Dr Alan Shaw

Context: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of diabetes state that structured diabetes education should be offered to every person and their carer(s) at or around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review. In 2016, the UK’s Health and Social Care Information Centre’s national diabetes audit for England identified only 6% of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetics attended a course. Diabetes UK has called for radical improvements to the provision. This study attempts to determine why the uptake has been so poor and then offer possible solutions. Methods: The study utilised Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecology theory and was made up of four phases: phase one, a pilot study of health educators to identify why patients were not attending the courses. Phase two a qualitative review, using thematic analysis, of patients on their views of structured education. Phase three a census investigating the provision of structured education. It compared the 152 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) with the new 194 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England. Phase four is a qualitative review using thematic analysis of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on their reasons for providing the care they did. Findings: NHS England has a decentralisation approach to managing diabetes structured education in England. There is a lack of awareness of these programmes amongst patients. This is driven by the proliferation of courses provided by NHS England and the budget restrictions to promote them. The quality of diabetes structured education and the ability of patients to attend varied by PCT/CCG, creating a non-inclusive service. Conclusions: In this example, it was established that centralising elements of the diabetes structured education programmes like branding, marketing, course development and programme management could alleviate many of the problems that NHS England currently faces and increase patient engagement. Such a move would also reduce costs and help bridge the current budget deficit. Originality/value: This chapter demonstrates how researchers can utilise Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecology theory to investigate healthcare management processes. More specifically, it is an example of investigating patients, their carers, healthcare professional and policy all in one study. It also addresses a common debate amongst healthcare managers whether systems should be centralised or decentralised.

The concept of pre-release consumer buzz (PRCB) is a relatively new phenomenon, it is the excitement generated by consumers in anticipation of a forthcoming new product, film, song, or play. This PRCB is closely associated with information cascades because the buzz generated can be a mechanism for driving consumers to experience the said new product. Earlier research has called for scholars to test the pervasiveness of the concept, there is also concern that current studies only adopt a national overview. We have addressed these concerns by using a large original dataset, collected weekly for approximately one year. We analyse the determinants of information cascades and PRCB by considering films premiered in the USA and the UK. More specifically we examine online user ratings by differing demographic clusters of the population (by sex and age) and through the qualitative characteristics of films (i.e., genre). Our results demonstrate that males between the ages of 18–29-years are more compliant to information cascades and expert reviewers are more likely to instigate herding behaviour.

Embarking on a research project can be daunting for students, academics, and practitioners. Identifying and engaging with suitable groups is often seen as a research project’s first major obstacle. The internet, in particular, social media platforms can provide researchers with a rich source of real-time information to analyze. Social listening, which is the active process of attending to, observing, interpreting, and responding to a variety of stimuli through mediated, electronic, and social channels is an ideal methodology to adopt because it can be adapted to quantitative, qualitative, or even mixed-method approaches. This research methods case study will share the detailed processes I embarked on whilst investigating how Twitter was used to influence positive drink driving behaviors on the 31st December 2019 (New Year’s Eve). It focused only on Tweets written in English. The case study’s primary goal is to introduce you to a framework that demonstrates how to capture data from Twitter using Social Bearing so that a MANCOVA analysis can be completed. The key elements of the framework are identifying your keywords, setting the time frame, capturing, and cleaning and manipulating the data. Once these steps have been completed the MANCOVA analysis can be initiated. The question of ethics is also discussed in detail, in particular, should informed consent be sought if a passive social listening approached is utilised? The case study did not require this step, however, if your research may require this so signposts to additional reading have been provided to help you prepare for an ethics submission.

The closure of school buildings due to COVID-19 created a challenge for parents and teachers supporting children’s remote learning. This paper presents findings of a study that explored whether parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced an unusually challenging period and what obstacles they faced. An online survey was sent to parents during the first (March–June 2020) and second (January–March 2021) lockdowns in England: a total of 141 voluntary participants responded. Thematic data analysis identified three significant themes: Infrastructure (Quality and efficacy of resources; Access to school’s virtual learning environment); Impact on parent (Perceived lack of ability or understanding; Relationships; Time; Mental health); Impact on child (Reduced stress and anxiety; Need for routine). Recommendations for schools include collaborating with parents to ensure children with SEND achieve greater equality and inclusivity in educational provision, by developing blended models for in-school and remote learning.

