A fusão de dois mundos: convergência do mundo real e digital nas acções de marketing na rede

No passado, as acções publicitárias eram rotuladas como above the line e below the line, referindo-se à dicotomia de pontos de contacto com os públicos-alvo via Meios de Comunicação Social ou via Ponto de Venda. A esta dicotomia de meios e instrumentos, os anos 90 vieram trazer um terceiro ponto de contacto, crescentemente omnipresente e hegemónico, a world wide web ou rede, a que se acedia via computador. As acções de marketing e comunicação passaram então a rotular-se como online e offline, passando, não já a referir-se aos pontos de contacto, mas aos canais pelos quais circulavam as mensagens e acções das marcas. Desde o início deste século, o poder do digital veio crescendo, em software e hardware, em terminais e tecnologias, assistindo-se a uma transferência de esforços de comunicação, da esfera real para a esfera do digital. O deslumbramento pelo digital conquistou mesmo algumas marcas de dimensão mundial que hoje apostam integralmente o seu orçamento nesta forma de marketing, nas suas múltiplas facetas. Contudo, e porque se tem tornado óbvio que os públicos distribuem os seus favores por múltiplos touch points, para maximizar o impacto, assiste-se agora a um fenómeno único, potenciado por novas tecnologias que surgem todos os dias: em estratégias que se podem denominar de all-line, verifica-se a fusão entre dois mundos, mundo real e mundo digital, em múltiplas actividades de marketing que fazem convergir estas duas realidades em plataformas que vão do computador ao tablet, do smartphone à vending machine interactiva, do facebook ao Google maps, da imprensa tradicional ao pinterest. É esta convergência mundo real - mundo digital que abre agora novas oportunidades à comunicação publicitária, potenciando os ingredientes das marcas de sucesso no futuro: sensações (estímulo dos sentidos), intimidade e mistério, num cocktail suportado por uma nova criatividade.

Developing a gamification system to increase customer lifetime value at MyGon

There have never been so many touch points between companies and consumers as there are today, which paradoxically makes it very challenging for companies to be able to retain and engage customers. Gamification is a strategy used by a large number of companies to increase customer engagement and customer lifetime value. This work aims at developing a gamification system for MyGon, a Portuguese startup working in the market of discounts and experiences. In addition to examining the literature concerning gamification, its elements and characteristics, recommendations were developed for addressing MyGon’s business goals of increasing conversion and customer engagement. The gamification mechanisms suggested include badges, missions, points, leaderboards and levels.

Unilever food solutions new digital CRM platform- what is the combination of tools, processes and content that will help Unilever food solutions grow his business?

Unilever Food Solutions new digital CRM1 Platform - What is the combination of tools, processes and content that will help Unilever Food Solutions grow his business? Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) intend to create a new online platform to enable it to communicate with segments of the markets, which have previously been too difficult to reach. Specifically targeted at Chefs and other food professionals, the aim is to create an interactive website, which delivers value to its intended users by providing a variety of relevant content and functions, while simultaneously opening up a potential transactional channel to those same users.

Developing a gamification system to increase customer lifetime value at MyGon

There have never been so many touch points between companies and consumers as there are today, which paradoxically makes it very challenging for companies to be able to retain and engage customers. Gamification is a strategy used by a large number of companies to increase customer engagement and customer lifetime value. This work aims at developing a gamification system for MyGon, a Portuguese startup working in the market of discounts and experiences. In addition to examining the literature concerning gamification, its elements and characteristics, recommendations were developed for addressing MyGon’s business goals of increasing conversion and customer engagement. The gamification mechanisms suggested include badges, missions, points, leaderboards and levels.

