Revision

 Revision 

Section A

Globalisation - The distribution/production of media and interaction across global industries, internationally, following the benefits of web 2.0. The use of web technology allows for small media producers, to work across the globe to aid production and distribution.

Globalisation aids in crowdsourcing through allowing producers to find relevant talent via social media channels and online technologies (e.g. Teams). Globalisation also makes it easier to establish a global media brand and to spread the brand's message due to the virality of social media. This means audiences can use and have products distributed to/from different countries/locations without having to be in those locations. 

When crowdsourcing, using sites like LinkedIn, as a benefit of Web 2.0, can allow media producers to find relevant talent, as a service dedicated to employment. Options in the site like the 'endorsement' function, encourage the use of these functions as they put talent with more endorsements in front of employers. Other channels which aren't directly designed for employment/crowdsourcing, such as Instagram, can still be used for job postings. 

Globalisation assisted people with being able to work from home with online management tools like Microsoft Teams or Asana, meaning employees can work geographically (almost) anywhere, provided an internet connection/blackbox device. This also means that more qualified talent can be reached out to in different countries; this subsequently decreases cost.

Moral Panics & Misinformation

Media companies like the BBC avoid moral panics/misinformation through providing impartial news to the world with verified sources; the BBC are reliable because as a PSB, they must provide a service, one impartial due to the purchase of the TV license from their viewers to fund the BBC. Other news channels like Fox News however, can elicit impartial news due to its owner, Rupert Murdoch, as the channel reflects the values of its owner who is right wing.

Some moral panics incited by misinformation include: 5G giving covid, toilet paper shortages, Slender Man and Momo inducing suicide or D&D players being Satanists or Andrew Tate's misogynistic influence. 

Online Community

Electronic Agora is any online community (such as Discord or Reddit) sharing ideas. 

Wikinomics (Tapscott & Williams) is how media technologies from Web 2.0 have changed how we produce and distribute media, with the benefit of globalisation. Examples of wikinomics are openness (transparency with audiences) and creating a web utopia. 

A web utopia is the theory that media technologies will improve, following wikinomics, as time progresses and technology develops through diversification, as a benefit of electronic agora.

The internet also comes at a risk of a web dystopia which elicits trolls to create online disputes and moral panics. 

Examples must link to social media/globalisation, clear to their use and are verifiable

Section B

What Product is the campaign for? 

My Life TV, television station, 'Search for a Star'

When will the campaign start?

June

Who is your target audience?

16-19 year old students

What social media platforms will you use - ideas for each:

Tik Tok - Create a hashtag to incite folksonomy (#searchforastar) where 16-19 year olds can record themselves playing music for a chance to be seen by the My Life TV social media accounts as a competition; then the winners going to the sets in short trailers, accompanied by the City Council members - UGC

Instagram - Responding to entries of #searchforastar through tagging featured winners from Tik Tok competition on stories and edited reels featuring a highlight reel of each winner with accompanying music (pop e.g. The Weeknd to appeal to teenage audience)

Twitter - Tag My Life TV presenters (The Racers) collaborating with Audio Rack reviewing the different guitars of Audio rack through short videos of the reviews and accompanying descriptions 

Facebook - Create electronic agora through a QR code on billboards (blended marketing to reach secondary audience) for the TV show which targets parents on their commute so they can see and spread information to other parents on Facebook, due to its older demographic which vicariously reaches the student children as they support each other in Facebook message groups and crowdsource ideas between each other for user generated content to go into the show, linking an online local community 

Key Terms: Term is Key. Key is King

Key Terms

Wikinomics: Built on four ideas which explain how technology has changed how we produce and distribute media (e.g. being able to access newspapers online now instead of physically): 

• Openness - Including not only open standards and content but also financial transparency and an open attitude towards external ideas and resources (companies and how finances were ran in businesses and at home with web purchases)
• Peering -  Replacing the hierarchal models with a collaborative forum. Tapscott and Williams identified Linux as the 'quintessential example of peering'
• Sharing - A less proprietary approach to products, IP's, bandwidth and scientific knowledge.
• Acting Globally - Embracing globalization and challenging physical and geographical boundaries for both corporations and individual users. Audiences and prosumers are able to interact and collaborate with the rest of the world via social media. 

Global Village: An online community brought together through the internet from across international borders

Social Media Aggregation: Collecting information through social media tools

Sales Funnel: A sales tactic created to optimise audience engagement through:

• Generating leads
• Building credibility
• Staying on top of mind
• Driving a sweet spot
• Strengthening relationships
• Earning referrals

Grassroot Production: An indie production (low-budget, small team, early project)

Prosumer: A consumer which also creates content

Crowdsourcing: Gaining ideas/feedback from an audience

Crowdfunding: Gaining income via donations from an audience

Globalization: The reach toward audiences globally/internationally

Online Project Management Tools:

Synergy: Cross promoting a product across multiple platforms (e.g. An Instagram page with a link to a Tik Tok account)

Blended Marketing: Blending both traditional and viral/online marketing methods

Folksonomy: Encouraging audiences to create User Generated Content (UGC) through interacting with your product

Electronic Agora: An online community 

Moral Panics: The Vexes of Virtue

Moral Panics

Morals: Standards of behaviour; principles of rights & wrongs, the lesser or greater evil.

