Analyzing Consumer Generated Content
Your task is to analyze consumer generated online postings-e.g., blog entries, pictures, and videos-for a product category or brand of your choice. The material should be generated by consumers (advertisements are usually created by firms and/or their advertising agencies and are not appropriate). You can, however, show ads to demonstrate how consumer generated material differs from firm generated advertisements.
1) Select some individuals with whom you will be comfortable working. Team members between 3-7.
2) Select
a. A product category (e.g., baseballs, tomatoes, aftershave).
b. A brand that may encompass several product categories.
c. A specific product category for a specific brand (e.g., Nike basketball shoes) of interest.
3) Find a number of online postings by consumers discussing or portraying their experience with the product or brand. You may want to consider:
a. Blog entries (which can be searched through the Google Blog Search feature).
b. Consumer product evaluations sites such as epions.com and evaluations on merchant sites such as Amazon.com.
c. Photos (available from Flickr , WebShots , Picasa Web , and any other photo share sites. You can also search using the Google Images search feature.
d. Video recordings (available from YouTube and Google Video Search (http://video.google.com).
e. Other online media.
f. To zero in on specific items, you may want to search using phrases put in quotes- e.g., "new cell phone," "contract ran out," "lost my phone," "heel broke," or "pink Blackberry."
4) Discuss the possible motives/influences of the consumers generating the material in question (e.g., genuine desire to help others, wanting to look good, desire to promote a favorite brand, desire to present an alternative brand to the market leader, "blowing off steam," show off creative talents more than dealing with substance per se, desire to entertain).
5) Identify the extent to which different people who create material on similar topics/brands either compete with each other or promote other people's material.
6) Identify theme or issues identified. Note that photos and videos may be "staged" or sensationalized to some extent. Nevertheless, do these at least suggest certain underlying consumer motivations, emotions, and/or perceptions?
7) Identify implications for the marketing of the product or brand in question-e.g.,
a. Effective advertising messages (e.g., could a particular photo-with proper permissions-be used as an ad with a suitable caption?)
b. Issues for product design and or content (e.g., are there aspects enjoyed or aspects causing frustration apparent?)
c. Information that should be available for consumers on manufacturer web sites.
8) Requirement on report
a. A project memo will be due on Mar. 4th, 2013, the memo identifies team members and their specific topic choice. The memo is not graded but serves to get approval from the instructor.
b. The project paper will be a summary of team project. Each team submits one paper, with all team members' names on the cover page.
The paper is to be 10 - 15 pages in length, double-spaced, 12 pt., and in any easy-to-read fond. The final paper is due on Apr. 8th, 2013.
c. Each team will prepare a 10-15 minutes project presentation to the class as scheduled.
d. The evaluation for the project paper and presentation will include paper writing (40%), team presentation (40%), and peer evaluation (20%).
9) Team work
a. You may want to divide up between team members so that different people search different media.
b. If one or more group members speak any foreign languages, you may want to compare apparent differences between cultures.
Notes:
After your team examine this project topic and you decide to do research on any other specific topic relating to consumer behavior as your team project. Please submit your idea as a project memo before Mar. 4th, 2013 to get approval. Note that while the topic must be related to consumer behavior it need not be something that is covered in class or in the text.