Customer Experience Management – How to Improve the Customer Experience Management and its Measurement

The main goal of this master’s thesis was to find out, how to improve customer experience management and measurement. This study is a qualitative case study, in which the data collection method has been interviews. In addition, some of the company’s customer experience measurement methods have been analyzed. The theoretical background is applied in practice by interviewing 5 representatives from the case company. In the case company, the management has launched a customer experience focused program, and given guidelines for customer experience improvement. In the case company, customer experience is measured with different methods, one example is asking the recommendation readiness from a customer. In order to improve the customer experience management, the case company should define, what the company means with customer experience and what kind of customer experience the company is aiming to create. After the encounter, the customer should be left with feelings of satisfaction, positivity and trust. The company should focus on easiness in its processes, on top of which the processes should work fluently. The customer experience management should be improved through systematic planning, and by combining and standardizing different measures. In addition, some channel-based measures should be used. The measurement conducted should be more customer focused, and the case company should form an understanding, which touch points are the most relevant to measure.

Innovation diffusion across firms

This chapter seeks to add to the study of innovation diffusion as enacted within the UK construction sector. Whereas using relevant theoretical frames as touch points, the chapter maps out challenges associated with understanding innovation diffusion within the UK construction sector. Central to the argument developed here is just how diverse the UK construction sector is, resulting in the need to focus upon a specific constituent perspective within the sector. It is argued that constituents of the UK construction sector experience the reality of innovation diffusion differently. The chosen focus here is medium-size and typically regionally based construction firms rather than the big guns, because statistics continually demonstrate that this group of smaller firms undertake more than 80% of the sector’s output. As is pointed out in other chapters in the present volume, and as argued theoretically in the industrial network perspective of chapter 7, firms do not innovate in a vacuum. Innovation and diffusion occur within networks of firms typically around a project. A framework drawing upon empirical data is provided to additional insight on the process and the interconnections. It is argued here that the unit of analysis or level of understanding termed the firm can actually be fairly unhelpful for understanding innovation and its manifestation and diffusion within the broader UK construction sector, because this occurs across networks of firms.

Personalized Communications : A Cross Media tool for the future

Personalized communication is when the marketing message is adapted to each individual by using information from a databaseand utilizing it in the various, different media channels available today. That gives the marketer the possibility to create a campaign that cuts through today’s clutter of marketing messages and gets the recipients attention. PODi is a non-profit organization that was started with the aim of contributing knowledge in the field of digital printingtechnologies. They have created a database of case studies showing companies that have successfully implemented personalizedcommunication in their marketing campaigns. The purpose of the project was therefore to analyze PODi case studies with the main objective of finding out if/how successfully the PODi-cases have been and what made them so successful. To collect the data found in the PODi cases the authors did a content analysis with a sample size of 140 PODi cases from the year 2008 to 2010. The study was carried out by analyzing the cases' measurable ways of success: response rate, conversion rate, visited PURL (personalized URL:s) and ROI (Return On Investment). In order to find out if there were any relationships to be found between the measurable result and what type of industry, campaign objective and media vehicle that was used in the campaign, the authors put up different research uestions to explore that. After clustering and merging the collected data the results were found to be quite spread but shows that the averages of response rates, visited PURL and conversion rates were consistently very high. In the study the authors also collected and summarized what the companies themselves claim to be the reasons for success with their marketing campaigns. The resultshows that the creation of a personalized campaign is complex and dependent on many different variables. It is for instance ofgreat importance to have a well thought-out plan with the campaign and to have good data and insights about the customer in order to perform creative personalization. It is also important to make it easy for the recipient to reply, to use several media vehicles for multiple touch points and to have an attractive and clever design.

“Digital Diagnostics and Communication (DDC) system” Redesigning the Emergency Ambulance

During the development of a new treatment space for the UK emergency ambulance participatory observations with front-line clinicians revealed the need for an integrated patient monitoring, communication and navigation system. The research identified the different information touch-points and requirements through modes of use analysis, day-in-the-life study and simulation workshops with clinicians. Emergency scenario and role-play with paramedics identified 5 distinct ambulance modes of use. Information flow diagrams were created and checked by paramedics and digital User Interface (UI) wireframes were developed and evaluated by clinicians during clinical evaluations. Feedback from clinicians defined UI design specification further leading to a final design proposal. This research was a further development from the 2007 EPSRC funded “Smart Pods” project. The resulting interactive prototype was co-designed in collaboration with ambulance crews and provides a vision of what could be achieved by integrating well-proven IT technologies and protocols into a package relevant in the emergency medicine field. The system has been reviewed by over 40 ambulance crews and is part of a newly co-designed ambulance treatment space.