Panic: Sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly irrational behaviour.

History

The Idea of a moral panic is someone or something evil/negative which is threatening the normal way of life. Historically these include witch hunts between the 1400's-1700's, communist propaganda & spies amidst the Cold War, anti-semitism and the hunt for Jewish people in Nazi Germany during WW2. 

Before the 1990's, moral panics were spread by word of mouth, rumors and tabloid journalism however, with the introduction of the internet, misinformation and moral panics can be spread like wildfire by masses of people misinformed or uneducated on the subject. This has become almost synonymous with mass hysteria.

Stanley Cohen (1972): Stanley Cohen created the 'moral panics' theory in media, where demographics of people would be demonized by the media and subsequent groups due to media influence to be viewed negatively. These groups include racial and sexual minorities, religious groups and teenagers.

Social Media Moral Panics

• Killer Clowns in 2016 caused mass panic through an uprising of people dressing in clown costumes to scare and conduct illegal, aggressive activity toward pedestrians late at night. This subsequently led people to fear going out late at night.

• The epidemic where fans of the unreleased sequel to the titular video game 'Hollow Knight': 'Hollow Knight Silksong' collectively pretended that the game had already released and continuously posted fake screenshots and reviews on social media sites like Reddit which simultaneously misinformed audiences interested in the product and gave the game's community a bad reputation.

• Amidst Covid 19, people feared a toilet paper shortage due to misinformation which led to a mass panic of people buying toilet paper, leading to an actual shortage

• The Slender Man (and Momo) epidemic was an internet led panic where accounts posing as The Slender Man and Momo would tell users to commit suicide.

• Violent video games and Dungeons & Dragons led people to believe their children were conducting satanic activity and due to violent influence, commit illegal activity. The same is true for music artists: Eminem and Slipknot.

• Social Media influencers have led to influences of dangerous trends like the 'tide pod challenge' or 'bone smashing'; also leading a man to drink bleach. Gaming influencers also encouraged people to stay inside to play video games.

• 5G was believed to be Chinese spy-ware which caused people to burn down 5G towers; people also believed 5G spread Covid because of this.

• Fake News and products created by deep fakes and AI such as the Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory scam in Scotland (2023) which used AI generated art to scam people to buy tickets.

How has social media itself been used as a source of moral panic?

The use of social media and the prevalence of it on day to day life has caused issues with:

• Body Image
• Social Isolation
• Like replacing actual interaction
• Social media popularity image
• Social media image rights/distribution
• Anonymity & exploitation
• AI videos
• Polarising topics
• Negative influence/misinformation (hypodermic syringe)
• Lack of real interaction/interest with the real world; fallacy for appearance
• Worsening attention spans/scrolling

Censorship & Control

Censorship & Control

Key Principle: There is currently no single body or organization which regulates social media.

Social media does fall into within pre-existing regulations/UK laws such as:

• Online Safety Act (Jan 2024)
• Data Protection Act (1995)
• Libel
• Race Relations Act
• Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 
• Race & Religious Hatred Act
• Criminal Justice & Immigration Act

New Online Safety Bill (2024)

The online safety bill enforces new duties on social media platforms to make their sites safer for children and adults to take down illegal content and implement new systems to provide additional safety (e.g. age verifications, kids versions of apps like YouTube Kids). This act was due to Molly Russel, a 14-year-old who died in 2019 due to harmful social media content like suicide where due to the algorithm, this content would continuously appear. Ofcom are now the independent regulator of online safety. 

Censored content for children would include:

• Pornography
• Promotion of Suicide
• Eating Disorders
• Anything based on criminality

Priority Offences Include:

• Child sexual abuse material
• Terrorist Content
• Revenge or Extreme Pornography
• Threats to Kill

This act requires this kind of content to be proactively targeted and removed.

For adults (including children by proxy), harmful content related to: suicide, self-harm and abuse targeted at protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010) such as age, sex or race.

Cyber-Flashing and Taking/Sharing of Explicit Images

Sites which include any pornographic content will now require age verification. 

Sending unsolicited (explicit or nude) is now an illegal act. It is also illegal to share explicit images that you have been sent or you have sent. 

In order to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) Ofcom have been empowered to order a messaging service (e.g. WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram messages or Messenger) to use 'accredited technology' to look for and take down such content. Social Media owners must give access to your data/messages to authorities if you are suspected of being involved with CSAM. 

How Social Media Content Posting Can Violate The Race Relations Act

Social media services like Instagram that despite this act, content which is racially discriminatory is still commonplace amongst some algorithms due to poor regulation by Instagram. Whilst some of these explicit posts are removed, most slip through the cracks and are accessible to anyone without the need for age verification. The mass destruction of these posts normalizing and desensitizing the (racist stereotype) content which creates more of it and can affect how people view the world following it (Packard 1979 Hypodermic Syringe theory).