People Matters (Leeds) CIC is a Leeds based organisation that develops inclusive communities by bringing people together to enjoy leisure, learning and employment. The focus of their work is with people who experience disadvantage, particularly through learning and other disabilities. Their Teens ‘n’ Twenties group, which is financed by the Big Lottery Fund supports young people between the ages of 14 to 25 to enjoy social and leisure activities. This funding stream is coming to an end and People Matters would like to establish what sort of impact the programme has had: this information will help its bid in gaining further financial support to continue the programme. People Matters commissioned Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) through its Innovations Future programme (a European Union Regional Development funded programme) to evaluate the Teens ‘n’ Twenties course. It used a mixed methods approach to identify the perceived outcomes, which were then incorporated into a Social Return On Investment (SROI) model to establish the ultimate impact. SHU calculated that the SROI value for the Teens ‘n’ Twenties programme ranged between 1.77:1 and 2.94:1 (for every £ invested a value of between £1.77 and £2.94 was delivered in social worth). There were a number of limitations that the research

Blockchains and the retail sector

An introduction to Generative artificial intelligence

What to consider when developing a digital strategy

An Introduction to the Metaverse

This is a summary of a seminar I ran for the Department of International Trade focusing on ‘how to sell your B2C offering globally via e-commerce’. It was open to SMEs in the Yorkshire and Humberside region looking to expand their market. It is part one of a series of articles that will give you a better insight in how you should sell globally via e-platforms. The main objective was to introduce participants to the different routes available when selling online globally from their business direct to the consumer. The routes are through the internet and/or through mobile networks (although I only had time to focus on the former). For me, the primary channels for selling globally to consumers are through e-commerce portals (internal and external), affiliate marketing partnerships, mobile networks and social media platforms. Before going through this in detail I needed to explain the likely hurdles businesses would experience when selling their offerings globally, they include: • Being found. • Language. • Maintaining the relationship. • Delivery (Including taxes & customs). • Payment. • Returns.

This paper provides a systematic review for articles tackling social-marketing in tourism and sustainable tourism fields from 2000 to the end of 2017. The findings of the paper discuss the great potential of social marketing and opens new gates for social-marketing and sustainable tourism researchers to bridge the gap between social-marketing and tourism.

Social marketing has no clear consensus on how outcomes should be evaluated. One option is the adoption of the social return on investment framework, it provides a ratio indicating the level of return to every single value of currency used. A case study focusing people with learning difficulties was used.

Social marketing has been criticised for mainly focusing on the individual and not wider environmental influences. This issue is being challenged by scholars of the domain who are now investigating the impact of incorporating ecological models within it. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory is one that is widely used in other disciplines. This study utilises a mixed methods approach with a single case study: examining why individuals living with diabetes chose to attend (or not) a structured education course (the social marketing programme) in England. It examines the attitudes of the patients, healthcare professionals and administrators of the NHS. The research identified that many of the propositions held within the bio-ecological theory are highly relevant to social marketing: they provide a means of explaining the antecedents of why individuals chose to engage in behaviour change programmes. Further studies will be required to test the macro and time elements of the bio-ecology theory.

This report responds to the growing appetite for businesses to gain a better understanding of social media marketing and the associated benefits. Over the last twelve months, we have spent time exploring the concept of social media marketing and the impact it can have on B2B campaigns. Academics from Newcastle Business School have spent time talking to SMEs and their marketing teams to help identify and successfully navigate some of the most common challenges surrounding B2B social media marketing. As a consequence of this study, we present a framework of integrated marketing communications (IMC), incorporating social media. This framework underpins the B2B Social Media Toolkit, which is the main outcome of this report. The research findings have been presented using the Social Media Honeycomb developed by Kietzmann et al. (2011). This has allowed us to distil our findings into seven distinct themes, which are presented on the right. The B2B social media toolkit is a practical and easy to follow guide for anyone wanting to improve the effectiveness of their social media activity or a good starting point for any business that has yet to incorporate social media into their wider marketing plan.

