Lords of the Domain; Companies or the Consumers?

During todays lecture, Peter talked about the control of social media. Basically, is in the hands of companies or consumers. I'd have to say that i agree with Peter in recognising consumers as being in control. Yes, companies do pump out the content and essentially create the framework which either pushes content to us or attract us to it, but we're the ones who provide value or worth. We have the power to accept/reject and initiate change.

An example would be battle.net.

The wikipedia definition can be read here but its basically an online gaming service that was the strong point of one of the worlds leading developers Blizzard. They've created more then a dozen games, where nearly all of them have been international hits. Recent examples would bethe World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Starcraft 2.

Most recently, Blizzard announced that users would not be able to remain anonymous in using the online service battle.net and would have to use their real names in order to continue using the service. Blizzard received backlash from users who feared for their safety and after responding to users threats to stop using the service.

For the time being, plans to initiate real identification have been put aside but i believe this is an example of just how much power consumers have. Companies work for profit, no matter what their vision statement is and if consumers aren't satisfied with the product/service, its up to the companies to respond to the feedback and change accordingly if they want to continue to earn profit.

Money = Power

Consumers = Money = Power

Does this mean since we pay for those products and services, are we essentially giving companies power? I like to think so.

Some articles regarding the situation can be read here:
Introduction of Real ID rule

Blizzard Entertainment's response to backlash

ABC and the Campaign.

It really is amazing how social media is growing as the choice medium for communication. We've seen the recent surge of videos being uploaded onto Youtube with the upcoming election; short clips released by the parties in order to gain some sort of edge over each other.

Its also interesting to see how the ABC has pursued the popular iPhone application ability to create their own app, which follows the election and provides users with continuous updates.
 
The ABC have also created a website in face of the upcoming election which provides users with an array of content ranging from topics, statistics and polls. What caught my attention on their site were 2 main topics which were Twitter Trends and Hot or Not.

Twitter Trends basically provided a visual representation of election topics being talked about on Twitter whereas Hot or Not was a compilation of information from a variety of social media channels such as Facebook or blogs and displayed the sentiments of users on Gillard, Abbott and Brown.

Personally i don't think these websites or apps will affect my decision on the election but it'd be interesting to see how they'll develop and affect the younger generation, with them being more tech-savvy and aware. In 2-5 years, how much of an impact would applications and social media have in the election? Would there be a time where they'd be placed higher in preference over the traditional print media, especially considering the growth of e-books?

$h*! My Dad Says.

“You seen my cell phone?...What’s it look like? Like two horses fucking. It’s a phone, son. It looks like a phone."

Shit my dad says. It all started with a comedian using twitter to post quotes made by his father on a variety of topics. Ranging from crude to random, you can't help but grin at a couple of these quotes. Since 2009, it has gained nearly 2 million followers and has gained such fame and popularity that its been mentioned on various tv shows and movies.
With such a fanbase, it eventually spawned a book deal and a tv series starring *drum roll* Will Shatner. Pretty interesting how such a series of random tweets could lead to fame and fortune.

http://shitmydadsays.com/



Not too sure about the TV show, but we'll see how that goes.

Promoting and Selling through Youtube.

One of my hobbies is training. Whether it'd be for speed, power or just strength i do feel the itch if i miss a day. Now Elite Fitness Systems (EFTS) is one of the biggest 'hardcore' training sites there is. With indepth articles on a wide variety of topics from educational to plain humourous, they also provide video tutorials.

They've established a strong fanbase through a throng of elite athletes who train under the EFTS banner and their high quality equipment. From the wide arrange of strength and conditioning equipment they have available for sale, one of the most popular pieces was called the prowler. They've made a series of models for different price ranges, but through their Youtube page, they sought out to promote their new Prowler 2 model with additional attachments.



The video doesn't actually list any prices or model names. It simply displays what it does best. Scenes of puking, exhaustion and hundreds of kilos moving back and forth under the hot sun. It does create a sense of curiousity. Why would anyone put themselves through that? What the hell is that thing? How the hell can they do that? For long time followers the question would be, "Which model of the prowler is that? I've never seen those handles before?"

Interestingly enough, the Prowler has developed a cult following. The 'Flu' or the 'Prowler Flu' exhibited by users of the equipment has been seen as proud achievement. By searching prowler flu, we can see dozens of users showing the world their efforts to overcome the steel frame, only to succumb to pure exhaustion. Why do they do that? Why do some of us enjoy watching it? Sadists and masochists unite?

A simple video which is able to achieve a series of goals. Now considering, EFTS isn't a particulary well know brand compared to other brands such as GNC or Hammer Strength, through Youtube they are able to connect with their target market at a cost effective solution. Sites such as Youtube could be considered somewhat of a godsend.

MMA and Social Media

MMA. Mixed Martial Arts. What is it? As the name says, its a sport where athletes are skilled in various styles or disciplines and compete against one and another. Some may liken it to 'human cock fighting' or simply brawling, but it has strict rules and regulations, medical check ups and many other frameworks that are placed to ensure the safety of athletes. Now i won't go into depth the whole history of it, how it developed, what are some of the best matches, best organisations etc, but I'd like to talk about how social media has been a crazy influence on the sport.

Before the internet, very few people ever heard of MMA. It was limited to VHS, magazine articles or chatting with another person. In recent years with social media becoming more apparent in the everyday lives of people (i.e. facebook), people are learning more about the sport and actually connecting with those involved.

For example, Dana White. The president of the UFC. I'd be hard pressed to find another president of an organisation as vocal as he. While he has been involved in few incidents in the past as how he chose to express himself, he is constantly using Twitter and video blogs to connect with fans of the sport.

Always on the move and educating users what his planning on doing or his thoughts on certain events, this level of transparency he displays not only creates a connection with fans, but creates a sense of trust.

Also, with MMA events occurring throughout the world, social media allows us to learn whats happening exactly and most importantly 2 way communication. Users can debate over fighters, events, training methods etc and even connect with some of the athletes.

Over the past few years, as a long time follower of the sport I've seen countless amounts of websites and blogs about MMA pop up. Many of the top sport magazines such as Sports Illustrated or ESPN have even included MMA on their front pages with the growing fan base.

The use of social media will become more evident in MMA in the next few years. The UFC had established their own Youtube page and provide constant updates whilst other organisations have used it as a channel for those who don't have access to the televised feed. K1, a japanese organisation has even provided subtitles for their online promotions has shown their support for online capabilities and their international support.

Anyone interested in MMA or a strong example of how they use social media should visit www.mmafighting.com.