Regulatory Bodies & Social Media

• IPSO - Can monitor content generated by magazine publishers or news agencies

• ASA - Can monitor adverts and advertising content

• Ofcom - Can monitor all social media content and hold SM companies (e.g. WhatsApp) to account since Jan 2024

• BBFC - Can monitor and classify film content

Self-Regulation

Individuals with social media accounts often have to agree to terms and conditions (T&C's) of employment regarding social media. The main point is that employees should exercise self-regulation to avoid causing any danger to their employer's reputation/image. 

The idea of self-regulation is that individuals and their organisations make choices about what to publish as a prosumer on social media. This is how social media reflects the ethical and moral identity of the organisation. 

Twitter to X

Upon Elon Musk's purchase of the social media app 'Twitter' he rebranded the site as the 'return to free speech' which allows extremist political ideologies and accounts which before would be banned from the site such as Donald Trump. The effect this has is that users with extremist viewpoints are now free to spread hate speech which challenge the pre-existing acts (e.g. Race Relations or Equality Act). Trump, as an example, has organized and publicized/advertised 'Trump Force 47' with the goal to 'defeat Kamala Harris and the far-left liberal democrats'. 

QQ & Weibo (Chinese State Media)

QQ: This is a chat/discussion centric social media, created in China in 1999, akin to WhatsApp, Snapchat & Discord: this allows users to message or call each other individually or in a group chat; similarly to Discord, these groups can be related around a certain subject or media (e.g. popularly Genshin Impact). Users can then post images, videos, customize their avatar & UI.

Weibo: Created in 2009, Weibo functions similarly to Twitter, allowing users to post text, images and videos for people to comment on and read. Weibo is also a paid service, allowing users too subscribe to a VIP account; this likely increases their social credit.

Western Social Media

Instagram: This site allows users to: DM one another, post images & videos with short descriptions, post short stories (short videos and images which are posted temporarily), share notes/music (temporary) which other users can comment on and share

Twitter/X: This site allows users to: DM one another, post images & videos and extensive pieces of text which other users can comment on and share.

Facebook: This site allows users to: DM one another, post images & videos, extensive pieces of text which other users can comment on and share. Facebook also contains the Facebook Marketplace where users can sell and buy second-hand products, similarly to eBay.

Snapchat: This site allows users to: create a personalized avatar, create group chats with one or more people, talk to an in-built AI, post stories and share images & videos.

Cultural Control & Preservation

Cultural Preservation: The act of ensuring that a culture is not removed or taken from prominence by a government or national body. Various developed countries shave enacted this to keep elements of their culture present. Examples could include New Zealand preserving the Māori culture or Japan's preservation of their ancient culture rather than subsuming it by their modern culture.

Cultural constraints Social Media Managers must be aware of when promoting products to foreign markets

• Social Media markets need to be wary of what representations they can include when promoting their products such as LGBT+ representation which is banned in Chinese markets
• Gambling or tobacco cannot be represented in countries like China or Cambodia

LO4: How to Plan & Manage a Social Media Campaign

LO4: How to Plan & Manage a Social Media Campaign

Necessary Planning

• Understanding objectives 
• Logistics
• Justification of content
• Evaluating a social media campaign

Analysing a Campaign: Burger King 'You Rule'

The Burger King 'You Rule' advertising campaign is a primary example of social media/viral marketing and this is done through posts across various social media (e.g. YouTube & Instagram) which use and were reacted to various popular icons for a digital native audience such as Catchy Ditty and Fitzalan (who appeal to a male & female audience). The effect this social media advertising had encouraged prosumers to buy Burger King and post photos on the social media sites where Burger King's social media accounts would respond therefore, increasing audience engagement. This would therefore, target a mix of ABC1 and C2DE audience due to special deals which would be advertised on social medias (which digital native, 16-25) audiences are likely to own and the requirement for disposable income. 

Practice Scenario - Gemini Films

• Name of Product/service: 'In Static' (movie)
• Purpose: To promote the film's opening
• Launch Date: Jan 2025 - July 2025 (dictates content ideas based on time-frame)
• Social Media Channels: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter/X for the digital native audience and benefit of viral marketing (including algorithms and hashtags to bolster popularity and put adverts for the product in front of the people who want to see it. A/V social media sites for an A/V product). 

Considerations:

• Legal & Ethical: Copyright, Libel/Slander, Race Relations, Equality Act (fair/non-discriminatory representation), ASA regulation.
• Audience: 15+ (digital natives, disposable income)
• Timescale: 6 months (Jan-July 2025)
• Milestones: Points of completion/checkpoints of progression
• Review Dates: A measure of progress, how are people interacting with the campaign (no. comments, likes or clicks)
• Content Plan: Production schedules which are determined by the time-scale and signify when and what is going to be released, where and the time-scale to create and validify it

Campaign Structure

Cycle 1 (1st month): Posting once a week, to not annoy audience and drip feed them content therefore, keeping audiences interested. Introduce sponsors (audiences will become interested if its a sponsor they like). Set up accounts (if unclear in the scenario) and end with metric goals/what you want to achieve.

Cycle 2 (2nd month): Build credibility, post twice a week (so audiences that are interested have more to go off) and end with new metric goals based on success.

Cycle 3 (6th month): Drive sweet spot (selling points), strengthen relationships, earn referrals; posting twice a week in the lead up to launch. End again on metric goals. 

