EXPRESS: The Platformization of Brands

2021 ◽  
pp. 002224292110540
Author(s):  
Julian R. K. Wichmann ◽  
Nico Wiegand ◽  
Werner J. Reinartz

Digital platforms that aggregate products and services, such as Google Shopping or Amazon, have emerged as powerful intermediaries to brand offerings, challenging traditional product brands that have largely lost direct access to consumers. As a countermeasure, several long-established brands have built their own flagship platforms to resume control and foster consumer loyalty. For example, sports brands like Nike, adidas, or ASICS launched tracking and training platforms that allow for ongoing versatile interactions among participants beyond product purchase. The authors analyze these emerging platform offerings, whose potential brands struggle to exploit, and provide guidance for brands that aim to platformize their business. This guidance comprises the conceptualization of digital platforms as places of consumer crowdsourcing (i.e., consumers drawing value from platform participants such as the brand, other consumers, or third-party businesses) and crowdsending (i.e., consumers providing value to platform participants) of products, services, and content along with a well-defined framework that brands can apply to assemble different types of flagship platforms. Evaluating the consequences of crowdsourcing and crowdsending for consumer–platform relationships, the authors derive a typology of archetypical relationship states and develop a set of propositions to help offline-born product brands thrive through platformization.

Author(s):  
Tong Wu ◽  
Nikolas Martelaro ◽  
Simon Stent ◽  
Jorge Ortiz ◽  
Wendy Ju

This paper examines sensor fusion techniques for modeling opportunities for proactive speech-based in-car interfaces. We leverage the Is Now a Good Time (INAGT) dataset, which consists of automotive, physiological, and visual data collected from drivers who self-annotated responses to the question "Is now a good time?," indicating the opportunity to receive non-driving information during a 50-minute drive. We augment this original driver-annotated data with third-party annotations of perceived safety, in order to explore potential driver overconfidence. We show that fusing automotive, physiological, and visual data allows us to predict driver labels of availability, achieving an 0.874 F1-score by extracting statistically relevant features and training with our proposed deep neural network, PazNet. Using the same data and network, we achieve an 0.891 F1-score for predicting third-party labeled safe moments. We train these models to avoid false positives---determinations that it is a good time to interrupt when it is not---since false positives may cause driver distraction or service deactivation by the driver. Our analyses show that conservative models still leave many moments for interaction and show that most inopportune moments are short. This work lays a foundation for using sensor fusion models to predict when proactive speech systems should engage with drivers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2(May-August)) ◽  
pp. e342020
Author(s):  
Luciano Lopes Furlanetti ◽  
Matheus Fernando Manzolli Ballestero ◽  
Ricardo Santos De Oliveira

Introduction: Hydrocephalus is the most common neurosurgical condition among children worldwide and shunt diversion of the cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF) has been widely available. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review on types and models of shunt devices available and critically evaluate scientific evidence in favor of the usage of specific technologies. Methods: Searches of the PubMed database were performed for relevant articles published from until March 2020. Appropriate keywords were used to identify all studies, including: “shunt”, “technology”, “hydrocephalus”, “children”, “pediatric”. The indications and scientific evidence in favor of the usage of specific shunt technology for the treatment of hydrocephalus according to age, underlying pathology and other features of specific patients were discussed under the light of the current literature. Results: A total of 178 peer-reviewed papers were found. Out of them, only 21 matched our inclusion criteria and were finally selected. The papers were reviewed and described technology discussed below. A summary of the main types of shunts commercially available worldwide, including their respective working mechanism and construction was also included. Conclusion:Shunt technology has evolved during the last decades and continues to be intensively developed. Despite of the huge arsenal of different types of shunt systems currently available on the market, the treatment of hydrocephalus remains challenging. Investment in research, education and training, as well as prospective randomized multicentric controlled trials evaluating the role of specific valves in the treatment of individual group of hydrocephalic pediatric patients are urgently needed.