Using text-mining-assisted analysis to examine the applicability of unstructured data in the context of customer complaint management

Double Degree

Psychometric properties of the parent-infant caregiving touch scale

Recent work in animals suggests that the extent of early tactile stimulation by parents of offspring is an important element in early caregiving. We evaluate the psychometric properties of a new parent-report measure designed to assess frequency of tactile stimulation across multiple caregiving domains in infancy. We describe the full item set of the Parent-Infant Caregiving Touch Scale (PICTS) and, using data from a UK longitudinal Child Health and Development Study, the response frequencies and factor structure and whether it was invariant over two time points in early development (5 and 9 weeks). When their infant was 9 weeks old, 838 mothers responded on the PICTS while a stratified subsample of 268 mothers completed PICTS at an earlier 5 week old assessment (229 responded on both occasions). Three PICTS factors were identified reflecting stroking, holding and affective communication. These were moderately to strongly correlated at each of the two time points of interest and were unrelated to, and therefore distinct from, a traditional measure of maternal sensitivity at 7-months. A wholly stable psychometry over 5 and 9-week assessments was not identified which suggests that behavior profiles differ slightly for younger and older infants. Tests of measurement invariance demonstrated that all three factors are characterized by full configural and metric invariance, as well as a moderate degree of evidence of scalar invariance for the stroking factor. We propose the PICTS as a valuable new measure of important aspects of caregiving in infancy.

The Dutch wish-list for a lighter regulatory touch from the EU. CEPS Commentary, 1 July 2013

The Dutch government set out the results of its review of EU competences on June 21st, under the slogan “European where necessary, national where possible”, claiming that the EU does not adequately respect the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. It published a list of 54 points for corrective action, which Michael Emerson assesses in this new CEPS Commentary. The political significance of this initiative is heightened because it comes alongside the UK's ongoing review of EU competences, although unlike the British, the Dutch make no mention of secession, treaty changes or repatriation of competences.

Analyse des obstacles et des facilitateurs concernant la participation au travail de personnes présentant un trouble de la personnalité limite : points de vue de différents acteurs clés

Résumé : Problématique : Le trouble de la personnalité limite (TPL) est une condition psychiatrique touchant environ 1 % de la population et 20 % de la clientèle recevant des services en psychiatrie (Gunderson et Links, 2008). L’un des domaines du fonctionnement dans la vie quotidienne le plus touché chez cette population est le travail (Gunderson et al., 2011; Larivière et al., 2010; Zanarini et al., 2012). À notre connaissance, aucune étude n’a décrit de façon approfondie la participation au travail des personnes présentant un TPL. Objectif : L’objectif général de cette étude vise à identifier et à décrire les obstacles, les facilitateurs de même que les solutions possibles de la participation au travail des personnes présentant un TPL selon leur point de vue et celui de leurs intervenants. Méthodologie : Une étude de cas multiples a été utilisée (Yin, 2009). Neuf cas ont été étudiés selon trois contextes socioprofessionnels de la participation au travail : A. Réintégration (personne en invalidité), B. Retour (personne en absence maladie) et C. Maintien au travail. Pour chacun des contextes, trois dyades incluant une personne avec un TPL (âgée de 18 à 55 ans) et son intervenant soutenant la participation au travail ont été interviewées. Résultats: Les résultats qualitatifs (n = 18) ont démontré que la participation au travail des personnes présentant un TPL est influencée par des facteurs individuels (p. ex., la réaction face à la pression et aux relations de travail, la régulation émotionnelle) ainsi que des facteurs liés aux acteurs et procédures des systèmes de l’assurance, organisationnel et de la santé (p. ex., la collaboration et la communication entre les acteurs, l’alliance de travail entre les acteurs et la personne présentant un TPL, les mesures d’accommodement et de soutien naturel dans le milieu de travail). Conclusions et implication clinique : Cette étude met en lumière le défi important et spécifique que représente la participation au travail pour les personnes présentant un TPL. Elle implique des facteurs personnels et environnementaux qui doivent être considérés par tous les acteurs impliqués (les utilisateurs de services, les professionnels de la santé, les assureurs et les employeurs). Les programmes de réadaptation au travail actuels devraient être bonifiés et coordonnés adéquatement avec les thérapies spécialisées afin d’aborder de manière optimale les enjeux liés à la participation au travail des personnes présentant un TPL.