Sales Funnel

A social media sales funnel begins by generating interests in the broadest way possible to gain a mass audience who will be fed more specified content related to the product that involves them more (the progression of the campaign/how it's structured); trying to retain audience engagement throughout the campaign through this.  

1. Generate Leads/Initial Interest: e.g. folksonomy and measurement tools, metric goals (500)
2. Building a relationship with audience: post ideas/content, audience interaction and collaboration, synergy, aggregation and metric goals (2000)
3. Buying into the idea, gaining advocates: post ideas/content, audience interaction, collaboration, sharing content, embedding other channels; working with sponsors. Final metric goal (5000).

Content Ideas

Creative Ideas to engage the audience: This could include hashtags with a verb that will encourage folksonomy and audiences/prosumers can create user-generated-content that you can repost/reply to. This could include fanart or posting about going to see the product.

Synergy: Tagging your sponsors (using @) and relevant accounts to spread awareness of your campaign. Engaging brand images benefit from synergy due to recognisable visuals.

Specifying Visuals: Include shot types, house style colours, appropriate representation theory & justify them (e.g. use of synergy or relation to audience/demographic). 

Audience Appeal: Discuss both primary & secondary audiences (anyone else suitable for the campaign).

Social Media Channels/Platforms: Showing an understanding of social media content and how they work (e.g. Instagram stories, reels, posts, notes, filters) and justifying which social media would be best to use based on primary & secondary audience, what content is being posted (e.g. video, photo, poster) and the channel's purpose (e.g. Twitter/X is useful for microblogging therefore, audiences can create small discussions regarding the product).

Key Terminology

Folksonomy: Where social media encourages/makes the audience do something 

Tagging: Including someone into a post via hyperlink

Synergy: Cross-promotion, including/referencing sponsors

Measure: Checking how people are interacting with the campaign (click rate, likes etc.)

Metric Goal: How many people are following your media product

Collaboration: Working with a team on a project (two companies working together e.g. promoting a Twitter/X account on Instagram)

Social Media Aggregator: Companies monitor what you interact with (e.g. through cookies),  an aggregator is someone who checks if the algorithms are recommending your product's advertisements.

Only mention legal issues if bullet points mention them. Mention 3-4 Social media channels, justify why you're using them (terminology: sales funnel, Wikinomics, folksonomy) and why they link to the primary and secondary audience.

In Touch Scenario

LO3: Understand how Global Industries use Social Media

LO3: Understand how Global Industries use Social Media

Why is Social Media a useful tool for global industries when managing a project or campaign?

• Social media allows for instant/viral advertisement (an Instagram post featuring the advert will appear whilst people are scrolling through posts; guaranteeing an audience will see and review it).

• Social media platforms allow audiences to instantly share your advertisement therefore, increasing exposure.

• If targeting a given audience/demographic with a media product that is the same audience that uses a given social media platform, your product is directly reaching the target audience. Additionally social media harbors a mass audience. Algorithms assist with this.

• Increases audience engagement as your social media posts can be interacted with by the target audience which can be used for feedback via audience comments.

LO3:

• How to develop a project
• Evaluating suitability of project development tools
• Evaluate ways to reach an audience

Apart from personal and social by prosumers and grassroot productions, social media is increasingly used by media professionals to generate ideas for projects and use online tools and social media to collaborate.

• Prosumers - A consumer which uses software to create/generate amateur media products. 

• Grassroot Productions - Products produced by amateur/non-professional producers (often under low-budgets in a team).

Management Documents/Software for Pre-Production

• Microsoft Teams
• Outlook (E-mail)
• Production Schedule

Features Most Social Media Have in Common:

• Share Function
• Like Option
• 'Save this post' function

Which Social Media are Best for Audio?:

• Spotify - Created to allow prosumers to listen and distribute music
• SoundCloud
• YouTube

Social Media Best for Crowdsourcing:

• LinkedIn - Created to find people qualified for a job
• Instagram
• Discord

Social Media Best for Crowdfunding:

• Kickstarter - Created to fund projects 
• Discord
• YouTube

Primary Audience - The main audience a product targets (e.g. children for a kids film)

Secondary Audience - An additional audience which a product attracts/appeals to (e.g. parents taking kids to a kids film)

Globalisation - When something is accessible from anywhere in the world

Project Management Tools - Asana

Benefits of Asana

• Projects can be set by an employer which the entire team (involved in the project can see) which will include tasks set to specific sections of or members of that team with deadlines to be followed. This is beneficial as it keeps a consistent work flow so everyone it on top of what needs to be done and when therefore, the project runs smoothly.

• Permissions can be set throughout the team therefore, multiple team members can be given supervisory roles within their given field so everything can be managed by multiple people, decreasing work load and allowing for my detailed or intimate responses to supervisory roles from subordinates in their same fields.

• Goals and reports can be set for either the whole team or specific members so that if a client or producer needs an update on something or a certain piece of work then the subordinate can send the relevant report.

How have online project tools impacted small businesses (fees)?

