-
- Report
-
Unfinished business: why the prosumer matters
- 01/11/2012
The Obama 'Hope' poster was illegally adapted by an artist from an Associated Press picture
Steve Rhodes, Creative Commons (2008) ©Scope
The success of Fifty Shades of Grey, Microsoft’s Kinect and KONY 2012 are all symptoms of an environment where audiences are increasingly connecting and engaging with traditional creators in new ways. Leaving elements open and allowing people to remix, hack and adapt things to suit their needs may mean relinquishing control, but more than ever, it is crucial in the successful construction of popular culture.
In a world where audiences are connected and exchanging with creators, the term 'prosumer' may need a rethink. While the 'professional consumer' is useful in understanding a class of consumers who use professional technologies in their personal lives, futurologist Alvin Toffler's original coinage of the 'producer consumer' or 'proactive consumer' recognises that the consequences that emerge from the adoption of these technologies are more important than the technologies themselves.
A common conclusion is that those creators who embrace a culture of modifying, sharing, and remixing can gain access to ingenuity, creativity, and cognitive wealth on an unprecedented scale, unlocking the latent energy and enthusiasm of an increasingly active cohort of consumers. This, so goes the theory, can give producers of cultural products runaway success over their competition, as they transform and expand from the domains of cultural authority into the role of cultural enabler. While this may be true, the real question is how can audience or consumer creativity be harnessed for everyone's benefit? -
Reports: Latest
-
Other articles
-
_80_52.jpg)
Me & the machines: wearable technology
14/06/2013
With half a billion wearable devices shipping in the next few years, soon interacting with smart cities will seem as 'normal' as checking Facebook.
-
How people are transforming houses into homes
12/06/2013
In response to increasingly fluid definitions of home, people are projecting their identities onto their living spaces by curating, remixing and personally improving their surroundings.
-
Real emotion: the rise of reality culture
04/06/2013
With social media opening up million of little windows into the lives of others and people growing savvier about what's real and what's not, what does the future of reality culture hold?
-
Transient design: how seasonality keeps brands fresh
29/05/2013
Amidst the increasing consumer demand for novelty and personalisation, how can brands engage and stay in sync with their customers' individual and unique universes all year round?
-
No more heroes
17/05/2013
As constant media scrutiny increasingly highlights celebrities' imperfections, is the relationship between brands and their penitent endorsers changing?
-
Evolving the magazine: how publishers are diversifying
10/05/2013
'Print is dead' – or is it? Adapting to a complex digital landscape, publishers are finding new ways to extend the brand.
-
Premium vs luxury: how luxury is fighting back
02/05/2013
With premium threatening to steal its consumer base, luxury is forced to carve out a new space. But with perceptions of value changing rapidly, just how is it going to define itself?
-
Making social media work for retail
25/04/2013
More and more retailers are embracing social media, but it's still an uncertain territory. Should it be viewed as an opportunity, a necessity, or is it all just keeping up with the Joneses?
-
