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Plastic not so Fantastic: How Digital Data Cleans the Oceans

isabella_vdvliesLeave a comment

Jone Frijlink, Isabella van der Vlies, Felix Bareiss & Cristiana Santos


(Photo: adege | pixabay)

I got 99 issues, but my PR-strategy ain’t one

Public Relations is about maintaining a good relationship with your stakeholders and can be considered a core task of corporate communication. A task that, with the rise of social media, became more turbulent and complex. As on the internet, users can discuss topics and issues in differing composition at an unprecedented rate. The place where these discussions take place, have been called issue arenas. As Luoma-aho, Tirkkonen, and Vos (2013) stated, it is not enough to merely monitor these issues at a distance; instead, organisations should actively participate in the debate. Tracking digital data provides organizations with a good opportunity to effectively monitor the issue arena and immediately respond when issues emerge. A great example is the collaboration of Meltwater and The Plastic Soup Foundation.

Cleaning the oceans while cleaning data

The overall goal of the Plastic Soup Foundation is clear and simple: ‘No plastic waste in our water!‘. Plastic waste in the oceans is a worldwide problem, thus issue arenas related to this topic can emerge worldwide too. To help the Plastic Soup Foundation effectively monitor these arenas, the market research company Meltwater analyzes digital data daily retrieved from 270.000 news sources and 30 million social media sources in 205 countries and 87 languages. With the use of machine learning they identify topic trends in real time, as well as the reach and sentiment surrounding campaigns. This way, the Plastic Soup Foundation gained insights into where and how they are mentioned, revealing stakeholders in countries of which they had no idea that they were mentioned so often. For example, when the data report showed that ‘plastic’ was a hot topic in Denmark, the Plastic Soup Foundation decided to launch a campaign earlier, jumping right into the issue arena and optimizing the effect of their campaign. This case shows how digital analytics can help in developing an optimal PR strategy.  

Plethics

The case clearly indicates that the Plastic Soup Foundation and Meltwater looked at social media data. Academic emphasise the fact that although social media data is public is does not automatically mean that it can be used without permission of the users. Some even consider it unethical. However, by actively reflecting on their accountability and the consequences for the privacy of the subjects, MeltWater could still use the data in an ethical way. When taking this into account, the Plastic Soup Foundation can reap the benefits of monitoring their environment, without worrying about the privacy of their stakeholders.

Right on board

It can be considered positive that the Plastic Soup Foundation called in an expert to help gathering and analyzing digital data as Meltwater is (probably) aware of their responsibilities and ramifications of using digital data. Also, MeltWater seems to recognise the value of small data (compared to big data), as they do not focus on the size of issue arenas, but especially on their content and sentiment. Finally, when identifying issue arenas, MeltWater creates a clear picture of the context in which posts were shared, minimizing the chance that they lose their initial meaning.

Missing the boat

Although the case of the Plastic Soup Foundation is a good example to show how PR and digital data can be combined, it has its limitations as well. Online issue arenas should not be considered equal to actual public opinion. As on social media platforms, a small group of users can be very active, while the majority remains silent. The minority thus sets the tone of the discussion, making it hard to assess the actual sentiment. This has been referred to as the ‘vocal minority’, and should be taken into consideration when forming a PR-strategy based on digital data. Because, interpreting the online topics as equal to ‘hot topics’ in real life, might cause the Plastic Soup Foundation to miss the boat.

References:

boyd, danah, & Crawford, K. (2012). Critical Questions for Big Data. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 662–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2012.678878

Case Studies | Meltwater. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.meltwater.com/nl/case-studies/

Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (1992). Models of public relations and communication. In J. E. Grunig (Ed.), Excellence in public relations and communication management (pp. 285-325). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

Grunig, J. E., Grunig, L. A., & Dozier, D. M. (2006). The excellence theory. Public relations theory II, 21-62.

Informatie over de organisatie achter de Plastic Soup Foundation. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/organisatie/over-psf/

Luoma-aho, V., Tirkkonen, V., & Vos, M. (2013). Monitoring the issue arenas of the swine-flu discussion. Journal of Communication Management, 17(3), pp. 239-251.

