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Archive for the ‘News’ Category
re:publica ’12 between surveillance and copyright
For Berlin, the blogger and social media conference re:publica is a stroke of luck. Firstly, yearly hoards of bloggers and tweeters pour in from all German-speaking corners of the world, filling hotel rooms and ensuring good publicity. Secondly, a lively start-up scene has been established in the shadow of the tech-savvy public which is said to be able to hold its own with the legendary London Community.
From May 2-4, the re:publica 2012 had a new home: the “Station” at the Gleisdreieck area. The grounds of the former postal goods station proved to be suitable for the festival-natured event with 4000 visitors and 270 speakers from more than 30 countries. It offered enough space for 8 presentation halls and a wide, covered “re:publica square” with diverse service stands, areas to sit, power supply and a re:publica “re:staurant”.
The only problem was the weak Internet connection that crashed within the first hour. The classic telephone connection also struggled even though two carriers had set up additional towers. The few plugs for LAN cables were correspondingly in demand, the lack of Internet availability remained a topic during the event.
Surveillance
The re:publica 2012 focused on freedom and censorship, anonymity and public access, identity and surveillance, copyright and user rights, data journalism, open learning and much more.
In his introduction, Professor Eben Moglen from Columbia University warned against the threats to the free Internet, and therefore to free society, from national and private surveillance.
Facebook and Google are storing gigantic quantities of data about us. The ‘Like’ button on a website registers when we visit the site, when we recommend it to our online friends – and when we don’t. Amazon’s Kindle always knows what we are reading, when and how quickly. Every move is documented, each book is merely borrowed and can be taken away at any time – there are many examples of this.
The next step would be to criminalize reading. In France, the outgoing president Sarkozy demanded that repeated visits to jihad-oriented websites should be criminalized. Apple has held talks with publishers to launch separate Apple books, including guidelines concerning content. Such as requiring that the published works do not contain any offensive words.
Our lives are about to undergo fundamental changes, said Eben Moglen. In two generations people will grow and think differently – they will be networked. The lives of our descendants are being decided now. We have the responsibility of setting the right directions.
Moglen is a proponent of building decentralized networks that are not subject to control from above.
Copyright
The question of copyrights was repeated throughout the entire programs of the re:publica 2012.
Co-founder of re:publica, Markus Beckedahl, and the Greens representative in the European parliament, Jan Philipp Albrecht, brought the public up to date in an open conversation about the current Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA. After massive protests against the encroachments into the democratic fundamental rights, the movement of the content industry is considered to be basically halted.
The Vice-Presidents of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, also provided reassurance that ACTA is dead. The Internet community and their protests were a considerable factor in this. She thanked the audience for this and promised to work for a free Internet, even if it would cost an additional term of office.
However, in spite of this: it won’t work without (modernized) copyright laws. Copyright laws were made for reasons that are still valid. Artists, authors and musicians must be able to profit from their work. On the path to a solution, Kroes hopes for the ideas and active participation and even public protests of the Internet community.
GEMA – German society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights
In interviews with the musician and spreeblick blogger Johnny Häusler, musicians such as Roxanne de Bastion, Ministry of Sound Germany founder Konrad von Löhneysen and tape.tv founder Conrad Fritzsch discussed the current situation and ways out of the confrontational situation between the GEMA and listeners.
It was very interesting to see the differentiated access to the GEMA (and to the English pendant), which is generally only known to outsiders for “This video is not available in your country”. However, the GEMA is one of the collection societies with the lowest overhead for management and organisation. The majority of money collected actually goes to musicians and can often be half of their income.
Creative financing
One possible way to get money for creative services is crowd-funding. Art and culture can be financed in advance by a willing public.
However: Crowd-funding works best for stars. This is why Amanda Palmer can raise a lot of money within hours. A newcomer with no fan base needs organised support. Crowd-funding doesn’t always work, but then it sometimes works in areas that one would not connect it to. The book project “Hartz IV” furniture from Van Bo Le-Mentzel was over financed by 260% with crowd-funding.