© The Author(s) 2018. A number of scholars have raised concerns that many social marketers fail to consider the cost of their programs and its related savings. One solution is to use the social return on investment (SROI) framework, which is rooted in the theory of change. To demonstrate its possibilities, a single case study, focusing on a small social enterprise based in the north of England, was used. They apply social marketing (SM) principles to influence positive behavior changes in people living with learning difficulties. The study was limited to their Teens-n-Twenties program, which was designed to support individuals between the ages of 14 and 25 become more independent. The results demonstrate that the program had an SROI valued somewhere between 2.36:1 and 3.88:1 (i.e., for every pound invested, a value of between £2.36 and £3.88 was delivered in social worth). This evaluation was used as evidence of the program’s effectiveness in a continuing funding bid, and the organization was awarded just under £500 K from the United Kingdom’s Big Lottery Fund. The study contributes to the knowledge and practice of SM by presenting a possible solution to the domain’s concerns on how SM can be evaluated.

Segmentation in the pharmaceutical industry is blurred by the complicated market dynamics of the industry: even the classic definition of the customer is not relevant. The customer base is made up of a number of stakeholders, which includes the patient and caregiver. These patients and caregivers have become more empowered and are using the internet as their primary source of information. The internet is developing at an astonishing rate and even healthcare professionals have embraced it. Legislative restrictions make it difficult for marketers to communicate directly with patients, so new strategies need to be developed. This paper looks at the impact of online media on market segmentation within the pharmaceutical industry, and provides practical solutions on how to tackle the dilemma. © The Author(s) 2011.

With organisations like Facebook restricting how their application programming interface (API) can be used and scholars questioning the legality and ethics of web scrapping (i.e., the use of technology in the automatic extraction of data from the Web) more discussions around a qualitative Netnographic approach is needed. This paper addresses these issues by reflecting on the application of a passive summative content analysis method to Netnography and how it can be used in marketing research. It focuses on the rollout of smart meters (meters that allow consumers and service providers to monitor power consumption), which the UK Government has now delayed because of a poor uptake. As such, it contributes to the marketing domain’s theory and knowledge and provides a possible set of solutions that the UK Government and energy providers could consider to increase engagement. The study starts by providing an overview of the literature within Netnography and its use as a qualitative methodology. It then demonstrates, step by step, how a summative content analysis approach can be applied to Netnography, using NVivo as the platform of analysis. The case study utilises Mumsnet (UK’s biggest network for parents, with approximately 10 million unique visitors and 100 million-page views per month) as the forum for analysis. Threads over a six-month period were considered. The key themes identified can be explained as: smart meters were not transferable between energy providers; users were concerned about being hacked; the connecting signals did not always work; and such meters were not compulsory. The study demonstrates how effective and efficient Netnography can be in market research. It also provides some clear guidance on how copyright issues should be addressed.

Diabetes UK has called for access to Structured Health Education Programmes (SHEPs) for all people diagnosed with diabetes. Studies have shown that these programmes are the best way to empower individuals living with diabetes to take control of their lives. Back in 2003, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that SHEPs should be made available to all people with diabetes at the time of initial diagnosis and then as required on an ongoing basis. Social Marketing is one way of engaging with these individuals. Unfortunately a recent study by Diabetes UK identified that only 36% of people living with diabetes had attended a SHEP. Social marketing is often criticised for only focusing on the individual and ignoring the wider environmental perspectives. This research bridges the gap and answers why so few people attend the SHEPs. It utilises Bronfenbrenner's latest Bio-ecological Theory. The findings identified to date demonstrate that there are many environmental issues that social marketers should consider before embarking on a campaign.

It has been said that social marketing researchers tend to focus on the individual and that they should adopt wider environmental perspectives. Collins, Tapp and Presley’s Social Ecological Framework (SEF) provides scholars and practitioners with this opportunity, unfortunately their model is still in its development phase and requires considerable more work. This study will attempt to enhance the concept by incorporating Bronfenbrenner’s “Process, Person, Context, Time (PPCT) Model”. The methodology employed will be a mixed methods approach focusing specifically on how health education programmes can be used to influence individuals living with diabetes to change their health behaviours. The study will be working in partnership with Diabetes UK who will provide access to individuals living with diabetes who are interested in supporting research projects. The initial findings demonstrate that the PPCT model can have a significant impact in the design of a social marketing campaign. The next phase is to develop a means of incorporating it into the SEF because as this report has shown, the SEF has the potential of becoming a strategic planning tool for social marketers. It could also have a significant impact in designing better social marketing campaigns.