Luoma-aho, V., & Vos, M. (2010). Towards a more dynamic stakeholder model: acknowledging multiple issue arenas. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 15(3), 315-331.

Jone Frijlink, Isabella van der Vlies, Felix Bareiss & Cristiana Santos

I got 99 issues, but my PR-strategy ain’t one

Public Relations is about maintaining a good relationship with your stakeholders and can be considered a core task of corporate communication. A task that, with the rise of social media, became more turbulent and complex. As on the internet, users can discuss topics and issues in differing composition at an unprecedented rate. The place where these discussions take place, have been called issue arenas. As Luoma-aho, Tirkkonen, and Vos (2013) stated, it is not enough to merely monitor these issues at a distance; instead, organisations should actively participate in the debate. Tracking digital data provides organizations with a good opportunity to effectively monitor the issue arena and immediately respond when issues emerge. A great example is the collaboration of Meltwater and The Plastic Soup Foundation.

Cleaning the oceans while cleaning data

The overall goal of the Plastic Soup Foundation is clear and simple: ‘No plastic waste in our water!‘. Plastic waste in the oceans is a worldwide problem, thus issue arenas related to this topic can emerge worldwide too. To help the Plastic Soup Foundation effectively monitor these arenas, the market research company Meltwater analyzes digital data daily retrieved from 270.000 news sources and 30 million social media sources in 205 countries and 87 languages. With the use of machine learning they identify topic trends in real time, as well as the reach and sentiment surrounding campaigns. This way, the Plastic Soup Foundation gained insights into where and how they are mentioned, revealing stakeholders in countries of which they had no idea that they were mentioned so often. For example, when the data report showed that ‘plastic’ was a hot topic in Denmark, the Plastic Soup Foundation decided to launch a campaign earlier, jumping right into the issue arena and optimizing the effect of their campaign. This case shows how digital analytics can help in developing an optimal PR strategy.  

Plethics

The case clearly indicates that the Plastic Soup Foundation and Meltwater looked at social media data. Academic emphasise the fact that although social media data is public is does not automatically mean that it can be used without permission of the users. Some even consider it unethical. However, by actively reflecting on their accountability and the consequences for the privacy of the subjects, MeltWater could still use the data in an ethical way. When taking this into account, the Plastic Soup Foundation can reap the benefits of monitoring their environment, without worrying about the privacy of their stakeholders.

Right on board

It can be considered positive that the Plastic Soup Foundation called in an expert to help gathering and analyzing digital data as Meltwater is (probably) aware of their responsibilities and ramifications of using digital data. Also, MeltWater seems to recognise the value of small data (compared to big data), as they do not focus on the size of issue arenas, but especially on their content and sentiment. Finally, when identifying issue arenas, MeltWater creates a clear picture of the context in which posts were shared, minimizing the chance that they lose their initial meaning.

Missing the boat

Although the case of the Plastic Soup Foundation is a good example to show how PR and digital data can be combined, it has its limitations as well. Online issue arenas should not be considered equal to actual public opinion. As on social media platforms, a small group of users can be very active, while the majority remains silent. The minority thus sets the tone of the discussion, making it hard to assess the actual sentiment. This has been referred to as the ‘vocal minority’, and should be taken into consideration when forming a PR-strategy based on digital data. Because, interpreting the online topics as equal to ‘hot topics’ in real life, might cause the Plastic Soup Foundation to miss the boat.

References:

boyd, danah, & Crawford, K. (2012). Critical Questions for Big Data. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 662–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2012.678878

Case Studies | Meltwater. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.meltwater.com/nl/case-studies/

Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (1992). Models of public relations and communication. In J. E. Grunig (Ed.), Excellence in public relations and communication management (pp. 285-325). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

Grunig, J. E., Grunig, L. A., & Dozier, D. M. (2006). The excellence theory. Public relations theory II, 21-62.

Informatie over de organisatie achter de Plastic Soup Foundation. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/organisatie/over-psf/

Luoma-aho, V., Tirkkonen, V., & Vos, M. (2013). Monitoring the issue arenas of the swine-flu discussion. Journal of Communication Management, 17(3), pp. 239-251.