“berlinfolgen” is a photo-video format that presents Berlin and it’s residents in detail and was successfully funded by crowd-funding.
Transmedia Storytelling
Whatever the type of formatting and the legal peripheral requirements that the future may bring – the Internet will remain a part of the media landscape.
“Transmedia Storytelling” is an approach that would like to use the entirety of this media landscape. Films, photos, billboards, displays, websites and even books all together tell a story. Transmedia storytelling overcomes the limits between the forms of transmission, the so-called media break, and uses the most appropriate media for all content. It is up to the public to observe, or to actively participate and to even change the action.
A “Transmedia Manifest” with 11 propositions was presented. Blurred borders between fiction and reality, starting points across the entire project, interactivity, transmediality, a universal history with a potential to continue forever and the free selection of the intensity of use define Transmedia Storytelling projects and their subset of alternative reality games.
Projects of this complexity cost time, expertise and money. This is why the presenters also thought of return on investment. Fee-based apps, premium content and even merchandising are possible – assuming the story is exciting.
The state of the Internet
The appearance of star blogger and SPON columnist Sascha Lobo was also exciting.
With the subject “The state of the Internet 2012”, the demi-pope of the German-speaking online community warned of placing one’s Internet life in the hands or large commercial suppliers. “Blog!” he called out. Blog on your own platforms. Let’s make 2012 the year of the personal blog! Because only that what is written in the personal blog really belongs to the blogger.
Then Sascha Lobo spoke of the importance of building a bridge between the online community and the offline community. The online community should not get the feeling that they are part of an elite group.
Alone 30 million people in Germany will never go into the Internet. That is a lot of people who, possibly due to uncertainty and on the basis of false information, make democratic decisions with serious consequences. The digital trenches in society, either across generations, lifestyles or platforms, must be bridged.
And the initiative for this must come from the online community.
The Panorama Viewer
360 degree panoramic images create a very authentic impression of a particular scene in the form of a single photo. Although the technique was first applied as early as in the First World War, these extended all-round shots have the panorama programmes which come with numerous digital cameras to thank for their current widespread use. This feature combines slightly overlapping individual images to create a full picture using special software.
Two disadvantages: the upward and downward glance is missing. And when the image is rolled out flat, this causes distortion at the edges of the individual images.
An all-round view in three dimensions
The solution: a fisheye or super wide angle lens. Each line of vision is photographed once
using an attachment which can be pivoted in any direction using a special tripod. A 3D
engine then compiles the images in a spherical formation around the current site.
This kind of panoramic image is used in marketing and design or in art projects. The images
came to prominence through the Google Street View images and its competitor, Bing
Streetside View.
The creative minds at the Netural Lab have created possibilities for the practical use of this
technology.
Viewing not scrolling
Panoramic images are normally viewed through classic scrolling or, on iPads and other touch screens, using a swiping movement. Inspired by the idea of an augmented reality view of the current environment, the Netural Lab team has selected another option. The compass and gyroscopic angle identification system in the iPad are used for this special effect. The tablet ‘knows’ in which direction it is pointing. This offers insight into an alternative reality – a life-like view of the all-round image with no navigational elements. Observers simply move the screen in their hand and the displayed section of the image changes.
There are many ways of moving from one place or space to another. One version is the use of integrated arrows within the photographed environment which point to the next panoramic location. The second is a context menu where a one-touch selection from a list of available locations appears. Whether signposts, footprints, clickable doors or visually emphasised landscape features: there are many different ways to navigate the animated and interactive elements in a panoramic image.
Areas of application
What can this be used for? The Panorama Viewer is ideal for virtual tours of museums and buildings of interest to tourists as well as properties which are not accessible for whatever reason. But the biggest strength of the 360 degree view is that it can be used outdoors: the Panorama Viewer can be used to explore ski resorts, protected natural landscapes or areas which are difficult to access from the comfort of the screen.