Project management software provides team leaders with an accessible method of distributing work; this is true for small businesses who will have a more concentrated group of people working on larger tasks due to the smaller work force. Therefore, software which allows them to manage who has to do what by when benefits these smaller businesses to meet deadlines, especially when working with a larger/conglomerate client (e.g. joint venture) where the quality and output of work will form your reputation as a small business. However, this also assists small businesses with costs as there is no need to hire an additional role to organize workload; with consistent and clear deadlines, workers will be able to get work in on time therefore, ensuring no unnecessary overtime and a smooth run of the project. A budgetary constraint however, could appear in the monthly cost of these management tools.

Social Media Measurement/Social Monitoring

This is a way of computing the popularity of a brand or company by extracting information from social media channels. This allows company to monitor how successful their brand is, what platforms its advertising is best being distributed and who is interacting with it; also checking if posts fit in line with the current trends of the industry or platform. This is done by a statistical process.

The process gathers data from different websites and then performs an analysis based on metrics such as:

• Time spent on page
• Click rate
• Content share
• Comments
• Text analytics to identify positive and negative comments about the brand (e.g. an algorithm which filters positive and negative comments for the brand owner to read)

Various monitoring platforms use different technologies for this. These technology providers may connect to the API (Application Programming Interface) if the social media platforms are created for third party developers to create their own applications and services which access the data used for social monitoring.

Technology companies may also get social data from a data reseller. Some social media monitoring and analytics companies use calls to data providers each time an end-user develops a query.

Metric Goal - How many people you want your campaign to reach.

Metric goals begin in the hundreds (rather than a larger number, unless you've got a pre-established IP) and as the campaign grows, this number will increase; this can be increased on social media via hashtags which puts content in front the audiences who will want to see it. The metric goal should never go above the 2000's. 

In section B, you will need to explain how you're going to get people to engage with your product and how this will increase throughout the campaign; increasing the metric goal.

Social network aggregation is the process of collecting content from multiple social network services, such as Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter (X) and Facebook. This benefits global industries with their social media marketing as they can track how well their posts are doing and filter comments to gain appropriate feedback relating to what has been posted. 

Unit 6 - Social Media & Globalisation (Key Terminology/History/General)

Unit 6 - Social Media & Globalisation (Terms and History)

Key Terms

• Hypertext - Text on a website linking to other text (hyperlinks).

• Collaboration - The way that producers can use social media to work together on large scale products (often international).

• Prosumer - An amateur producer who uses digital and online technologies to create and distribute media products whilst remaining a consumer (i.e. influencers).

• Semantic Web - The process of allowing automated processes/machines to understand meaning/hyperlinks to personalise content for an audience/user (algorithms).

Longtail Theory

Head - Where there is a small amount of a desired/popular, mainstream item/media product (e.g. PS5's on release).

Longtail - Where there is an excess/large amount of a niche, low impact item/media product.

An example of longtail theory would be the movie Anchorman (2004) which is now a widely known success, but performed poorly at the box office. However, through DVD sales has made the film a cult success which has now reached wider audiences.

Longtail is only possible with distribution channels available through developments in web technology (i.e. streaming and on demand sites like Amazon/Prime Video).

Another example would be the documentary about Sheffield 'Won't Back Down' which marketed via social media and was distributed via iTunes. This documentary outsold Disney's Frozen in the iTunes overall movie charts for a 2 week period. Initial DVD sales were of a finite volume however, due to iTunes being accessible worldwide and the low cost to access it, 'Won't Back Down' was able to compete at a global level.   

In low demand or low sales volume products can collectively build a better market share than their rivals, or exceed the relatively few current bestsellers and blockbusters if the distribution channel is large enough. 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• The needs of people: Self fulfillment needs, psychological needs, basic needs and physiological needs.

• This can be applied to social media via the function of 'likes' which acts fulfils the psychological need for belonging and self-esteem. Media producers use these to sell products.

Negative Associations with Brands due to Social Media

Brands such as Ugg (boots) and Starbucks (the Pumpkin Spice Latte) have gained negative associations due to social media and have therefore, lost business because of this. Other examples would include Vauxhall Corsa's due to 'boy racer' stereotypes, Taylor Swift and League of Legends due to the poor reputations from their communities. Another example would be the court dispute between M&S and Aldi for their caterpillar cakes.

Spokesperson: Someone who represents a brand; examples would include

Ryan Reynolds: Aviation Gin - Is the creator of the company

Pedro Pascal: Corona - Spokesperson is from a similar demographic as audience/brand (in movies/series of the same target audience)

Videogamedunkey: Big Mode - Is the creator of the company

Idris Elba: Vue Cinema - Is a movie actor

Jeremy Allan White: Calvin Klein - Is an ideal self to a mass male audience

Terry Crews: Old Spice - Hyper-masculine representation for a deodorant brand

Lando Norris: Chrome - Digital native and ideal self for a digital native audience likely to use chrome

Keanu Reeves & Idris Elba: Cyberpunk 2077 - Play main roles in the game; are ideal selves for target audience

History - Web

• Web 1.0 - Refers to the first stage in the world wide web, which was entirely made up of web pages connected by hyperlinks

• WWW - Developed by Tim Berners Lee, to allow non-programmers to make use of the internet. Most content was static with very little online video or music content available; most web content was information based/driven.

