Revisiting Participatory Cultures

In preparation for the tutorial chat sessions on Friday, I re-read John’s article on Auran and Trainz. I guess you could say I had a slight change of heart…

When I wrote my last entry on this topic (Collaboration v. Exploitation) I must have been channelling my inner socialist by attempting to protect interests of the masses (A.K.A. fan communities). In retrospect, I should have channelled my inner business student.

I guess what I am trying to say (in my longwinded fashion) is that maybe media producers like Auran aren’t exploiting their fans after all. Perhaps they’re just being smart businesses.

Throughout my business studies I have been told time and time again to: know your target market. I see now that Auran was not trying to abuse its loyal fans but was simply trying to paint a better picture of its target market. The company wanted to discover what its consumers really wanted from Trainz.

The best way to achieve this was by allowing Trainz fans be a part of the production process. It was a win-win situation. Auran made a better product and the fan communities felt they played an integral part in its creation. Not only had the media producer satisfied its target market’s needs but the consumers themselves had created an everlasting bond with the product.

My point is that as we move towards becoming an increasingly interconnected yet individualised society, things have to change. People (and businesses alike) must adapt to this new environment. If adaptation comes in the form of the Trainz business model, then so be it.

To parody that other (slightly more famous) socialist: Viva la Evolution!