Class notes

Key terms-

User generated content (UGC)- The consumer is also making the media.
-The content is created by the audience/fans who are unpaid e.g. bloggers, Pinterest, YouTubers etc.
What is UGC?
-Content made by non-professionals (social media posts, blogs, Pinterest etc.)

Shareable content- When consumers are able to share their media content worldwide.

Pro-sumer- We are no longer 'simply' consumers- we produce our own content.
Web 2.0- The internet is more interactive and a tool to communicate with other people.

Participatory culture-
-It is the opposite of consumer culture- in other words a culture in which private individuals (the public) do not act as consumers only, but also as contributors or producers (prosumers).

Collective intelligence-
-This is a concept (used by media theorist Henry Jenkins) that proposes that 'Nobody know everything. We all know something. Therefore together we can know everything (or nearly everything....)'
-This is a part of 'participatory culture'- today we 'take part' with the media, rather than just passively consume it.
-A shared or group intelligence that comes from the collaboration and competition of many individuals.

-According to IPSOS, user-generated content is 35% more memorable than other media, and 50%more trusted. Why is user-generated advertising so powerful? Consider the position of audience as 'pro-sumer' and 'collective intelligence'. 

User generated advertising is powerful in the modern society as, many consumers have social media. This means that, media content can be shared at a quicker rate as many people would be seeing it.
The reason why user-generated content is more trusted and memorable is people trust their friends more when it comes to purchasing an item online. This is because when more than one friend is posting an image of the product and writing a positive review online, other people who see the post really trust the content of the product and really want to purchase it. Methods of traditional advertising is slowing down and getting neglected as, less people watch the TV and other sources of technology which promotes advertisement. This is because; the use of social media has massively increased and is another form of entertainment for them. Traditional advertising is now seen as a nuisance and disturbance for many viewers, especially when consumers want to watch a specific show but are forced to watch more ads in-between. Another reason why user-generated content is so powerful is, because of the position in which people take in social media. This is because, pro-sumers (consumers who make their own media content) benefit from user generated content as; they find it easier to get their point across by using this type of advertising. This is because, social media is simplest way of making your media content shareable to others as, many people have social media and are on it all the time

User generated content is when consumers decide to advertise and make the media which attracts their followers to look at the content. An example of this is, the 'Coca Cola campaign' which allowed consumers to customize their own label for their bottles. This campaign was done to increase exposure of the Coca Cola brand through many social media platforms which includes twitter, Facebook and Instagram etc. After customizing their own labels, consumers where asked to take pictures and share it all over the internet worldwide. After the release of the Coca Cola customized tags, the producers sent a few gifts to numerous celebrities which helped to advertise the product on social media. Coca Cola first launched their first campaign in Australia in 2011 but, decided to expand their business by making this campaign accessible over 70 countries. This type of user-generated content was very successful as, it went viral on social media. An example of this is, when a man named Donnie used his bottles to propose to his girlfriend. Their happy announcement received more than a million likes on Facebook within 48 hours.

Another example of user generated content is Chobani. Chobani is a Greek yoghurt company that was first found in 2005. The producers of the brand decided to use its customer based in order to improve its image and boost sales. The company first asked the consumers to submit a video or an image which praises the yoghurt. This was successful as, the content was shared through various platforms which include the company's website, billboards and other social media sites. This has really helped the brand as a whole as, 225.9% increased in revenue between 2009 and 2010. The brand Chobani solely relies on their followers to help boost the sale of the product.

Another prime example of user generated content is Starbucks. Starbucks decided to use user-generated content by holding a competition. The #WhiteCupContest attracted over 4000 entries over the course of 3 weeks which proven to be very successful. Customers from all the over the country came and were asked to doodle on their Starbucks cups. They were then asked to take a picture of their creation, which was then  posted through numerous social media sites. The person who wins the competition, would be the template for a new limited edition Starbucks cup. This competition was done over a 3 week span, which was a great way for Starbucks to earn publicity and recognition for their brand over the media. Starbucks believed that the competition was a great way to see the dedication and commitment of true Starbucks fans, and valued the customer’s feedback and cooperation .