• Web 2.0 - The second stage of development for the internet. Characterized by the change from static web-pages to dynamic or user developed content which spurred the growth of social media.

• Web 2.0 - This name was coined by Tim O'Reilly & Dale Dougherty (2004) after developing technologies which allowed audiences to participate and collaborate online (prosumers).

• David Gauntlett - A theorist who defined the beginning of Web 2.0 as the era of the prosumer and the redefinition of the media industry by taking control/monopoly away from large media conglomerates by putting development tools in the hands of prosumers.

• Web 3.0 - The use of semantic web and intelligent technologies (AI).

• Also defined as high quality web content produced by prosumers and producers using their experience to generate content with Web 2.0 technology as it evolved into Web 3.0.

Future Technologies

(sponsored by Weyland Yutani Corporation)

• Web 3.0 & 4.0 - These are expected to further utilise semantic web technologies (e.g. AI).

• Social Media preferences and shopping habit data (via algorithms) could be used to create digital avatars which act as 'personal shoppers' or curators of an audience's content. More developed algorithms.

What technologies allow you to use social media as a content producer?

A Blackbox device and prosumer friendly online (free or cheap) software such as Capcut for video editing or Ibis Paint for photos/art.

 

Technologies available on the first I Phone (2007)

• Camera
• Phone calls/Text Messages
• Internet Connection and Browser
• Digital Content Storage via Sim Card
• Clock
• Weather
• It works even in Heaven
• Calculator
• Maps
• Touch Screen
• I Tunes

Between 1993 and 2007 (14 years) what had changed about the way we accessed the internet and web content?

Between 1993 and 2007 internet access changed significantly to put internet technologies in the hands of prosumers via the creation of Web 2.0 in 2004 (named by Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty). Following this, software and apps such as YouTube in 2006 were able to develop which spurred the prosumer which came following the incarnation of Web 2.0 through the initial development of online video creation, streaming and distribution. This subsequently allowed for online collaboration between users which has shaped social media platforms like we see today such as Discord or Facebook. Semantic web technologies furthered the development of Web 2.0 by giving prosumers easier access to develop their own content/programs.  

Web 1.0 (or WWW) created by Tim Berners Lee in 1993 was driven via hyperlink/hypertext which allowed consumers to view information; this limited amount of content was entirely static. However, Tim developed the web to be accessible to prosumers so that they could further develop it into web 2.0 which made the web less static with the introduction of video and music platforms. 

A significant example is the evolution of phones into Blackbox devices; this follows a similar path to what Web 1.0 took in its development to Web 2.0. Initially, phones such as the original Nokia's during the 1990's were only capable of phone calls and text messaging with a limited storage of text history. Between 1993 and 2007, mobile devices would seldom revolutionize with innovative technologies due to the limitations of web at the time. One of the major improvements Web 2.0 brought which assisted the development of devices we recognise today is online collaboration. This meant physical location became less of an issue (which led to how we are now able to work from home) and developers from across different locations could work together to further web technologies; acting globally (Tapscott and Williams). This would eventually lead to the iPhone in 2007 which used Web 2.0 and its capabilities to put them into the hands of everyday consumers and encourage prosumers to generate content (e.g. entertainment via YouTube). The iPhone therefore, allowed easier access to web technologies from any location provided with an internet connection. 

How have technological developments led to an increase in successful sales through the 'Longtail model'? 

An example of a movie which benefitted from the longtail model was 'Don't Look Up' which had a $75 million budget however, only earned $800,000 at the box office however, when streamed on Netflix, it received 111 million hours of watch-time from audiences which more than doubles the critically acclaimed and popular 'Bird Box' which only accumulated 45 million hours of viewer watch-time. This demonstrates the success of the longtail model through a product/movie which was low in demand being resold on a streaming service which gave it high demand through giving it a mainstream platform.

What makes social media Web 2.0?

An example of social media which uses Web 2.0 technologies is Instagram. Examples within the app would include the ability to message and share content with anyone else who owns the app. This would convey the Wikinomics of sharing acting globally: creators can collaborate and tag each other in posts.

Wikinomics - Tapscott and Williams

Wikinomics is based on four ideas:

• Openness - Including not only open standards and content but also financial transparency and an open attitude towards external ideas and resources (companies and how finances were ran in businesses and at home with web purchases)

• Peering -  Replacing the hierarchal models with a collaborative forum. Tapscott and Williams identified Linux as the 'quintessential example of peering'

• Sharing - A less proprietary approach to products, IP's, bandwidth and scientific knowledge.

• Acting Globally - Embracing globalization and challenging physical and geographical boundaries for both corporations and individual users. Audiences and prosumers are able to interact and collaborate with the rest of the world via social media. 

The use of mass collaboration in business in recent history can be seen as an extension of the trend in business functions to other businesses/individuals.

The difference however, is that instead of an organized business created for a specific one function, mass collaboration relies on free individual agents to co-operate on a given problem or operation (allowing for business expansions similar to vertical integration).

Algorithms and Cookies

Sites use cookies which are small text files (HTML data) that websites store on your device to remember your browsing information. Since 2020, users can now select if they want information to be stored via cookies. 