Journey through time
Another highly interesting idea from the Netural lab: 360 degree photographs which reveal the current location at a different point in time. Before the construction of a building. At night. In summer and winter.
A glimpse of the future
The most exciting journeys through time are into the future. 3D views of planned buildings can also be incorporated into the Panorama Viewer. The result is a realistic portrayal of the completed project within the context of its future environment – from several angles or from inside.
“the next web” Salzburg: Knowledge shared is knowledge doubled
Where there’s a Barcamp there are digital addicts. And when “the next web” is the subject, this naturally attracts Netural designers and developers in particular.
This was also true from March 23-25 when the department of multi-media technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg held an “unconference” in Puch Urstein. Presenters from Germany, Austria and Switzerland brought an international flair to visiting public, who were mainly students. Talks on the subjects of HTML5, Frontend Development, User Experience and Interaction Design found an interested audience.
The e-sport legend Volker Heinrigh, former program director for the German broadcaster GameTV, examined browser games from a historical as well as marketing perspective and provided insight into the complex web game landscape dominated by private television stations.
The simple title “User Experience – 12 Tips” was for Daniel Höller’s fresh and captivating presentation about the simple ground rules that every designer and developer should follow without delay. Captivating (and entertaining) was also the live usability test by the teams from Simplease – on a live subject, in other words: users and potential customers. The subject: an old-fashioned car-sharing website. The public was involved in the evaluation of the suggestions for improvement.
The 6 minute quick “lightning talks” invited participants to express matters close to their heart in the time given. The public learned – very compactly – about the “goal buddy” principle or how NGOs such as Greenpeace network and use mobile devices for fundraising.
Highly representative and communicative were the front-end programmers who provided input on WebGL ( = Flash-free 3D that runs in the browswer), CSS3 and SASS. The Netural developers Roswitha Wallner and Stefan Baumgartner scored points with numerous interested parties with “Bitte warten – Performance-Optimierung von WebSites und Web-Apps” (on optimizing the performance of websites and apps) and “HTML5 + Mobile”.
And as with every barcamp, the most important thing in Salzburg was making personal contacts. For students, this was the possibility of meeting professionals – and vice versa. To discuss topics apart from “daily business” for which there would normally not be time. In this point everyone was in agreement: A weekend is nice, but not enough …
Netural researches. Old and young benefit
Digital media connects generations. Netural uses the employee’s natural urge to research for a good purpose.
More correctly: good purposes! Two completely new research projects will provide people with direct benefits: One is the “Safe Move” app with which we want to provide older people who live alone with more self-reliance, a desire to go out and the courage to do so. The “Better World App” lets children actively and effectively participate in the future of the planet that they will one day inherit.
Safe Move
No one is too old for digital media. We have proven this as part of an international consortium with the European research project “Safe Move”. The project is specially designed for older users – for people who have difficulty moving safely in their close environment.
The reasons for these difficulties are multifaceted. Physical weakness, difficulties in orientation, safety concerns or growing doubt on their own skills since many things that used to be easy are no longer matter of course.
Safe Move starts from here and trains them to trust their own skills. At the same time the program offers help in difficult situations and orientation in the immediate vicinity.
For example: Agathe is 82 years old. She would like to visit an exhibition in a new community centre. Agathe does not know how to get there – and there are also the added factors of traffic and noise on the streets.
Safe Move shows Agathe the easiest and safest way to the event – on her television screen. She can explore crossings and pavements as well as alternative routes on the screen. Bus timetables and the routes are also shown by Safe Move.
An important inhibition threshold for excursions is the worry of not feeling completely comfortable alone. One solution offered is social integration for the program. Friends connected in Safe Move can work together online and help each other plan routes. They can arrange meeting points and be certain to find each other in the city with the help of the app.