Two-dimensional Ultrasound And Ultrasound Elastography Imaging Of Trigger Points In Women With Myofascial Pain Syndrome Treated By Acupuncture And Electroacupuncture: A Double-blinded Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Chronic pain has been often associated with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), which is determined by myofascial trigger points (MTrP). New features have been tested for MTrP diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate two-dimensional ultrasonography (2D US) and ultrasound elastography (UE) images and elastograms of upper trapezius MTrP during electroacupuncture (EA) and acupuncture (AC) treatment. 24 women participated, aged between 20 and 40 years (M ± SD = 27.33 ± 5.05) with a body mass index ranging from 18.03 to 27.59 kg/m2 (22.59 ± 3.11), a regular menstrual cycle, at least one active MTrP at both right (RTPz) and left trapezius (LTPz) and local or referred pain for up to six months. Subjects were randomized into EA and AC treatment groups and the control sham AC (SHAM) group. Intensity of pain was assessed by visual analogue scale; MTrP mean area and strain ratio (SR) by 2D US and UE. A significant decrease of intensity in general, RTPz, and LTPz pain was observed in the EA group (p = 0.027; p < 0.001; p = 0.005, respectively) and in general pain in the AC group (p < 0.001). Decreased MTrP area in RTPz and LTPz were observed in AC (p < 0.001) and EA groups (RTPz, p = 0.003; LTPz, p = 0.005). Post-treatment SR in RTPz and LTPz was lower than pre-treatment in both treatment groups. 2D US and UE effectively characterized MTrP and surrounding tissue, pointing to the possibility of objective confirmation of subjective EA and AC treatment effects.

Analysis of contamination of endodontic absorbent paper points

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the contamination status of endodontic absorbent paper points from sterilized or not sterilized commercial packs, as well as paper points exposed to the dental office environment. METHODS: Twenty absorbent paper points were evaluated for contamination status packed under different conditions: commercial/sterilized pack, commercial/non-sterilized pack, exposed to the clinical environment, and intentionally contaminated (positive control). Contamination was determined qualitatively and quantitatively by aerobiosis, capnophilic growth, and pour plate. The Petri dishes were analyzed with a colony counter, and the results were expressed as colony-forming units. The data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test (α=0.05). RESULTS: No difference in colony-forming units was found among the groups of endodontic absorbent paper points. All groups were contaminated by fungi and bacteria. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the sterilization of absorbent endodontic paper points before clinical use should be recommended regardless of commercial presentation

Microbiological indicators for the assessment of performance in the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system in meat lasagna production

The HACCP system is being increasingly used to ensure food safety. This study investigated the validation of the control measures technique in order to establish performance indicators of this HACCP system in the manufacturing process of Lasagna Bolognese (meat lasagna). Samples were collected along the manufacturing process as a whole, before and after the CCPs. The following microorganism s indicator (MIs) was assessed: total mesophile and faecal coliform counts. The same MIs were analyzed in the final product, as well as, the microbiological standards required by the current legislation. A significant reduction in the total mesophile count was observed after cooking (p < 0.001). After storage, there was a numerical, however non-significant change in the MI count. Faecal coliform counts were also significantly reduced (p < 0.001) after cooking. We were able to demonstrate that the HACCP system allowed us to meet the standards set by both, the company and the Brazilian regulations, proved by the reduction in the established indicators