It has been said that social marketing researchers tend to focus on the individual and that they should adopt wider environmental perspectives. Collins, Tapp and Presley’s Social Ecological Framework (SEF) provides scholars and practitioners with this opportunity, unfortunately their model is still in its development phase and requires considerable more work. This study will attempt to enhance the concept by incorporating Bronfenbrenner’s “Process, Person, Context, Time (PPCT) Model”. The methodology employed will be a mixed methods approach focusing specifically on how health education programmes can be used to influence individuals living with diabetes to change their health behaviours. The study will be working in partnership with Diabetes UK who will provide access to individuals living with diabetes who are interested in supporting research projects. The initial findings demonstrate that the PPCT model can have a significant impact in the design of a social marketing campaign. The next phase is to develop a means of incorporating it into the SEF because as this report has shown, the SEF has the potential of becoming a strategic planning tool for social marketers. It could also have a significant impact in designing better social marketing campaigns.

Social marketing is a process designed to improve the welfare of individuals and the society of which they are apart. Many developed countries use decentralisation policies for their social programmes but it is unclear if social marketing interventions should do the same. This study will adopt a mix method approach, focusing specifically on diabetes health education courses provided by NHS England. It identified that a decentralised approach was currently used which caused confusion among participants because of the different branding. The research will contribute to the theory and knowledge of social marketing and is likely to have a major impact on society as a whole: Diabetes UK identified that only 36% of diabetics have attended a course. Diabetes is classed as a long term chronic condition (LTCs), individuals living with an LTC account for 70% of the NHS’ budget. Those who attend health education courses are less likely to be a burden on the limited health resources, so solving the “uptake” problem could potential provide significant saving to the healthcare budget.

A number of scholars have identified that social marketers find it difficult to develop engagement through social media. Others believe that there is a poor understanding of how organizations employ such platforms. This article addresses the gaps by assessing how Twitter was used in facilitating a reduction in drunk driving behaviors over New Year’s Eve. The study identified that social marketing organizations were poor at exploiting Twitter, but the general public was prolific in disseminating anti-drunk driving behaviors. It provides recommendations on how social media can be used to help marketing researchers, managers, and policymakers to work more collectively.

Diabetes UK has called for access to Structured Health Education Programmes (SHEPs) for all people diagnosed with diabetes. Studies have shown that these programmes are the best way to empower individuals living with diabetes to take control of their lives. Back in 2003, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that SHEPs should be made available to all people with diabetes at the time of initial diagnosis and then as required on an ongoing basis. Social Marketing is one way of engaging with these individuals. Unfortunately a recent study by Diabetes UK identified that only 36% of people living with diabetes had attended a SHEP. Social marketing is often criticised for only focusing on the individual and ignoring the wider environmental perspectives. This research bridges the gap and answers why so few people attend the SHEPs. It utilises Bronfenbrenner's latest Bio-ecological Theory. The findings identified to date demonstrate that there are many environmental issues that social marketers should consider before embarking on a campaign.

The objective of this study is to demonstrate how an existing cost based analysis framework can be utilised to assess either the potential or actual impact of a social marketing campaign. It is based on a case study with People Matters (Leeds) CIC who commissioned the author to analyse the effectiveness of its social marketing campaigns so that it could demonstrate value and gain additional funding from the Big Lottery

This workshop will introduce you to partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling (SEM). The key topics will be: An introduction to SEM. Managing and cleaning data. Reflective and Formative measurement models. The basics of SMART PLS part I. The basics of SMART PLS part II. Mediator and Moderator Analysis. Power analysis and effect size.

