24. Pop Culture Power: Dr Jennifer Beckett and Dr Eloise Faichney on boosting engagement with marketing know-how

StorytellingTalks and presentationsPop cultureMedia trainingInterdisciplinary collaborationMarketingStrategic commsMaking your work relatable
Written By Chris Pahlow

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Episode show notes

We dive into the worlds of marketing and pop culture with Dr. Jennifer Beckett and Dr. Eloise Faichney. They share lessons from industry that researchers can apply to engage the public, boost their research visibility, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

Jen and Eloise are both lecturers in media and comms at the University of Melbourne who spent time out in the industry before becoming academics.

They were key figures behind the Swiftposium, a hybrid academic conference on the cultural impact of Taylor Swift, which garnered media attention from outlets like the BBC, CNN, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, and more.

Together, we unpack the lessons they learned on how to make research resonate with broader audiences, leveraging pop culture to spark interest and communicate complex ideas in engaging ways.

Whether you're aiming to connect with the public or build meaningful interdisciplinary collaborations, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-world examples to help you amplify your research.

Our conversation covers:

  • How researchers can apply marketing and media strategies to engage the public and increase visibility

  • The importance of agility, creativity, and playfulness in academic communication

  • How to bridge the gap between professional staff and academics

  • Strategies for effective interdisciplinary collaboration

  • Lessons learned from organising the viral Swiftposium

  • Tips for researchers on crafting their career narrative

  • The value of being open to unexpected opportunities

  • How to balance academic rigour with public engagement

  • Supporting early-career researchers with media training to amplify their impact

Practical tips from this episode:

  • Embrace creativity and play:

    • When communicating your research, don’t be afraid to inject creativity and a sense of playfulness. Audiences connect more with ideas that are engaging and accessible.

    • “I think there is a real element of play that goes on... and I'd like to see universities be more open to play. We are often doing big and serious things in marketing and comms, but we don’t tend to look at them as if this all goes wrong, the world will end. That creativity and flexibility can help research feel more engaging.” – Dr. Jennifer Beckett

  • Leverage pop culture:

    • Tapping into current trends or popular culture, like the team did with the Swiftposium, can help your research reach a broader audience and make it more relatable. BUT, your appreciation has to be authentic! Otherwise you’ll risk being perceived as a pretender and turning off your target audience.

    • “Taylor Swift is a cultural phenomenon. She touches so many different disciplines in what she does... There are so many touch points in pop culture that can make academic research more relatable and understandable to wider audiences. It allows us to engage the public in a more accessible way.” – Dr. Eloise Faichney

  • Be agile with your communication strategy:

    • Adopt a flexible and responsive approach when working with media. Universities can often move slowly due to approval process, but being agile with your own comms and media outreach can help you seize opportunities as they arise.

    • “You can't plan for everything. Things will change and turn very quickly, particularly if the media gets interested in something that's happening in engagement. Our media team is really agile, but it’s about convincing the people in charge to let them have that agility. Universities need to embrace that agility too.” – Dr. Eloise Faichney

  • Prepare early for media engagement:

    • If possible, get media training early in your career so you're ready when opportunities arise. Understanding how to engage with media outlets can help avoid misrepresentation and increase the impact of your work.

    • “One of the things that I think should happen for every academic when they arrive on campus, whether or not they've come from industry or not, is that they should immediately be given media training, just basic media training. So if they do something and those calls come in, they actually have the capacity to take the call, to go on radio, to do whatever it is that they do... Rather than this sort of backward approach that we have is like, Oh, you've been doing lots of media interviews. Maybe you should get some media training... It’s so backward to me.” – Dr. Jennifer Beckett

  • Engage with the media proactively:

    • Don’t wait for media coverage to find you — actively engage with reporters and editors to promote your work in a way that aligns with your message.

    • “One of the things you learn in industry when you're doing PR is that you chase, you actually seek out the people to speak to when something hits and it's big. You’re putting the people in front of the media rather than waiting for the media to come to you.” – Dr. Jennifer Beckett

  • Know your audience:

    • Tailor your communication strategies based on who you are speaking to. Whether it’s the general public, industry professionals, or interdisciplinary academics, adjust your tone and approach accordingly.

    • “It’s about finding those angles or those points where we can talk to the public. You have to look for the connections that make your research relevant to different groups and meet them where they are.” – Dr. Eloise Faichney

Credits:

  • Host & Producer: Chris Pahlow

  • Edited by: Laura Carolina Corrigan

  • Consulting Producers: Maia Tarrell, Michelle Joy

  • Music by: La Boucle and Blue Steel, courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Chris Pahlow
Chris Pahlow is an independent writer/director currently in post-production on his debut feature film PLAY IT SAFE. Chris has been fascinated with storytelling since he first earned his pen license and he’s spent the last ten years bringing stories to life through music videos, documentaries, and short films.
http://www.chrispahlow.com
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