. And many people with Covid shed the virus in their poo.

Dont: Shrug off symptoms such as a sore throat, runny nose or fever as just a cold. If you can afford a Covid test, do one.

Dont: Assume that if you tested negative for Covid yesterday, you do not have it today.

Dont: Leave used tissues or Covid swabs lying around.

Dont: Assume that other people will be fine if you give them Covid. Even with vaccines, some people remain vulnerable to serious disease or long Covid.

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Hand-washing and mask-wearing: Covid rules we would be wise to keep - The Guardian

Understanding box office numbers: A successful marketing tool in the age of social media – The Indian Express

With every passing movie, box office numbers have started becoming more and more important, more so after the performance of Brahmastra in theatres. Box office numbers help the film to continue the buzz after it is released in theatres. More than ever before people outside the circle of trade and filmmaking are taking keen interest in how much money a film is making on its release and consecutive days. From The Kashmir Files to Brahmastra, from Vikram Vedha to Ponniyin Selvan, films performance at the ticket counters are as much in the news as their creative value.

In order to understand the language of trade, we spoke to trade analysts, film producers, distributors, cinema owners and chalk out how to read and assimilate all the trade information that is being bombarded at us every single day, about every single film on social media, which in turn influences the viewers decision to either go and watch the film or not.

If you talk about Brahmastra, the makers last shared its box office collection on September 19 and said the films worldwide gross collection is Rs 360 crore. The numbers suggest the film has been a spectacle and a smashing hit with the audiences. However, there has been a debate on whether or not the producers shared inflated numbers to make the films earnings look bigger than they actually are.

On this, film producer and film business expert Girish Johar says that box office numbers are a good marketing tool to ensure that the film continues to be talked about. However, he feels they dont actually add to the footfall.Before we discuss how box office numbers impact the audience and the business of films, it is important to see how box office numbers are calculated.

There is a major difference between net and gross box office collection. While the gross box office collection includes the money received from the total sale of film tickets, net is gross minus deductions made by the government like entertainment tax, service tax, etc. Another thing to consider is that these taxes differ from state to state, hence, the net collection of a film can differ from one state to another for the same film with the same gross amount. While net film collections are generally revealed for Hindi films, numbers shared for south India are mostly gross amount.

Johar says that given the numbers being discussed for films are fairly big, there is a lot of interest among people regarding box office. Everyone is keenly excited when big numbers, big money are talked about and we all know India is crazy about cricket and movies. So anytime big numbers are associated with films, be it high box office numbers or big budgets or even star fees, it gets a lot of traction and the general public does get attracted, the trade expert opines.

However, Johar also suggests that while there is a lot of conversation around box office numbers, it is only a marketing tool and doesnt always impact a moviegoers decision to either watch or not watch a film. Producers and the films marketing teams want to ensure that there is a huge number of audiences thronging the cinemas to watch their films, so they use box office numbers as a marketing tool. And now the audiences have realised that it is just used as a marketing tool to engage and get traction, Johar adds.

Kangana Ranaut continuously claimed that producers Karan Johar has been sharing inflated box office numbers for Brahmastra. Is there a way to authenticate these number though? Johar says, unfortunately there isnt! While internationally organisations like Rentrak provide some transparency, very few organisations in India are doing similar work, like Ormax. Johar explains, At the end of the day, if you see from a commercial perspective then the film is the producers investment, so it is completely their call whether to share numbers or not.

Thats the trade side of the story, but why do producers choose to share how much their film is earning? Producer Sunny Khanna who has backed films like Bheja Fry 2, Mulk and Traffic Signal is of the opinion that sharing box office number is becoming very important today because of the negativity that surrounds films, and that is one way to stop people with agenda from sabotaging a film.

He says, It is not required, but films are being targeted by those with an agenda. They try to sabotage the film by sharing wrong box office numbers, then the producer has no option then to start sharing how much their film has earned and this happens a lot. Recent example is Brahmastra. Everyone was putting the film down by saying that the content is not good or the film is not earning as much as it should have (compared to the budget), but today the box office numbers has proven the films mettle. Then the other possibility is that a smaller film, which starts with smaller earnings but shows growth over Saturday and Sunday, then the audience feels that the movie is has picked up so maybe it is worth a watch. For example when Chup released people didnt expect it to do the numbers but it went on becoming stronger with every passing day.