An introduction to Generative AI

Semi-structured interviewing is a process that can be used across a variety of domains. This particular check-list has been designed for individuals embarking on some form of research (market, customer, health, UX [or User Experience], etc). That said, the framework can easily be adapted to suit a variety of needs. The framework has been split into 7 sections, the most important factor to have in place before embarking on any type of semi-structured interviewing is to have your objectives in place.

Social Listening in the Retail Sector.

The impact of the Metaverse on research

Mapping your customer touchpoints

Social listening is an ideal way of getting real-time market research data about your brand and services. First, you will need to decide what platforms you wish to focus on and what period would be appropriate. An example of one of our previous studies was the examination of the perceptions of smart meters in the UK2. We did this by reviewing the conversations on Mum’s Net (the UK’s biggest network for parents, with around 10 million unique visitors per month clocking up around 100 million page views). It looked at threads (conversations made through the forum) over a 12-week period, which yielded 727 posts from 670 different participants. We were then able to develop the posts into themes that could be used to shape product upgrades and future marketing communication messages.

Capturing big data from Twitter to analyse and visualise can be daunting. This how-to guide demonstrates how NodeXL and its application programming interface (API) with Twitter can reduce the complexity of such tasks. The example focuses on NodeXL’s "Group-in-a-box" visualisation technique. Students are shown what to consider before downloading data, how to group data into themes or topics, identify communities, what the communities are saying and potential influencers. The how-to guide also provides students with an overview of social network analysis.

The UK Government had planned to install 50 million smart meters across Great Britain by the end of 2020. Unfortunately, due to the poor uptake, this date has been pushed back to 2024. As it stands, the reasons for this consumer hesitancy are unclear, researchers could embark on surveys or focus groups to establish the cause, however, such approaches can be costly. Another option is to utilize a social listening approach, this is more cost-effective and provides an efficient use of your time, it also reduces participant bias. This case study illustrates how social listening was applied using the summative content analysis approach to establish why a section of UK consumers were reluctant to install smart meters into their homes. It also demonstrates how sentiment and engagement analysis were incorporated into the process, and how Pareto’s 80:20 rule was used as a guiding framework to segregate the identified themes. There are also discussions relating to copyright infringements and potential mitigating defensives. Finally, the issue of incorporating active social listening (i.e., engaging directly with the public) is also considered.

The closure of school buildings due to COVID-19 created a challenge for parents and teachers supporting children’s remote learning. This paper presents findings of a study that explored whether parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced an unusually challenging period and what obstacles they faced. An online survey was sent to parents during the first (March–June 2020) and second (January–March 2021) lockdowns in England: a total of 141 voluntary participants responded. Thematic data analysis identified three significant themes: Infrastructure (Quality and efficacy of resources; Access to school’s virtual learning environment); Impact on parent (Perceived lack of ability or understanding; Relationships; Time; Mental health); Impact on child (Reduced stress and anxiety; Need for routine). Recommendations for schools include collaborating with parents to ensure children with SEND achieve greater equality and inclusivity in educational provision, by developing blended models for in-school and remote learning.

Studies have shown that financial sustainability is the primary concern of charities. Many plan to use their reserves to cover income shortfalls. This is compounded by the fact that charities struggle to attract the skilled staff needed to navigate these concerns. Generative AI could help bridge the skills gaps by using it as a critical friend to increase productivity and efficiency and thus reduce costs. This chapter demonstrates how X-PERT Health, a UK diabetes charity, used Generative AI and free online digital tools (Google’s keyword planner and Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest) to manage the keyword analysis, SEO and content creation processes. A single employee, working two and half days a week with no marketing experience, was able to take on the role, spending just half a morning a week producing new content for their website. It mitigated the need for X-PERT Health to commission an agency to undertake the task.