Luoma-aho, V., & Vos, M. (2010). Towards a more dynamic stakeholder model: acknowledging multiple issue arenas. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 15(3), 315-331.

Plastic not so Fantastic: How Digital Data Cleans the Oceans

isabella_vdvliesLeave a comment

(Photo: free-photos | pixabay)

Jone Frijlink, Isabella van der Vlies, Felix Bareiss & Cristiana Santos

I got 99 issues, but my PR-strategy ain’t one

Public Relations is about maintaining a good relationship with your stakeholders and can be considered a core task of corporate communication. A task that, with the rise of social media, became more turbulent and complex. As on the internet, users can discuss topics and issues in differing composition at an unprecedented rate. The place where these discussions take place, have been called issue arenas. As Luoma-aho, Tirkkonen, and Vos (2013) stated, it is not enough to merely monitor these issues at a distance; instead, organisations should actively participate in the debate. Tracking digital data provides organizations with a good opportunity to effectively monitor the issue arena and immediately respond when issues emerge. A great example is the collaboration of Meltwater and The Plastic Soup Foundation.

Cleaning the oceans while cleaning data

The overall goal of the Plastic Soup Foundation is clear and simple: ‘No plastic waste in our water!‘. Plastic waste in the oceans is a worldwide problem, thus issue arenas related to this topic can emerge worldwide too. To help the Plastic Soup Foundation effectively monitor these arenas, the market research company Meltwater analyzes digital data daily retrieved from 270.000 news sources and 30 million social media sources in 205 countries and 87 languages. With the use of machine learning they identify topic trends in real time, as well as the reach and sentiment surrounding campaigns. This way, the Plastic Soup Foundation gained insights into where and how they are mentioned, revealing stakeholders in countries of which they had no idea that they were mentioned so often. For example, when the data report showed that ‘plastic’ was a hot topic in Denmark, the Plastic Soup Foundation decided to launch a campaign earlier, jumping right into the issue arena and optimizing the effect of their campaign. This case shows how digital analytics can help in developing an optimal PR strategy.  

Plethics

The case clearly indicates that the Plastic Soup Foundation and Meltwater looked at social media data. Academic emphasise the fact that although social media data is public is does not automatically mean that it can be used without permission of the users. Some even consider it unethical. However, by actively reflecting on their accountability and the consequences for the privacy of the subjects, MeltWater could still use the data in an ethical way. When taking this into account, the Plastic Soup Foundation can reap the benefits of monitoring their environment, without worrying about the privacy of their stakeholders.

Right on board

It can be considered positive that the Plastic Soup Foundation called in an expert to help gathering and analyzing digital data as Meltwater is (probably) aware of their responsibilities and ramifications of using digital data. Also, MeltWater seems to recognise the value of small data (compared to big data), as they do not focus on the size of issue arenas, but especially on their content and sentiment. Finally, when identifying issue arenas, MeltWater creates a clear picture of the context in which posts were shared, minimizing the chance that they lose their initial meaning.

Missing the boat

Although the case of the Plastic Soup Foundation is a good example to show how PR and digital data can be combined, it has its limitations as well. Online issue arenas should not be considered equal to actual public opinion. As on social media platforms, a small group of users can be very active, while the majority remains silent. The minority thus sets the tone of the discussion, making it hard to assess the actual sentiment. This has been referred to as the ‘vocal minority’, and should be taken into consideration when forming a PR-strategy based on digital data. Because, interpreting the online topics as equal to ‘hot topics’ in real life, might cause the Plastic Soup Foundation to miss the boat.

References:

boyd, danah, & Crawford, K. (2012). Critical Questions for Big Data. Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 662–679. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2012.678878

Case Studies | Meltwater. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.meltwater.com/nl/case-studies/

Grunig, J. E., & Grunig, L. A. (1992). Models of public relations and communication. In J. E. Grunig (Ed.), Excellence in public relations and communication management (pp. 285-325). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

Grunig, J. E., Grunig, L. A., & Dozier, D. M. (2006). The excellence theory. Public relations theory II, 21-62.

