Researcher helps scholars promote their work's societal impact

"A breakthrough discovery in marketing strategy sits behind an academic paywall. A policy solution to a pressing social issue remains buried in a scholarly journal. Innovative research that could transform business practices never reaches the executives who need it most. This disconnect affects a large number of academic works: business leaders and policymakers engage with less than 15% of published research, leaving valuable insights underutilized."

"To address the gap, Quan Xie, a digital advertising researcher at SMU's Temerlin Advertising Institute, collaborated with an international team to develop two frameworks that use digital marketing strategies to help academics expand their reach beyond scholarly circles and amplify their work's societal impact. "Academia has historically found it challenging to spread the word about research outside its circles," she said."

A large portion of academic research fails to reach business leaders and policymakers, with less than 15% of published work engaged by those audiences. Digital marketing and personal branding offer practical routes to increase research visibility and real-world uptake. Two complementary frameworks were developed: a dual-path approach combining strategic personal brand development with optimized digital dissemination, and the DESTINY strategy (Digital, Engagement, Storytelling, Time, Innovation, Network, Yield) to structure communication and overcome barriers between marketing theory and practice. These approaches aim to help scholars extend reach beyond scholarly circles and enhance societal impact.

Read at Phys