Box office numbers is a huge discussion on social media and publications too report it diligently, but does that really pull audiences to theatres to watch a film? Manoj Desai, distributor and owner of Mumbais Gaiety Galaxy and the iconic Maratha Mandir tells us that sharing box office numbers with public has really helped Bollywood, especially in these times.

He says, It has worked for Bollywood after it faced a few bad months. It also shows that people are excited to watch the film because there is a good advance booking. Box office numbers are the new indicators of how a film is and how it is fairing, it is like how people used to read reviews before watching films, now some of them check box office numbers to understand if it is doing good business and if it makes sense for them to invest in it by going to watch it.

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Understanding box office numbers: A successful marketing tool in the age of social media - The Indian Express

Women’s Tennis Earns Three Wins on First Day at SMU Fall Invite – Razorbacks Arkansas

Victoria Guerra October 7, 2022

DALLAS The University of Arkansas womens tennis team opened up the SMU Fall Invitational facing Wichita State in doubles play and the University of Texas at Arlington in singles play on the first day of competition. Junior Lenka Stara went 2-0 on the day, grabbing a win in doubles and singles while freshman Yuhan Liu earns a singles victory.

In doubles play, junior Lenka Stara and sophomore Grace ODonnell teamed up for a 7-6 win over Wichita States Kurahashi and Kung. The freshman Razorback pair of Yuhan Liu and Morgan McCarthy competed for the first time together, falling 2-6 to the Shockers duo of Kudryavtesva and Anzo.

Lenka Stara got her second win of the day in singles play, defeating her Maverick opponent Vergara in straight-sets 6-1, 6-4. Freshman Yuhan Liu recorded the only other singles win for the Razorbacks, continuing with an impressive fall season for the Hogs. Liu took the first-set tiebreaker 7-5 followed by a dominant 6-1 second set to seal the win over UTAs Jimenet.

The Razorbacks continue the invitational tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT as they face UTA in doubles play, followed by singles play against SMU. No live stats or video will be available throughout the competition, results will be posted following the conclusion of each day.

Day One Results

Doubles

1. Stara/ODonnell (UA) def. Kurahashi/Kung (Wichita), 7-6

2. Kudryavsteva/Anzo (Wichita) def. Liu/McCarthy (UA), 6-2

Singles

1. Stara (UA) def. Vergara (UTA), 6-1, 6-4

2. Gorinsek (UTA) def. ODonnell (UA), 6-1, 6-2

3. Liu (UA) def. Jimenet (UTA), 7-5, 6-1

4. Reinerfsen (UTA) def. McCarthy (UA), 7-5, 6-2

5. Chileuo (UTA) def. Robbins (UA), 6-0, 6-3

For the latest information on all things Arkansas Womens Tennis, follow the Hogs on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Womens Tennis) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackWTEN).

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Women's Tennis Earns Three Wins on First Day at SMU Fall Invite - Razorbacks Arkansas

Fall seasonal marketing: A guide to the (other) most wonderful time of the year – Sprout Social

Its finally falltime for pumpkins, apples, hayrides and Halloween. But the first day of fall is more than an excuse to break out your cardigan collection. Its an opportunity to leverage seasonal marketing to connect with your audiences. Bringing a little autumn coziness into your marketing strategy is a great way to keep your content fresh and engaging. Were breaking down key fall trends so you can get inspired for #pumpkinszn.

You cant talk about fall without pumpkin spice. The blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg shows up everywhere as soon as the temperature drops. Pumpkin spice has defined fall for hundreds of yearseven making an appearance in the first-ever American cookbook in 1796. In 2003, Starbucks released the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte, creating a new generation of pumpkin spice enthusiasts. Merriam-Webster even added pumpkin spice to the dictionary this year.