The mobile application accompanies Agathe on her trip and warns her when the correct station is approaching or calls for assistance if Agathe cannot continue her journey without help.
Better World App
Too young for digital media? Hardly anyone is. This is obvious when you see how small children play with iPads and smart phones like experts. The “Better World” app provides children, youths and the young at heart from 8 to 99 with playful, relaxed access to technology to create a better world for everyone. The goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle for entire families and a planet that is worth handing down to the next generation.
To do this, the “Better World” app was developed together with the children’s university in Steyr and the Linz-based institute for qualitative analysis (LIquA) and is based on four pillars:
Awareness
First it raises awareness of their own behaviour in relation to natural resources and our environment. It calculates: You drove this far with the car. You have done this much laundry.
Alternatives
Then it shows the alternatives. With public transport it would have looked like this. The washing machine was only half full. This would have also been clean on a cold wash.
The big picture
The “Better World” app runs calculations. This shows that the behaviour of the individual is a building block for major developments. It also shows that every small thing help
One game – one win
Finally the “Better World” app playfully trains users to change their behaviour. If a user confirms the correct ecological activity for a task, points are awarded. The players and friends see the points in the app as well as on the social media profiles of the participants. Users who exhibit correct behaviour – and in doing so set an example for themselves and their environment – will pull ahead of the competition each week.
An advantage from which all players profit. Communication with online contacts helps the users continuously increase their own knowledge. Tips, suggestions and reports from kindred spirits support the individual’s personal growth and to do even better the next time.
Why this approach will work:
We all know the facts about how we should economize energy and resources.
But knowledge of facts alone does not mean a change in behaviour. Only the contextual knowledge, the understanding of which of our actions have which consequences, really motivates us to act. The last and most critical stage is practical and applicable knowledge. The change can only be implemented when we are clear about which actions are required in the situation. And the world will get better.
The Hidden U
Netural has experience in practical implementations for checking interesting scientific theories. In 2010 the project “The Hidden U” was started to create a hybrid from the Wolfram|Alpha line of thought and social networking. One question – one answer, generated from all the information freely available on the profiles of the social media contacts. This helps people deal with simple as well as complex problems. At the same time it supplies valuable information for the development of the future’s semantic network.
Internet with maximum screen diagonal
The public and the media alike carefully follow each new development on the market for smartphones and their associated apps. However, another sector for digital applications technology leads a more shadowy existence: the development of apps for television or ‘smart TV’ such as ‘Red Dot TV’ and ‘HbbTV’.
Hybrid TV
Smart TV or Hybrid TV is the name given to television sets which can access the internet. Like with teletext, the selected TV channel transmits a so-called AIT table with the signal. This is then read by the receiving device and contains defined URLs. If a TV channel offers additional information for a programme, a signal appears – a red dot. Viewers can then access additional content in text, image or video format at the touch of a button.
Apps on television
The growing market of TV apps from TV broadcasters, TV device manufacturers and software companies offering media libraries, interactive programme guides, weather services, games and on-demand video services can be accessed from your remote control using a specific labelled button (dependent on manufacturer).
HbbTV
‘Hybrid Broadcast Broadband Television’ or HbbTV is a recognised standard for hybrid TV in Europe. It has been registered with the European Institute for Telecommunications Standards ETSI since June 2010 in version 1.1.1 as ETSI TS 102 796. It is based on elements of predecessor standards and web technologies such as OIPF (Open IPTV Forum), CEA-2014 (CE-HTML), the guidelines of the www-Consortium and DVB broadcasting specifications (ETSI TS 102 809).
The consortium was originally a pan-European initiative between French and German-speaking broadcasting operators, satellite operator SES ASTRA and a few software companies and now includes a growing list of members from across the world.
