What makes a good story? Marketing forum December 2014

What makes a good story?

Marketing forumDecember 2014


The purpose of today’s session is:

•to break down and discuss why a piece of content might generate interest for the University, raise its reputation or help it to market itself•to act as an inspiration•to stimulate opportunities for collaboration

Our panel

Ross BarkerEmma Gilmartin

Professor David ClarkLiz Buie

Katy McNair

What we’re going to talk about today

• A series of stories that demonstrate elements of ‘good’ content

• What your opinions are about what works and what doesn’t and why

Let’s get started.

Stem cell-powered implant set to revolutionise orthopaedic surgery

Scientists at the University of Glasgow are working to harness the regenerative power of stem cells to improve orthopaedic implant surgery.

They are collaborating with surgeons at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital to develop a new type of orthopaedic implant which could be considerably stronger and more long-lived than the current generation of products.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2012/august/headline_240245_en.html

http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2012/august/headline_240245_en.html

Prestigious award for University of Glasgow nanofabrication expert

A University of Glasgow physicist has joined some of the world’s most celebrated scientists in receiving a rare award. Professor Douglas Paul received the Institute of Physics President’s Medal at an event in London.

Just eight of the medals have been presented since the award’s inception in 1998. Past recipients include particle physicist and broadcaster Professor Brian Cox in 2012 and Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, in 2006.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_365002_en.html


Energy engineers call for new regulatory framework for fracking

Leading energy engineers are suggesting that UK regulations on the surface vibrations caused by shale gas fracking are unnecessarily restrictive.

University of Glasgow academics state in a new paper that widely applying restrictions similar to those currently in force on fracking would require a ban on heavy vehicles from passing houses or walking on wooden floors.



£1m project sets out to find mental illness ‘fingerprint’ in brainwaves

A team of psychologists and psychiatrists are beginning research on a brainwave ‘fingerprint’ which could identify young people at risk of developing serious mental illness.

Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh are looking to recruit 100 volunteers aged between 16 and 35 for a new £1m project which will measure their brain activity and examine changes in their mental state for a period of up to two years.



Edward Snowden installed as University Rector

Edward Snowden was inaugurated as Rector of the University of Glasgow at a ceremony held in the University’s Bute Hall today (23 April 2014).

The Rector of the University of Glasgow is elected by the registered students of the University, and the main role of the Rector is to represent the University’s students. Mr Snowden takes over from the Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP and will hold the office for the next three years.

As part of the Rectorial installation, Mr Snowden presented his inaugural address via video link to staff and students.



Sources substantiate claim that Doctor Who may have graduated from University

New research by archivists supports claims made by Doctor Who that the celebrated Time Lord may at some point have received a Doctorate from the University of Glasgow.

The question of how and when the Doctor was awarded his Doctorate has eluded Whovians for decades. Given his adventures travelling through time and space, keeping the world safe from evil monsters, it is perhaps not surprising that the Doctor’s matriculation record is less than straightforward. Revelations made in the episode ‘Death in Heaven’, broadcast on Saturday 8 November seemed to answer that question when the Doctor’s companion Clara Oswald referred to the degree he was awarded by the University of Glasgow.



Is Dr Who a graduate?

Hospitals and end of life care – reactions to a paper

Labouring in the fields of academia can so often result in a product that is consumed only by a few like minded folk. So it can be quite a surprise when our efforts resonate widely with a larger community of interest.

On 17 March we published our paper on Imminence of death in hospital patients

The media reaction was extraordinary – inspiring to the authors, rewarding for the the Palliative Medicine journal editorial team, and testimony to the reach that can be achieved when a University and publisher work together to generate interest in a publication.

http://endoflifestudies.academicblogs.co.uk/hospitals-and-end-of-life-care-reactions-to-a-paper/

Vet students offer free healthcare to furry friends of the homeless

Homeless people in Glasgow can now seek free veterinary care for their faithful furry friends.

A group of students from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow have established the Trusty Paws Clinic which will provide free services for the pets of the homeless.


Fruit juice – just another sugary drink?

Drinking fruit juice is potentially just as bad for you as drinking sugar-sweetened drinks because of its high sugar content, two medical researchers from the University of Glasgow have warned.

Writing in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, Professor Naveed Sattar and Dr Jason Gill – both of the university’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences – call for better labelling of fruit juice containers to make explicit to consumers that they should drink no more than 150ml a day.


Malaria mystery solved by scientists

Researchers have unlocked the long-standing mystery of how the malaria parasite initiates the process of passing from human to human.

Using a battery of high-tech approaches, scientists from the University of Glasgow and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, near Cambridge, have identified the factor that the parasite must produce to begin the process of passing from human to mosquito and, therefore, completing its full life cycle.

This discovery opens up the way to potential new drug treatments that would prevent transmission of the disease.


New light cast on ill-fated ‘Franklin Expedition’ to find Northwest Passage

Fresh analysis of forensic and other historical data by University of Glasgow scientists has cast new light on the fate of Captain Sir John Franklin’s Royal Navy expedition to find the Northwest Passage nearly 170 years ago.

The disappearance of the “Franklin expedition”, which set off in 1845, made international headlines and led to the biggest search and rescue mission in history.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2014/january/headline_301759_en.html

Education project uncovers seaside rock stars

Under-appreciated marine life and landforms are enjoying a rare moment in the spotlight thanks to a new education project from the University of Glasgow.

The Shore Shapers information pack is the first widely-available effort to highlight the important role animals, algae and microscopic life forms play in sculpting our seaside landscapes.


Any questions, insights or comments?

So…


Good stories…

• are topical• may include a call to action• inspire• can provoke debate• have good timing• can be celebratory• have human interest• can benefit from being audience-specific• may explore potentially contentious topics• may be weird, which makes them memorable

• explore universal themes• make you feel good• provoke empathy• can be audience-specific• are engaging• may create community• benefit from strong images

Share your stories

• Ross Barker: [email protected]• Liz Buie: [email protected]• Emma Gilmartin: [email protected]• Katy McNair: [email protected]• Michelle Crane: [email protected]

Follow David’s blog and his tweets:http://endoflifestudies.academicblogs.co.uk/ and @dumfriesshire

Thank you.

Documents

What makes a good story? Marketing forum December 2014