Author(s):  
Sabine Braun

The topic of this paper is Audio Description (AD) for blind and partially sighted people. I will outline a discourse-based approach to AD focussing on the role of mental modelling, local and global coherence, and different types of inferences (explicatures and implicatures). Applying these concepts to AD, I will discuss initial insights and outline questions for empirical research. My main aim is to show that a discourse-based approach to AD can provide an informed framework for research, training and practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Halil Dincer Kaya

We examine the relationship between `primary employment` and `business friendliness` of U.S. states. Do states with a low score in `business friendliness` worry small business owners too much and hence force them to run their business as their primary job? We look at several main components of `business friendliness` including `Ease of start`, `Ease of hire`, `Overall regulations`, and `Training and networking`. We also look at subcomponents including the different types of regulations and technology use. How does each of these factors affect a business owner’s decision to focus mainly on his/her business? We use the `United States Small Business Friendliness Survey` done by Kauffman Foundation and Thumptack.com in 2013 and converted the letter scores ranging from A+ to F in the survey to numerical scores ranging from 12 to 1 (i.e. 1 being the lowest score which corresponds to F). Therefore, after the conversion, each state has a numerical score on each business-friendliness category. The survey also asks business owners if they use the internet when starting a business, when paying their taxes, or when licensing. For each state, we compute the percentage of owners in each state using the internet when starting a business, when paying their taxes, or when licensing. We call these three percentage numbers for each state their `Internetstart`, `Internettax`, and `Internetlicensing` scores. Then, using the mean score for all states for each type of regulation or internet score, we divide the states into two groups: the `high-score states` and the `low-score states`. In our analysis, we use non-parametric tests to compare the `high-score states` to the `low-score states`. Our non-parametric tests show that although none of the main components (i.e. `Ease of start`, `Ease of hire`, `Overall regulations`, and `Training and networking`) seem to affect `primary employment`, the overall business friendliness score of a state significantly affects `primary employment`. When we examine the different types of regulations, we find that `Health and safety regulations`, `Licensing regulations`, and `Zoning regulations` affect `primary employment`. `Employment regulations`, `Tax code`, or `Environmental regulations` does not have a significant impact. These findings may indicate that business owners are more worried with regard to Health and safety regulations, Licensing regulations, and Zoning regulations, therefore more of them choose to take matters into their own hands. Another possible explanation may be the relative complexity of the tasks associated with these regulations. Finally, our results show that technology use in the entrepreneurial process does not affect `Primary employment`.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Suárez Sánchez ◽  
T Diaz Vico ◽  
M Fernández Hevia ◽  
M García Munar ◽  
C Ramos Montes ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION Telemedicine applied to surgery is called telementorization (TM). It allows remote assistance by expert surgeons to others with less experience in certain techniques, thus guaranteeing learning that overcomes the barriers of time and location without being associated with a higher rate of complications. The objective is to publicize the use of this type of technology in our surgical department, particularly needed with the current restrictions. MATERIAL AND METHODS In our center, the Proximie platform (www.proximie.com) is used as a tool for TM. It allows to remotely broadcast live procedures performed by expert surgeons, as well as to create a virtual library of our own procedures that can be used as study and teaching tool by residents. This platform transmits not only bidirectional image and sound, but it also allows the active participation of a remote assistant with interactive features that are projected directly on the screen of the local surgeon. RESULTS The Proximie platform is being used frequently (and more intensively during this time of greatest restrictions) in advanced colorectal surgeries, with TM by remote experts and in our department for the continuing training program for residents. It also offers the possibility of conducting multidisciplinary sessions and webinars with subsequent availability control online. CONCLUSIONS TM and digital platforms such as Proximie provide important benefits in the practical learning and training of surgeons, especially with the current restrictions, being a safe technique and a teaching tool to be exploited.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Areni

Purpose The purpose of this study is to show how non-random groupings of YouTube videos can be combined with automated text analysis (ATA) of user comments to conduct quasi-experiments on consumer sentiment towards different types of brands in a naturalistic setting. Design/methodology/approach NCapture extracted thousands of comments on multiple videos representing different experimental treatments and Leximancer revealed differences in the lexical patterns of user comments for different types of brands. Findings User comments consistently revealed hypothesized relationships between brand types, based on existing theory regarding motivations for nostalgia and the relationship between consumer preferences, online product ratings and purchases. These results demonstrate the viability of conducting quasi-experimental research in naturalistic settings via non-random groupings of YT videos and ATA of user comments. Research limitations/implications This research adopts a single quasi-experimental design: the non-equivalent group, after-only design. However, the same basic approach can be used with other quasi-experimental designs to examine different kinds of research questions. Originality/value Overall, this research points to the potential for ATA of comments on different categories of YT videos as a relatively straightforward approach for conducting field experiments that establish the ecological validity of laboratory findings. The method is easy to use and does not require the participation and cooperation of private, third party social media research companies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Guinau ◽  
Gloria Furdada