Help to Grow: Digital Adoption Panel Review

This How-to-Guide investigates the potential of Generative AI to enhance business productivity, with a specific focus on marketing functions and strategic situational analysis. Authored by Dr. Alan Shaw, the guide offers a detailed methodology for incorporating advanced AI tools into business operations, emphasizing the importance of marketing audits and environmental reviews. Generative AI, though in its early stages, presents substantial opportunities for businesses seeking to maintain competitiveness and improve efficiency. This guide underscores the necessity of adopting AI tools, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often need more comprehensive internal and external environmental mapping. The document provides a step-by-step approach to conducting PESTLE analysis and evaluating political, economic, social, technological, legislative, and environmental factors. Specific prompts used to generate outputs via AI models like ChatGPT-4 and Perplexity AI are included. Additionally, the integration of Porter's Five Forces framework for analyzing industry competition is detailed. Real-world examples and case studies, including an in-depth look at a Diabetes Education Charity, demonstrate the practical application of AI tools in business functions such as competitor analysis, customer insights, and operational efficiencies. The guide also addresses data privacy and security, advocating for secure platforms and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) processes. Significant efficiency gains are highlighted, with potential time savings of 90-98% when using Generative AI for situational analyses. The document also provides strategies to exploit opportunities and counter threats identified during these analyses. The guide concludes with recommendations for continuous experimentation and adaptation to leverage the evolving capabilities of Generative AI fully. By providing a robust framework for integrating AI into business operations, this document serves as a valuable resource for businesses aiming to boost productivity and remain competitive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Studies have shown that the sharing of big health data can improve patient management across primary and secondary care sectors. It can also reduce costs and can enhance the medical research process. Unfortunately, many big health data initiatives are being impeded because of a range of complex issues. This study was initiated to identify the said issues and develop a tool for health marketers to use to negate the barriers in big healthcare data projects. The study demonstrates how the Interactive Communication Technology Adoption Model can be operationalized to support qualitative researchers.

Dr Alan Shaw discusses the application of a passive summative content analysis method to Netnography and how it can be used in marketing research.

Points to consider when migrating to Google Analytics 4

Revisiting the SWOT/TOWS analysis

With organisations like Facebook restricting how their application programming interface (API) can be used and scholars questioning the legality and ethics of web scrapping (i.e., the use of technology in the automatic extraction of data from the Web) more discussions around a qualitative Netnographic approach is needed. This paper addresses these issues by reflecting on the application of a passive summative content analysis method to Netnography and how it can be used in marketing research. It focuses on the rollout of smart meters (meters that allow consumers and service providers to monitor power consumption), which the UK Government has now delayed because of a poor uptake. As such, it contributes to the marketing domain’s theory and knowledge and provides a possible set of solutions that the UK Government and energy providers could consider to increase engagement. The study starts by providing an overview of the literature within Netnography and its use as a qualitative methodology. It then demonstrates, step by step, how a summative content analysis approach can be applied to Netnography, using NVivo as the platform of analysis. The case study utilises Mumsnet (UK’s biggest network for parents, with approximately 10 million unique visitors and 100 million-page views per month) as the forum for analysis. Threads over a six-month period were considered. The key themes identified can be explained as: smart meters were not transferable between energy providers; users were concerned about being hacked; the connecting signals did not always work; and such meters were not compulsory. The study demonstrates how effective and efficient Netnography can be in market research. It also provides some clear guidance on how copyright issues should be addressed.

Social listening is the practice of monitoring conversations and/or activities that are shared through electronic social channels. These channels can be social networks, discussion networks, professional networks, review networks, gaming networks, sharing economy networks, booking marking networks, blogging and/or publishing networks. If you have a presence on any of these platforms, then you will require a process that monitors and responds to comments, questions and requests about your brand and its services. Your response should almost be immediate because that’s what the public expects. To put this into context, you would not publish a business telephone number then never monitor it, so please consider all links to social platforms from your website as alternatives to telephone numbers and email addresses. It is a signal to the public (and other organisations) that they can contact you through them.

Presentation exploring the impact of color, particularly blue, on attitudes and behavioral intentions during COVID-19 health campaigning in the UK, using survey data and historical analysis.

Social media has become an essential tool in the marketing mix, used by organisations of all sizes to promote their products. However, not all businesses effectively maximise their social media presence. A study conducted by Social Champ revealed that over 1/4 of small businesses do not use social media platforms to promote their business. How successful has social media marketing been for your business? In this free one-hour session, we will unpack the formula for social media success and provide an overview of how to use the most popular platforms as well as current trends. We will also highlight the principles that underpin successful social media campaigns and how you can use these to promote and grow your brand.