“Since autumn 2011, virtually all of the big manufacturers have been offering HbbTV devices on the German market. These are available as both set-top boxes and IDTVs. The first manufacturers are also offering devices with integrated HbbTV,” explains Dr. Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Chairman of the HbbTV consortium.
No universal standard
HbbTV is not the same on every TV screen. Online video text and media libraries from RTL, for example, can only be viewed on HbbTV-enabled HDTV receivers produced by Humax and Videoweb. Competition from ProSieben and Sat1 is not present everywhere yet despite this, Philips and Technisat devices mostly focus on these offers. Online services by public law broadcasters can be viewed on all HbbTV TVs.
The different forms of support offered by the services are partly technical and partly political in origin. The copy protection of the Maxdome company does not form part of the HbbTV standard, says Philips Product Manager Volker Blume. Philips TVs do not recognise it and do not show these HbbTV offers from Pro7 and Sat1. In the case of RTL, it does not boil down to the device. The broadcaster only activates its offers for certain recipients.
The reason for this unclear situation is that “Private broadcasters are demanding things from us which manufacturers do not wish to deliver,” says Frank Eschholz of Toshiba. This includes private broadcasters rejecting insert signs on the screen and especially during advert breaks, which the broadcasters use to generate financing.
The long-term goal of HbbTV is to implement a global, open and business-neutral platform, despite these obstacles. It should ensure the seamless integration of broadband online services with classic television programmes across the world.
Connected TV in the USA
In the USA, Google TV, Apple TV and Yahoo Connected TV are all adopting different approaches.
- Google TV is striving to achieve a browser-based unrestricted access to websites from a television set by collaborating with TV broadcasters. Apps can be selected from the Android market ‘Google Play’.
- Apple TV is enabling access to the HD iTunes Store with its own TV apps via a set-top box. iPad, iPhone and iPod content can also be accessed from the television using AirPlay.
- Yahoo! operates a platform of films and series on demand, access to web content, social shopping pages and games. Customers can pay a regular fee to access this content via a ‘Yahoo button’ if they purchase devices from partner manufacturers Samsung, Sony, Vizio or Toshiba.
Prerequisites: broadband and knowledge
To date, the proportion of customers using (or able to use) their web TV to the full has been limited. In hardware terms, at least 2000 to 6000 Kbit of bandwidth are required. This limits the target market in Europe primarily to conurbations. Many owners of internet-enabled TVs therefore do not even know what their device can do.
Andreas Regner of Samsung Austria says: “Samsung is planning to take steps here. We are trying to make customers aware of all the possibilities offered by their TV set before they make a purchase. And after the sale too, we continue to provide updates about what is happening on the platform”.
And what developments are being made in terms of the internet on television?
Regner: “Whereas a few years ago connecting my laptop to my TV to watch YouTube videos on a bigger screen in my home was a very laborious process, there are now options for viewing this content directly on the TV.
The TV will never replace the classic laptop or smartphone. However, there is a trend for being able to enjoy this content wherever you want – in top quality and with a user-friendly design for the consumer”.
New 3D technology for Roomle
The Roomle room planner developed by Netural has received an exciting upgrade: the new Stage 3D technology from Adobe will be applied with immediate effect for the 3D presentation of Roomle plans.
The Roomle 3D view will become even more fluid and detailed thanks to the new renderer. While previous engines have compiled thousands of triangles to produce 3-dimensional objects, Stage 3D manages hundreds of thousands of graphical elements and with double the speed. The outcome is a more realistic presentation on the screen. The use of Stage 3D in Roomle is more pleasant for the user too. The new technology works without its own installable plug-in; Flash Player 11 on the computer is sufficient.
The new renderer also paves the way for more innovations: the next step will be for Roomle plans to be directly editable in the 3D view.
The sights of Austria
The new image video from Advantage Austria, the official organisation of the Austrian economy abroad, presents Austria and its achievements in a self-ironic way. The film is available in 28 languages and can be used by local companies in their international presentations.