Informatie over de organisatie achter de Plastic Soup Foundation. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/organisatie/over-psf/

Luoma-aho, V., Tirkkonen, V., & Vos, M. (2013). Monitoring the issue arenas of the swine-flu discussion. Journal of Communication Management, 17(3), pp. 239-251.

Luoma-aho, V., & Vos, M. (2010). Towards a more dynamic stakeholder model: acknowledging multiple issue arenas. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 15(3), 315-331.

App of the week: How Diabetes+Me™ Rx helped me manage my condition

nicpapacLeave a comment

Today I am going to present Rimidi to you, a clinical decision support company, dedicated to finding more effective ways of managing chronic diseases, which, as I know all too well, require constant attention and an intensive schedule. With products like Diabetes+Me™ Rx[1], a glucose management software, Rimidi enables patients with diabetes like me to create personalized and targeted treatments, and can facilitate the communication with doctors, who are able to track the treatment’s progress remotely.

Rimidi has created an effective two-way communication network between diabetics and their doctors, primarily through their use of data analytics. The company developed a cloud-based software which enables patients to enhance their monitoring by combining the data from multiple sources such as FitBit, Apple Watch, glucose monitors and other tracking systems[2]. The data collected from each patient is securely stored and combined in a database in the company’s cloud. Through a predictive analysis of Big Data, the app provides insights into the patient’s condition, thus helping doctors identify the most suitable treatment for every person[3]. Care teams are enabled by the app to visualize the expected impact of the treatment, which has improved clinical outcomes, as demonstrated in experimental trials[4].

After I was given access to the app by my doctor, check-ups became quicker and more efficient. I don’t even need to meet my doctor in person, who automatically receives my data and can get back to me through Diabetes+Me™ Rx. The app tracks my food intake, glucose levels, exercise routines, among other health-related data, and helps me to closely follow my condition and to develop personalized health goals, such as reducing my average blood sugar levels[5]. Before Rimidi, I had to schedule regular appointments, record my results and activities manually and was responsible for communicating my health status to the doctor myself.

Like with any other medical app utilizing Big Data, there are ethical and privacy concerns that need to be taken into consideration. In order to diminish our privacy concerns, Rimidi has to ensure that the medical records are safely stored and not shared with third parties without patients’ explicit consent. Furthermore, access to the app is not universal, which can potentially contribute to expanding the digital divide in healthcare. Nevertheless, it must be noted that controlling the access to the app is key to sustaining a quality database for reliable predictions. By only allowing actual diabetes patients to enter their data into the system, Rimidi is preventing false data entries by non-diabetics or saboteurs which could disrupt the predictive algorithm.

Finally, I would like to highlight several limitations of the app. First, in order to guarantee correct results, patients must keep track of their diet and glucose levels and enter this data into the system frequently. The algorithm can provide me with accurate predictions and advice only if I feed it with accurate data. Second, even if patients enter their data regularly and accurately, the algorithm is not infallible and should not be considered a replacement for a doctor. The app’s output is meant to serve only as a guidepost facilitating the decision-making process of the patient and their doctor. Still, the app is as a powerful tool for diabetes management and facilitates patient-doctor communication by eliminating the barriers that stalled the efficient treatment of chronic patients. Rimidi has brought the best of Big Data into healthcare, and has provided me and other diabetics with a tool that makes our lives much easier.

References:

[1] Rimidi Diabetes (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://atdc.org/companies/rimidi-diabetes/

[2] Matos, A. (2018, May 8). Personalized Digital Health Is The Future For Chronic Conditions [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanamatos/2018/05/08/personalized-digital-health-is-the-future-for-chronic-conditions/?fbclid=IwAR0eTOfRnKVsSUEOEgPC4aH7XAua3O4AskUginN49fP9Wn2WRZTBSQnyrp8#8a893ca1e5bc

[3] Health Level Seven (2017, April 12). FHIR Applications Roundtable 2017: Lucie Ide – RIMIDI [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsmxC99RDns

[4] Back, K. (2016, February 16). Rimidi Remedies Chronic Disease with Diabetes+Me [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://hypepotamus.com/companies/rimidi-diabetes/

