#oliviaschofield

Co-founding host of Current TV described big data in The Economist YouTube video (2012) as “a new way of understanding the world, I think we can measure so much more that we ever could. Now we can visualise so much more than we ever could and it’s going to provide a whole new framework for understanding human civilization”. This statement places the information gained through big data on a high pedestal, making some question are we, the audience, now being targeted depending on what we say, through every click, hashtag or status? Or are we just expanding our communication with companies? Both the opposing sides could argue a strong case. Don Tapscott, co-author of Macrowikinomics opposed in data in The Economist YouTube video (2012) by explaining how the phrase ‘big data’ has a pejorative meaning. He said it is assumed that “if we have all this data it means we can understand customers and push stuff at them more effectively” however that is a “…wrong paradigm. It’s not a information age, it’s an age of network intelligence and one of collaboration”. 

From personal observations and study of new media, big data and online technologies I have come to my personal conclusion that there is no direct answer. Big data, like its name suggests is so big that its options of uses are endless. Big data provides answers for what internet users want, how they want it, why they want it and they are open to discussion about it. Therefore why should companies give up the opportunity to use this information to their advantage, whilst collaborating with them? Why can’t they have their cake and eat it to?

Meglena Kuneva quoted, “Data is the new oil” (Siegal 2013, p3). This quote defines the worth it holds within companies and the virtual world, including online transmedia projects. It also supports Darryl Woodfords (2013) claim in week 9’s lecture of big data being a currency across the industry. A current twitter hashtag that has emerged helping both the company and audience give and receive wanted entertainment is Eurovision through the hashtags #eurovision and #joinus. Through these hashtags SBS, the broadcasting channel, gain additional positives, the primary being exposure. The increase of one hashtag being used during a certain time frame increases its chance to be  ‘trending’ meaning more exposure to a wider audience resulting more consumers tuning into the channel and website, encouraging participation in the online unofficial voting polls. It also assists the audience to gauge how many supporters each country have through hashtags associated with #eurovision or #joinus. This can potentially reveal what performer is more liked or disliked. Eurovision also used the hashtag to communicate with the audience through Instagram sharing photos that fans post on national television abiding by Tapscott’s theory of big data being used to collaborate with one-another. By using the data collected from online platforms assists Eurovision with future shows and how they will advertise, where, the targeted audiences and countries.

Big data has a broad availability to anybody with access to the internet, and although companies use it to benefit their success, individuals also have access to it for much more cynical reasons. A recent example of this is a man who hacked into a baby monitor that connected wirelessly. For this reason everyone should take care in how they use the internet, what they share, what is being viewed and how potentially anybody and everyone has information to your data and every key, link or click you use. 

image sourced from: http://www.hashtags.org/analytics/Eurovision/

image sourced from: http://www.hashtags.org/analytics/Eurovision/ 

 Reference:

Hashtags. 2014. “Analytics for #Eurovision.”  Accessed May 10, 2014. http://www.hashtags.org/analytics/Eurovision/ 

SBS. 2014. “Eurovision.” Accessed May 10, 2014. http://www.sbs.com.au/eurovision

Siegel, Eric. 2013. “Introduction: The Prediction Effect.” Predictive analytics: the power to predict who will click, buy, lie, or die (3): 1 – 16. 

The Economist. 2012. “What is big data?.” YouTube video, posted June 26. Accessed May 10, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZGEusG13A

Film productions reply heavily new media entertainment in order to succeed and create good publicity (Boyd, 2007). This blog will be discussing the use of integrating new media platforms into film productions comparing the Harry Potter saga to Lord of the Rings Trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson and Star Wars, directed by George Lucas. The main themes highlighted will be ‘forming alliances with the audience’ and encouraging ‘participatory fandom’, both topics discussed in week 5’s lecture by Theresa Sauter. This blog will be using real life examples to exemplify everyday use of these components.

  The first Harry Potter installment Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone, released in 2001, used little online interaction restricting audience interaction. This prevented a platform to be built where the company could form alliances with audiences and ignored the chance to have “consumer affiliates” within the production project. These actions can relate closely to the actions made by Lucas, who also withdrew from creating online platforms for Star Wars fans. This is discussed in Shefrin (2004) article, which can be found online. This limitation can potentially lose fans and decrease the consumer rate.

  When first released Harry Potter fan become so engrossed with the film and fantasy world that the turned to online media to find, create and share their own messages and stories about the film (Gunelius, 2008). When discovering of the unofficial fan sites Warner Bro. Studios, producer of Harry Potter, objected citing copyright infringements. Warner Bros. opened up lawsuits against these fan sites, however withdrew them after the negative online backlash (Gunelius, 2008). This reaction to online consumer integration is similar to the actions of Lucas in regards to Star Wars. Jenkins describes his reaction by stating, “Through the years, Lucasfilm (producers of Star Wars) has been one of the most aggressive corporate groups in trying to halt fan cultural production” (Shefrin, 2004).  

  To redeem their title and respect back Warner Bro. Studios submissively re-welcomed the fan run sites and set forth to create an official Harry Potter site called Pottermore. This official site worked as a rewarding transmedia strategy for the eighth film encouraging participatory fandom (Gunelius, 2008). Lucasfilms however, never fully corrected his online fan relationship. Although releasing an official website allowing consumer interaction guidelines were in set in place restricting what audience posted, and entitling it to be studio property. This limited engagement and what the fans could and could not say (Shefrin, 2004).

  New Line Cinema, producers of Lord of the Rings, however, displayed amazing contribution to forming audience alliances and urging participatory fandom through online consumer-producer convergence from the beginning by launching the official website over two years before the release of the first film. The interactive marketing director, Gordon Paddison, was responsible for engaging with the online fans, creating and maintaining an inclusionary vibe. Paddison’s relationship with the fans through online sites has been labeled as “largely respectful and accommodating” (Shefrin, 2004).   

  This form of connecting with the audience via new media welcomes audiences and encourages the consumers to share ideas, comments and feedback – not only creating a larger consumer audience but also being there to have reassurance of big production movements and changes and seeing if they will work. By the final Harry Potter film, Harry Potter transmedia had swept onto all forms of new media devices including: internet, applications, video games plus more. J.K Roweling, the author of the trilogy and other head of departments where now communicating to their audiences through these forums displaying a forming of alliances.  This revealed to be a positive strategy as the final film earned the most in box office (The Numbers, 2013).

  By considering and evaluating the power of new media technology entertainment online opens new opportunities for company’s to connect to audience, take feedback and thus having great potential to finically succeed. 

Reference: 

Boyd, Dana. 2007. "Film and the Audience of Tomorrow." Accessed April 4, 2014. http://www.danah.org/papers/talks/Cannes2007.html

Gunelius, Susan. 2008. Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Accessed April 4, 2014. 

Shefrin, Elana. 2004. “Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and participatory fandom: mapping new congruencies between the internet and media entertainment culture.” Critical Studies in Media Communication 21 (3): 261-281. Accessed April 4, 2014. doi: 10.1080/0739318042000212729.