Web Communication

1. Web Communication B-Guided Magazine Project Avatar Characters Ambar Morales-Bermudez Cristina Costa

2. Introduction • Web 2.0 is about a change in focus to participation, user control, sharing, openness, and networking. • Today web applications facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration.

3. Market/consumerbehaviortrends • Huge revolution and participating in it is even more revolutionary. • Applications are entertainment, communication and merchandising • Consumers are more than satisfied to be in constant connection with their favorite brands, social network, and news etc. • People are reacting positively to this change because they are constantly updated and closer to the information offered in a faster amount of time.

4. SWOT • Users feel as if they are together in the same place in Second Life. • Second Life also allows for creativity and flexibility; individuals or groups can construct whatever environment they wish and provide information, ideas, and experiences. It is also collaborative and growing, as users continually add resources, places, and objects—some replicate interesting real-world environments.

5. weaknesses • emphasis is on the entertainment and game like aspects. • users spend a great deal of time and effort in creating and adjusting a personal avatar, learning how to move around, and discovering the nature and conventions of this virtual world. This interaction can be fun, but it is likely to be frustrating for those who are more interested in applications for education or business or providing social or other services. • There are also no standards across virtual world applications.

6. Opportunities • offer many new opportunities for libraries in terms of using virtual worlds to provide services and resources to the real world and providing services and resources as part of the virtual environment. • Eventually, it might even become a public display space for you to share your knowledge with others. Such capabilities offer opportunities for library education as well, since the rich, multimedia, animated environment is able to improve the distance learning experience.

7. Threats • Virtual worlds come with the same safety and credibility limitations of other digital networked systems. • a realistic return on investment, although there is no baseline cost for participating in Second Life, free isn't necessarily “free”—there are start-up and continuing expenditures in terms of time, effort, and money. Those investments can be rendered useless if something new comes along or if the system gets abandoned. However, there is also a downside to not taking action if Second Life becomes very popular and libraries aren't involved. This cost-benefit concern is a threat in relation to any technology.

8. Avatar Character app goals & objectives • improve our contents, our popularity, and our relationship with our customers offering them a direct and better service. • By creating these avatar characters, our magazine will benefit from it in terms of knowing our consumers’ demand and needs. • What we want • our consumers to be part of us, not only in terms of fashion but also in terms of lifestyle. • how they think and what they think so that we can offer them exactly what they need and want. • to be updated in terms of technology and communication • to be the first to give our consumers the latest trends, news, “it spots” for shopping, eating, visiting etc.

9. Target definition • Fashion conscious, • Trendy • In style • Open minded • Into technology, • Men and women- from 21 years old and up

10. New B-Guided Magazine 2.0 App. Avatar Character • Virtual characters such as avatars for fashion in smart phones applications. • Subscribed consumers of B-Guided Magazine will experience this application where they will be able to make critics, reviews and post their opinions • It would be a second “world”, people will have their own nickname or username, they will have the option to use a representative icon, and to share their personal information such as their age, work, sex, and hobbies or preferences. • They will be able to ask opinions, upload photos of latest products, comment on reviews and suggest any further information or ideas. • Will also have the opportunity to respond to an article but only the most outstanding response will be posted, and it will be done once a week.

11. B-guided 2.0 and CRM • We want to promote virtual characters such as avatars for fashion in smart phones applications. • Only subscribed consumers of B-Guided Magazine will experience this application where they will be able to make critics, reviews and post their opinions. • Consists on creating an identity which is surrealistic to real life. It would be a second “world”, people will have their own nickname or username, they will have the option to use a representative icon, and to share their personal information such as their age, work, sex, and hobbies or preferences. • The B-Guided Magazine Avatar characters will play in this application by interacting with other users and people who work for the magazine. • They will be able to ask opinions, upload photos of latest products, comment on reviews and suggest any further information or ideas. • An avatar character will also have the opportunity to respond to an article but only the most outstanding response will be posted, and it will be done once a week.

12. B- guided 2.0 mobility and ubiquity • The application should be downloaded from the B-guided Magazine and will be totally free for any users. • Users will be able to access the application from wherever they are at any time of the day or night. • There will be a home page where users will be updated constantly with the latest products in whatever area; fashion, web sites, home furniture, restaurants, bars, other cultural events, the latest movies, news, celebrity collaborators with B-guided magazine etc. • B-guided Magazine Avatar app. will also have a sensor whereas you enter a restaurant that has been suggested as a “must go” in that week`s update in homepage, the user will receive a 15% off on his or her check when purchasing. • Discounts will also be available for stores, or sites that have been suggested.