With nearly 20 years of pumpkin spice frenzy, its natural to wonder if the trend is dying down. We used Sprout Social Listeningto gauge public opinion on the flavor. In short, it isnt going anywhere.

In 2021, Tweets related to pumpkin spice garnered 2.29 million engagements in August alone. This year, engagements hit 2.73 million for a whopping 19% increase. In September 2022, there were almost 4.4 million engagements, making for a 29% increase from September 2021s numbers. Overall, pumpkin spice engagement is set to hit 15.5 million engagements in 2022. And, sentiment about pumpkin spice is 69% positive. Its definitely not too late to jump on the pumpkin spice bandwagon.

Pumpkin spice isnt the only thing people love about this season. Fall is a full vibe, with clothing, music, activities and most importantly, emotions attached to it. Tapping into the connection consumers have with the season can yield incredible results. But in order to do that, you have to figure out just what your audience loves about fall.

Autumn is undeniably beautiful. Fall scenery Instagram photos basically take themselves, and warm color schemes make everything feel a little cozier. For some audiences, fall is all about visual cues.

With their photos of autumn leaves on the golf green, Golf Digest encouraged audience engagement. Golfers replied with their own fall golf photos and mentioned members of their foursome to reminisce about past games or express excitement about upcoming ones. Golf Digest leaned into the visual aspects of the game to create buzz.

Since fall marks the beginning of the school year, the aesthetics of academia and autumn have a lot of overlap. The University of South Carolina showed their audience how the changing leaves complement their campus views. Connecting the university with the nostalgia and transitional feelings of fall targets both prospective students and alumni.

Fall isnt just about the outdoor views. The indoor ones are just as exciting. The oranges, yellows and reds showing up in nature also show up in the home decor aisle. #FallDecor has over 8 million views on TikTok. Consumers wait all year to decorate their homes for fall, whether they prefer spooky Halloween vibes or wholesome nature nods. Michaels Craft Store joined in on that anticipation and excitement with a TikTok announcing their fall decor drop.

For some audiences, fall comes with a must-do list of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and apple orchards. Tapping into the experiential side of the season is a great way to connect with more active audiences.

Fall leaves make for scenic drives, but they can create magical hikes. Leaf peepingthe term for going to look at foliageis popular nationwide, with enthusiasts traveling across the country searching for the perfect vista. REI curated a list of fall gear for their audience thats ready for autumn hikes.

Fall is a time for comfort. Fuzzy blankets, warm drinks and an excuse to use the fireplace are autumnal mainstays for a reason. And curling up with a good book falls right into that category. As readers begin to build their fall bookshelves, Goodreads provided a list of recommendations that pair well with a pumpkin spice latte.

When the temperature starts dropping, its time for comfort food. Fall comes with a designated menu and home chefs are eager to start preparing their favorite dishes. The Kansas Pork Association found a way to tap into their audiences fall cravings with a relevant chili recipe.

As we said before, pumpkin isnt going anywhere. Whether theyre at a patch or in a pie, people cant get enough of them. Pumpkins are a fall category of their own. Something about them captures our attention, like the man who claimed a world record this year by paddling 38 miles in a pumpkin boat or the TikTok account where almost 340,000 people watch the process of growing giant pumpkins. Whatever the reason for our pumpkin obsession, pumpkins are a great way to market to your audience this fall.

It seems like everything has a pumpkin spice edition now. With so many products on the market, its hard for consumers to keep track of the seasonal versions they want to try. Target helped out by posting a video overview of the pumpkin spice items available in their store, cluing customers into whats in season and whats new.

When something becomes popular, some people will undoubtedly dislike it. While most consumers think pumpkin spice embodies fall, some people find it overrated. Dunkin addressed the pumpkin naysayers in a TikTok that validated everyone who has felt the need to defend their pumpkin love.

Novelty products are nothing new and the pumpkin scene has its fair share. For every coffee creamer or donut flavor, theres also something unexpected, like a pumpkin spice Cup O Noodles. The Washington Post took a humorous approach to covering another oddity, pumpkin spice Spam. They leaned into the absurdity of the product by showcasing a member of their social media team eating it directly from the can.