The video was produced 100% by Netural and the sound was composed by Linz-based musician Gerd Rahstorfer. Friendly infographics provide a clear selection of the content and are also available in print resolution.
For more information about Advantageaustria.org and the latest re-launch, see: New website for the Austrian economy abroad.
New website for the Austrian economy abroad
The Austrian international trade support service, AUSTRIAN TRADE, is guiding Austrian companies into new markets as part of its ‘go-international’ internationalisation strategy, using the website www.advantageaustria.org. This internet platform has been re-designed and a range of new service functions added. 197 country sites are now easily accessiblein 28 languages.
“In order to carry out the conversion, key content such as business opportunities, on-site offices and events were transported in context,” says Walter Koren, Chief Executive of AUSTRIAN TRADE. “Now we have created a real ‘hotspot’ for these key areas, astage where company contacts can really catch the eye of potential business partners”.
The contemporary new internet presence was planned and implemented by several Austrian service providers working in close partnership. The design, user experience, images and templates came from Netural. BDFnet, the agency for new media, designed the information architecture and usability concept, focusing on simplified user-friendliness. BDFnet is also supporting the ongoing search engine optimisation for the project together with e-dialog, which is responsible for the professional web analysis. The renowned CMS specialist Gentics supplied the content management system and was also responsible for the technical implementation, along with partner Getdesigned.
Easy access
Netural prioritised user-centric access to www.advantageaustria.org in particular: 25 WAI-A conform templates ensure easy accessibility in line with the specifications of the Web Accessibility Initiative. The design supports the classic western languages as well as sets of non-Latin characters such as Russian or Korean, and text which runs from right to left as in Farsi.
Secure navigation
The new website of www.advantageaustria.org is characterised by its simplified and tidier navigation. More than 350 striking image motifs create an industry-specific background design. “Fast and secure navigation on the website plus an aesthetic experience as a welcome addition to the content found,” says Netural CEO Albert Ortig of this development. “Thanks to our extensive experience, we were able to improve the editorial process to the optimum,” says Andrea Schauerhuber, Solution Center Manager at Gentics, of the successful new launch. “The representation of the Austrian economy abroad is now contemporary and encourages queries to be directed to the companies themselves,” explains Peter Gollowitsch, Managing Director of BDFnet.
Red-white-red – Did you know?
To accompany the new web presence of www.advantageaustria.org, a clever ‘Did-you-know’ video has been produced to highlight the export successes of the Austrian economy. And there’s no shortage of tongue-in-cheek humour: accompanied by music composed by Gerd Rahstorfer, the film devised and produced by Netural presents popular clichés of the Alpine republic and contrasts them with some surprising and innovative ‘made in Austria’ products. The 3-minute video is available in 28 languages on the website and is featured on YouTube.
Interview with Dr. Walter Koren, Director General of AUSTRIAN TRADE, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
1. What is the significance of the website www.advantageaustria.org in the daily work of AUSTRIAN TRADE?
www.advantageaustria.org is THE communications channel for our foreign trade centres abroad. All of our activities abroad are communicated via our 197 country sites in 28 languages. In total, 250 editors and translators across the world ensure that interested foreign business partners receive the information they need in a fast and uncomplicated manner.
2. What concrete assistance does www.advantageaustria.org offer foreign companies who want to take a look at partners in Austria?
The website encompasses around 28,000 individual pages in 28 languages and provides targeted information about business partners in Austria. Interested parties from all over the world can obtain comprehensive information to support a successful collaboration with the Austrian economy at www.advantageaustria.org. The focus is on a successful presentation of Austrian companies having a business interest in the country in question. The conversion points take the form of direct contact with the presented Austrian companies or with the relevant Austrian Trade Centres on-site. Over 750 employees and 40 consultants are on hand to help, specialised in supporting foreign companies in their search for Austrian business partners. More than 1,000 events are also held each year which are organised or supported by the ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA experts. These events are announced on www.advantageaustria.org and Austrian participants are specifically targeted. www.advantageaustria.org also offers detailed information on the issues of ‘Importing from Austria’ and ‘Exporting to Austria’ as well as information on investments, financing and law. General information about the country and useful details for business trips to Austria complete the service.
