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We deploy technology that demonstrates the impact of academic insights
CitizenMe
CitizenMe
Together with Sheffield University and CitizenMe, a startup based in London, we successfully applied for a collaborative research grant from Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board) under the call "Enhancing Digital Interactions". This funded the expansion of our digital footprint research to new forms of data as well as the development of the CitizenMe app, a Personal Identity Management service designed to put everyday users of the internet back in control of their digital identity. An intuitive mobile interface allows users to visualise their digital information and decide what they are prepared to share and with whom, socially, altruistically or for profit. The app uses predictive models developed by us under the grant to present its users with feedback on their psychological profile based on the digital footprints they submit through the application.
Perfect Match
Perfect Match
We collaborated on the development of a personalised recruitment portal that gave prospective job applicants feedback on their digital footprint and suggested roles that they might be interested to learn more about. In an age where job seekers are increasingly concerned about how their social media activity might be perceived by recruiters, the Perfect Match app provides a positive example of the benefits of transparency. Creating an engaging and personalised dialogue at the early stages of a candidate's experience could also have a long-term impact on their happiness and performance in the organisation. We are actively investigating this and other research questions to better understand the future of social recruiting and the digital job markets. The app was for information only, and neither the social media data nor the resulting predictions were used in any recruitment decisions. The project won 35 awards internationally in several categories including innovation, candidate experience and excellence in HR technology.
Personalising Hospitality
Personalising Hospitality
We have worked with several communications agencies on research exploring the impact of psychological targeting and tailoring of marketing content. These efforts culminated in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that personality- optimised content can be twice as profitable as non-targeted content, supporting our view that the advertising ecosystem needs to be much better regulated to address the risks of Big Data. At the same time, personalisation of experiences with users' consent (and preserving anonymity) presents tremendous opportunities to increase engagement. The Holiday Matchmaker and Hilton Explorer apps did just that, offering users a personalised digital experience based on their data and recommending travel destinations that might suit their predicted personality profile. The apps had millions of users within months and were widely shared through social media.