Embracing the spirit of fall can have profound impacts on your brand. Associating your brand with fall trends and traditions can turn the emotional ties consumers have with fall into emotional ties with your brand. Seasonal marketing isnt just about keeping your content calendar current. Its about relating with your audiences pre-existing values, interests and sentiments through content that matters to them.

Interested in exploring seasonal marketing? Check out Sprout Socials free Social Media Holidays Calendar, with details on the most popular hashtag holidays.

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Fall seasonal marketing: A guide to the (other) most wonderful time of the year - Sprout Social

Social Media Startup Tackles Mental Health and GenZ Demand for More Positive Social Networking Through Poetry – MarTech Series

Poetizer, the First Social Network Born in Europe Focuses on Poetry for Creativity, Healing and Community, Launches Green Publishing Tech

Do a quick internet search and you will quickly learn about poetrys comeback and its benefits on mental health. As more people leave traditional social media platforms, especially GenZ, for something more authentic, Poetizer is giving them a new community with more meaning. The first social media network born in Europe has found a niche in the resurgence of poetry and they believe poetry can be a source of good and healing in the world. In August 2022, the company launched Poetizer Publishing to become a green publishing tech startup giving users a more eco-friendly alternative to self-publishing, a platform for marketing and also allowing them to earn more income.

Launched in 2018, Poetizer has grown despite little to no promotion. Its 330,000, primarily GenZ users in 120 countries are mostly located in the U.S., where people are looking for more positive social channels and alternatives for healthy self-expression. In an age where social media is so widely used, many artists and creators have taken to sharing their work online, and poets are no exception. Traditional social networks for marketing face a decline of Gen Z users as they are increasingly more criticized for their superficiality, polarization of societies and detrimental effects on mental health.

In the past decade, and especially during the pandemic, poetry has had a resurgence in what some are calling a full-on renaissance. Poets like the famously anonymous three-time New York Times Bestselling Author Atticus, have built strong followings on social media, and poetry, in particular, has seen a boost in poets of color. Poetizer, the social media platform exclusively for poetry is not only giving people a voice through the healthy expression of poetry, but also a supportive community and a way to earn additional income.

Poetry writing offers a unique emotional release and self-discovery that is empowering and healing, and its clear people are seeking it out, says Nicholas Mazza, PhD, PTR. Theyre looking for more positive social connections and communities that are supportive and understanding and where expression is authentic. Poetizer gives them this with all the benefits for a healthier mind.

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Its heartwarming to have such a wonderful community that supports its users of all shapes and forms, said Lukas Sedlacek, CEO Poetizer. Oftentimes, our users share their personal stories with us about how sharing their emotions through poetry writing, and reading the work of others, helped them overcome challenging times and deal with mental health issues.

Sedlacek added that Poetizer users write, share and engage in a lot of Statement Poetry expressing emotion about social and global issues, and also people dealing with personal issues and even celebrating love. In the Spring, so many people were writing poems in support of Ukraine, Poetizer printed them off and posted them on the John Lennon wall in Prague. Then they hosted an event where the poems were read.

In August 2022, Poetizer Publishing launched an all-in-one self-publishing tech solution for authors that lets them easily and quickly have their work formatted, illustrated, printed, shipped and sold and giving authors a way to market their books to their followers on Poetizer and making it available in its online Bookstore. And its greener, disrupting an industry needing to be innovated to reduce waste and carbon footprint.

The publishing industry is the worlds third largest industrial greenhouse emitter. We urgently need projects that bring solutions and healing to our ailing planet, said Sedlacek. We want to contribute as Poetizer, too, by providing a social network that improves mental health and offers a greener alternative to traditional publishing.

Poetizer has raised $3,000,000 to date and, with its continued month over month growth, is now pursuing its Series A round of funding.

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Social Media Startup Tackles Mental Health and GenZ Demand for More Positive Social Networking Through Poetry - MarTech Series