Social Interaction

26 Years ago, the internet gave little opportunity for collaboration therefore, everything had to be done/communicated in person. The effect of Web 2.0 however socially, has allowed people to connect significantly easier through online forums and chat groups where events can be digitally organized and people can easily confirm if they are attending and when. Then if there are any discrepancies or latency, others can be informed and a new meeting place and time can be formed whenever via Blackbox device. However, online communities allow people of a common interest to interact with each other internationally.

However, a negative effect of this is that strangers can maliciously contact people to either cyber-bully them or meet in real life with harmful intent. People are also less likely to meet in person collaboratively now as they can meet online, losing social/physical connection. Additionally, when texting, without the benefit of prosodics (pronunciation) messages can be misconstrued and misinterpreted therefore, leading to arguments.

Social Media Channels

Discord

Discord emphasizes the benefits of Web 2.0 through allowing users to join groups organized around a specific subject or piece of media (e.g. the game Celeste's Discord Group named: Mt. Celeste Climbing Association) where users can interact with others about the subject they're interested in. This means those who share an interest in a particular topic whether it be niche or mainstream have a place where they can interact with and share content with others. Furthermore, Discord communities can be used informatively to support people whether it be something simple like improving at a game (e.g. The Guilty Gear Strive Discord and its many other Discord groups related to specific characters from the game) or discussing sensitive subject matter such as in LGBTQ communities, audiences and prosumers have an outlet to support and be supported. 

This therefore, benefits prosumers who can share artwork, stories and other community created content (mods or short films) where members of the group can work together collaboratively. This can also be used for general communication through voice chats which, as a product of Web 2.0, allows people to interact with each other internationally. Therefore, different cultures are able to interact with and support each other; expanding people's views of the world.   

Media companies can benefit from creating a Discord group from their product where they can post updates and gain audience feedback. Communities will have to find these product/company Discord groups either from a second party advertisement (other social media) or actively trying to find it through a search engine. Audiences can give more intimate/detailed feedback through having a place where they can exchange between developers, producers, managers etc. to benefit the product by appealing to the audience by their request/feedback. In examples like the Rain World (game) community, modders (people who create their own content such as levels for a game) who have created fan-made content for the game have been hired after posting their work and interacting with developers on the Discord and have been able to work on official projects for the game (The Watcher DLC).

Instagram

Instagram operates to accommodate a varied demographic of users through a non-specific post structure in contrast to Discord. Due to this, Instagram content typically revolves around daily activities (e.g. going to a restaurant or holiday photos) and also allows users to post the same kind of content as on Discord (i.e. art or short films/animations). However, the primary difference is the formatting of this content which is why the kind of content between the two apps varies so much; Instagram uses traditional likes and comments which popularizes the content however, its popularity is dependent on an algorithm rather than a group where everyone within that group can see what you've posted to comment on it. Less intimate exchanges between prosumers. Similarly, conglomerates benefit from a reduced cost of advertisement on Instagram (as its free to post rather than paying for a traditional method like a billboard). Additionally, algorithms put advertisement posts in front of people who are likely to be interested via instant/viral marketing where audiences can give immediate feedback on the post via comments.

Web Utopians - Those who see online and media technologies as having an entirely positive benefit impact on society; that Web 2.0 will bring about a Utopian ordeal due to benefits such as international communication symbolizing societal cultures coming together.

Open Source - Material that can be used or altered by individuals or companies.

Esports - Tournaments for games where players will compete with each other, similarly to any other sport: these could include mainstream titles like Overwatch; these can also include more niche tournaments such as EVO for Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue, Street Fighter, Tekken etc. 

Electronic Agora - Online meeting spaces such as forums and chat rooms, where people can discuss topics they're interested in. Or not interested in I guess.

Marshall McLuhan (The Medium is the Message 1964) - Marshall prognosticated that TV would create a Global Village as a central medium to communicating ideas. He also prophesized that a library network would allow people to access information anywhere. This evidently came true in the congregation of information available in Web 2.0 via Blackbox device. 

The way, the medium, in which information is conveyed affects how it is interpreted (being able to create biased information sources). 

Local Business - Bamboo Door (Sheffield)

Crowdfunding

The process of using an online service (e.g. Kickstarter or GoFundMe) to generate funds for the production of a media product. Investors are rewarded with 'perks' (e.g. credits, set visits, early access content, premiere seats, props, fan characters in a game etc.)

Crowdsourcing

The process of using online services such as LinkedIn to find personnel (staff, specialist practitioners) to fill roles in for your production team during the creation of a media product.

Example of Kickstarter Campaign: Crowsworn

• Fund Goal - $125,000 (exceeded, reaching stretch goals up to $1.2 million)

• Levels of Support Available - Tiers extend between prices of $5-$5,000 with unique rewards for each with unique names. 

• Perks for Support - There are multiple tiers at which people can donate, ranging from a $5 tier (dubbed 'Fledgling') which exists as a small donation with the developer's gratitude (Mongoose) to the most-backed ($20) tier, 'The Punctual Bird' which rewards (10,000+) backers with a digital copy of the game on any platform and a digital wallpaper. This extends to a $5,500 tier named 'Corvus' which includes: a physical copy of the game (steel-case), a digital copy, access to beta builds, a digital artbook, digital wallpaper, digital soundtrack, physical artbook, Crowsworn plush & t-shirt, access to a smaller game named Crowkart and design (with the developers) an in-game boss, questline and other small tributes within the game.
  