3. How does reliable information about a country and its economic services influence the contacts established with new business partners?
Anyone wishing to import products or services from Austria or who is interested in the Austrian market as an exporter or investor should gain a quick overview of the Austrian economy and the relevant contact partners. The internet portal www.advantageaustria.org combines all the information needed by business partners concerning the Austrian economy and provides suitable contact partners, whether in terms of interested Austrian companies or competent advice on-site.
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is the international network of the AUSTRIAN TRADE and represents competence, quality and reliability abroad. The official portal for the Austrian economy abroad is therefore a good opener of doors for Austrian companies.
4. How can a video help to arouse interest in Austria’s economy?
The web portal is particularly relevant for companies beyond the borders of our country who are less familiar with Austria and Austrian business partners. Our new image video ‘Austria’s economy is surprisingly ingenious’ aims to apply ‘new media’ to encourage these companies to get in contact with Austrian business partners. The video shows Austria’s economic performance and entrepreneurs looking at success stories in a modern and friendly manner and provides an explanation as to why the Austrian economy is ‘surprisingly ingenious’. The success stories aim to trigger something of an ‘OHHH’ effect among our target groups abroad with their factual and graphics-based approach. Visitors are directed to www.advantageaustria.org via social media channels and can then search for Austrian business partners online in specific industries on our 197 country sites or contact one of our service centres for advice.
The most important currency in a blog is trust
Collaboration with bloggers is becoming increasingly attractive for companies – on the one hand in the social media version of corporate publishing through specially designed themed blogs under the patronage of the brand and on the other through ‘blogger engagement’ through classical PR. Bloggers are influencers: if the author of a blog manages to arouse enthusiasm for a particular product, the effect is reflected in his/her fan community. The benefits are clear: the image transfer of the blog to the brand and (even with young brands) an increase in recognition within the target group.
So what does the blogger get out of this collaboration? Here it is all about gaining readers. One’s own credibility within the established community is more important than fleeting monetary success and being ‘bought’ content-wise is a no-go. Companies need to bear this in mind when planning blogger engagement. Julia Basagic, a renowned Austrian fashion blogger known as “Fanfarella”, also operates in this domain: “If I want to write about something, I have just 2 criteria, whether it is paid or unpaid: does it interest me and could it interest my readers?”
Paid blog articles are controversial. Approximately 13%* of users questioned completely reject ‘advertorials’. 70% expect commissioned content to be clearly labelled as such. This reflects the legal specifications which affect the classic journalistic media. “I think it is entirely legitimate to label contributions as adverts in this way and ensure that readers do not feel like they are being treated like idiots,” says Julia Basagic openly. “Bloggers need to decide themselves what kind of advertising they want to impose on their readers. The most important currency in a blog is trust”.
A successful collaboration requires companies to accept the independence of bloggers. Bloggers value their freedom – a motivation for running a blog. Even in cases of commissioned articles such as product reviews, bloggers should write whatever they consider to be correct. Personal input is a key element of this format. The approach of ‘paying buys you what you want’ does not work here. If bloggers begin to feel degraded to PR machines by money, the readers will soon sense this by the change in tone.
And it is all about these readers. When cooperating with companies, it is important to Julia Basagic that she is left scope in terms of time and content. “I want to be taken seriously and favour polite, respectful and straightforward collaboration”. The best articles are always those written with the full force of conviction and with direct experience such as attendance of an event or product testing. “I always find it interesting to take a look behind the scenes, engage in personal discussions with exciting decision-makers who are relevant to my blog and interact with other blogging colleagues”.
* Survey via Twittpoll, n = 54
