It’s not hard to see why brands are concerned with negative comments, brand bashing and abuse within their online communities, forums and discussion boards. The overall consumer experience online is surely a brand’s first concern, however I wonder if they are sometimes missing the potential that even the negative side has to offer? (more…)

Retailers are preparing for what consumer surveyors are calling a soft back-to-school market. Lands’ End has decided to give user-generated content (UGC) and customization a second try with Packland.

Packland is a UGC interactive website developed for children aged 13 and under. The site offers participants a virtual fantasy environment for shopping. Packland allows customers to choose from one of four online environment including, jungle, ocean, fantasy world or spy lab, and personalize their own virtual backpack. (more…)

Could it be that the days of free everything on the Web - short as they’ve been - are nearing an end? That’s one prediction from Deloitte’s 2009 Media and Entertainment Predictions.

The report predicts that the rising cost of free online content alone will put serious limits on how much  content the public will be allowed to post on sites such as YouTube and Facebook. For those very large sites, the costs for storing all that content could rise to more than $100 million a year, and they are still having difficulty earning enough from advertising to pay for it all. (more…)

A recent survey by global business consultancy Deloitte LLP revealed a high and growing demand for user-generated content. In fact, 40 per cent of all respondents reported making their own entertainment (editing movies, music and photos). That included 25 per cent of older users (pre-baby boom) and 56 per cent of millenials (aged 18-24). (more…)