  
  
• Timescale - Beginning in July 2021, due to the project's swift funding (under 3 hours), the project extended to stretch goals, giving an undetermined release/finish date for people to crowdfund and gain access to early access/funding rewards.

• Location of Production - London, Canada

What are the benefits of Crowdsourcing to hire new environment designers?

Using a social media site such as LinkedIn allows employers to immediately find suitable candidates for the role of environment design; this can be done through a Blackbox device, making the process of accessing the site more efficient. Due to the site's algorithms, suitable employees will be recommended to the employer where they can browse the candidates profile to see if they are qualified for the position: this is where their employment history, qualifications and experience will be evident to the employer so they can make a decision whether or not they will be contacted for the role of environment designer. 

Online Management Tools for: 

• Managing multiple diaries
• Organising teams
• Assigning tasks
• Set Deadlines
• Communication of changes/updates
  
  
  

Management tools which can achieve all of the above are: Microsoft Teams, Asana and Workday.

These are tools are more beneficial to managing projects than traditional E-mail as they can create groups of specific individuals which can then be set tasks with set deadlines/hand-in dates and, differently to E-mail sites like Outlook, they will update the teams and producers/manager when work is being handed in and if deadlines are being missed and by who. This therefore, allows for large-scale collaboration on one project as teams can be designated appropriately with set deadlines, that are clearly laid out and specified, to be met. 

E-Sports & Social Media

The term used to describe competitive video gaming. These usually have engaging spectator elements to them, like traditional sports. These are human vs human and often include prize goals and sponsorships. These events are streamed and popularised by social media sites like Twitch.   

E-sports in Unit 6

• Dedicated social media channels like Twitch exist for E-sports, where users can interact with the streams and react to them in real time via chat. These allow audiences to watch globally.

• E-sports events can be used by media professionals (game publishers) to promote new products to a target audience via E-sports channels (Dota 2, LoL, Overwatch, Guilty Gear Strive).

• E-sports allows game publishers/professionals to interact with a ready-made target audience of individuals who are interested in gaming amidst E-sports events on social media channels like Twitch.

Insomnia Gaming Event

• How does this fit into E-sports? - The Insomnia gaming event gives a dedicated location/event for audiences to engage in E-sports amongst other gaming related activities. 

• What social media opportunities are there for professional media companies at such event? - Social media channels like Twitch can be used to stream these E-Sports events & subsequently, game publishers can sponsor the stream so that their products can be advertised; they can also include adverts within the event (i.e. physical posters or game showcases) and hold E-Sports competitions for their games.

Revision - Spark Notes

Personal Use of Social Media

• Contacting family/friends
• Creating personal content
• Sharing content
• Voicing Opinions
• Responding to posts (likes, shares, comments)

Professional Use of Social Media

• Promotion of goods/services/causes
• Engaging target audiences (folksonomy)
• Market Research
• Crowdsourcing (finding personnel)
• Crowdfunding (gaining funding for project)

BBC Sounds Twitter/X Recent Posts

The recent posts on BBC Sounds' Twitter/X account have advertised their radio shows/discussions & podcasts which relate to current debates such as the US presidential election and Trump's victory; sharing their views on the event with descriptions such as 'Will there ever be a female president of the USA? Americast discuss whether America has a women problem.' This engages the target audience through referencing current events which are relevant and heavily discussed at the time. The BBC, as a service which educates and informs audiences, covers these topics for the gratification of surveillance 

to keep people up to date with what is happening in the world. The Podcasts and discussions then focus on the complexities of these events so the mass interested audience (due to the current virality of covered events) can interact with the BBC further. On these posts, they preview short clips from the BBC Sounds app/radio show to therefore, encourage audiences to download the app; increasing audience engagement.

Identify two ways that 'moral panics' relate to the use of social media channels

1. Misinformation can be spread virally
2. Anyone with a blackbox device is free to share their opinions globally

Cultural Censorship - Where speech, public communication or other media content is considered objectionable or harmful to a cultural ideal. This media will then either be removed or edited. 

An example of this would be North Korea's ban on all Western media and edited the World Cup to make it seem North Korea had won; leader Kim Jong Un was seen with the team in a North Korean airport with the football team holding the world cup. 

Other examples would include the video game: Bully in the UK which was renamed to Cadis Canem Edit due to a rampant bullying issue across UK schools at the time of its release. The Disney animated TV series 'The Owl House' has been banned and censored in many countries including many across South East Asia with episodes being skipped or heavily edited to remove 'LGBTQ scenes'. 

How could Cultural Censorship affect social media companies/campaigns?

Identify 2 examples of Cultural Censorship.

Identify three cultural constraints that social media managers should be aware of when promoting to a foreign market.

1. The depiction of adult/mature content
2. The portrayal/representation of minority groups
3. What social media platforms have been banned in certain countries

Electric Agora: Online community