<p>The pandemic situation we are experiencing has forced us to transform face-to-face teaching into virtual teaching. Digital platforms hinder the interaction, discussion and feedback that naturally occur in a face-to-face class, but at the same time, they provide an opportunity to put the focus on the student’s learning rather than on content delivering. Learning include both, inductive and deductive processes; induction can be effectively acquired by using case studies; then, deduction can be achieved through comparison, analysis, generalisation and synthesis.  Digital platforms appear as an optimal resource to facilitate the individual and collaborative tasks and learning processes. In this work we present our experience on the landslide hazard subject (Master’s level) focussed on the student’s learning through the use of digital media.</p><p>Internet information of undeniable quality that can be easily accessed is basic: The Landslide Blog by Dave Petley (https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/) in Blogosphere hosted by AGU (American Geophysical Union) provides valuable and updated information on landslide events occurring worldwide. The learning activities are structured around several cases selected by the lecturer from the blog to ensure the analysis of the most frequent landslide types. All activities are developed in 8 steps: 1) The teacher presents the learning action (objective, tasks, and assessment guide) using a Genially platform interactive image; 2) Each student selects one of the proposed cases and compile relevant information about it; 3) Each student analyses the landslide characteristics, identifies the landslide type  and classifies it according to Hungr et al., 2014 (available through the educational virtual platform), and recognises the control and triggering factors (one virtual session is programmed and a forum tool is provided to the students to discuss and to solve doubts); 4) Each student selects and organizes the significant information about each case by building an interactive image in Genially; 5) Each student presents each case using his/her interactive image in a virtual session, which is recorded and uploaded to the educational platform; 6) Students peer evaluate the content and design of the interactive images and oral presentations based on the provided assessment guide; 7) During a predetermined time, students collaboratively compile all the information in a Google sheet table to synthesize the geomorphological characteristics, materials involved, mobilization mechanisms and control and triggering factors of the different types of landslides; 8) the synthetic table is discussed and  completed during a virtual session.</p><p>All the knowledge and skills acquired by students with these activities are put into practice in a two-day field trip where students have to identify, characterize and classify different types of landslides as well as their control and triggering factors. The risk situation and the mitigation strategies are discussed in each case and compared to the ones studied through virtual learning. Furthermore, students get used and learn how to clearly present information through virtual tools, as Genially, useful for dissemination purposes.</p><p>Hungr et al. 2014. The Varnes classification of landslide types, an update. Landslides 11(2). DOI: 10.1007/s10346-013-0436-y</p>


Author(s):  
Allison Galloup

The University of North Georgia, a recently consolidated university, has four libraries of varying sizes with different types of collections – ranging from libraries with larger sized book collections to libraries that rely on electronic resources. In addition to the differences in size and collections, the libraries also face the challenge of distance. This chapter follows the creation of an emergency plan, a recovery plan, and a continuity of operations plan for an academic library with four unique campus locations. The creation process begins with risk assessments of all four libraries, creating a team to write the plan, writing the plan and implementation and training for faculty and staff. The policies were written by a committee of five and included at least one representative from each campus.


2019 ◽  
pp. 275-296
Author(s):  
Lucy Jones

This chapter begins by defining agency—the relationship which exists between the agent and the principal—and considers the legal relationships created between an agent, his principal, and a third party. It then discusses the different methods by which an agency relationship may be created. The chapter explains the extent of an agent’s authority, the power of an agent to bind his principal, and the rights and duties of an agent. The relationship between agent, principal, and third party is explored and the different rules relating to disclosed and undisclosed agencies. Finally, the termination of an agency relationship is considered and examples of different types of agencies highlighted.


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