[5] Beilin, H. (2018, October 22). Digital Health Startup Rimidi Is Getting to the Heart of the Chronic Disease Epidemic: Underserved Neighborhoods [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://hypepotamus.com/news/rimidi-partners-cvs-reduce-diabetes/



App of the week: How Diabetes+Me™ Rx helps patients to manage their condition

nicpapacLeave a comment

Rimidi is a clinical decision support company, dedicated to finding more effective ways of managing chronic diseases, which require constant attention and an intensive schedule. With products like Diabetes+Me™ Rx[1], a glucose management software, Rimidi enables patients with diabetes to create personalized and targeted treatments, and facilitate communication with their doctor, who is able to track the treatment’s progress remotely.

Rimidi has created an effective two-way communication network between diabetics and their doctors, primarily through their use of data analytics. The company developed a cloud-based software which enables patients to enhance their monitoring by combining the data from multiple sources such as FitBit, Apple Watch, glucose monitors and other tracking systems[2]. The data collected from each patient is securely stored and combined in a database in the company’s cloud. Through a predictive analysis of Big Data, the app provides insights into the patient’s condition, thus helping doctors identify the most suitable treatment for every person[3]. Care teams are enabled by the app to visualize the expected impact of the treatment, which has improved clinical outcomes, as demonstrated in experimental trials[4].

The app allows for more efficient and quicker check-ups with the doctor, who automatically receives the data on the patient and is able to communicate with the patient through Diabetes+Me™ Rx. The app tracks the user’s food intake, glucose levels, exercise routines, among other health-related data, and enables them to closely follow their condition and to develop personalized health goals[5]. Before Rimidi, patients had to schedule regular appointments, record their results and activities manually and were responsible for communicating their health status to their doctor themselves.

Like with any other medical app utilizing Big Data, there are ethical and privacy concerns that need to be taken into consideration. In order to diminish privacy concerns, Rimidi has to ensure that the medical records are safely stored and not shared with third parties without patients’ explicit consent. Furthermore, access to the app is not universal, which can potentially contribute to expanding the digital divide in healthcare. Nevertheless, it must be noted that controlling the access to the app is key to sustaining a quality database for reliable predictions. By only allowing actual diabetes patients to enter their data into the system, Rimidi is preventing false data entries by non-diabetics or saboteurs which could disrupt the predictive algorithm.

Finally, there are several limitations that need to be taken into account. First, in order to guarantee correct results, patients must keep track of their diet and glucose levels and enter this data into the system frequently. The algorithm can provide users with accurate predictions and advice only if the data given to it by the patients is also accurate. Second, even if patients enter their data regularly and accurately, the algorithm is not infallible and should not be considered a replacement for a doctor. The app’s output is meant to serve only as a guidepost facilitating the decision-making process of the patient and their doctor. Still, the app is as a powerful tool for diabetes management and facilitates patient-doctor communication by eliminating the barriers that stalled the efficient treatment of chronic patients. Rimidi has brought the best of Big Data into healthcare, and has provided diabetics with a tool that makes their lives much easier.

References:

[1] Rimidi Diabetes (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://atdc.org/companies/rimidi-diabetes/

[2] Matos, A. (2018, May 8). Personalized Digital Health Is The Future For Chronic Conditions [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanamatos/2018/05/08/personalized-digital-health-is-the-future-for-chronic-conditions/?fbclid=IwAR0eTOfRnKVsSUEOEgPC4aH7XAua3O4AskUginN49fP9Wn2WRZTBSQnyrp8#8a893ca1e5bc

[3] Health Level Seven (2017, April 12). FHIR Applications Roundtable 2017: Lucie Ide – RIMIDI [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsmxC99RDns

[4] Back, K. (2016, February 16). Rimidi Remedies Chronic Disease with Diabetes+Me [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://hypepotamus.com/companies/rimidi-diabetes/

[5] Beilin, H. (2018, October 22). Digital Health Startup Rimidi Is Getting to the Heart of the Chronic Disease Epidemic: Underserved Neighborhoods [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: https://hypepotamus.com/news/rimidi-partners-cvs-reduce-diabetes/