3. Innovative Blog - Lily Allen

http://www.lilyallenmusic.com/

Technology used
The technology used in Lily Allen’s blog includes mp3 live streaming, full length videos, online shopping, downloads of Lily’s songs and videos and the ability to personalise Lily’s blog by changing the colours etc.

Lily’s blog is way for her to not only publicise her work, i.e. up coming album or single releases, but also a way to interact with her fans and offer them an insight into the life she leads and allow them to feel closer to her. In turn, this encourages loyalty to her music and herself as a brand.

The Media being used
This website includes a variety of types of media including mp3 live soundtrack streaming, related websites such as her Label on myspace, online shopping, full length videos, message boards, Lily’s blog, pictures from Lily’s day to day life, competitions, RSS links for immediate updates, exclusive album content and mobile phone updates.

All of these act as promotion for Lily’s career and albums as well as offering the consumer an exclusive and interactive experience.

Having downloads allow her fans to consume her media wherever they go without having to purchase it, ideal for encouraging new fans to buy her albums because they can listen to her work for free first. The online streaming and blogging encourages consumers to come back to her site because they can listen to her latest music as well as find out about her day-to-day life.

RSS feeds and mobile phone updates allow the consumer to go about their life without having to check regularly the website, but as soon as something new is released or happens, they find out about it. It has the added bonus of putting them ahead of their peers because they find out first about things rather than people who just check the website and might not have looked recently.

Audience
I think the main target audience are her fans, although there is a no real age limit I believe it would probably be her younger fans who would read her blog, especially those who are interested in the celebrity lifestyle and music industry.

They use the website to find out about Lily’s work and her lifestyle. If Lily has been touring or is planning to, they hear about the new shows being planned, can buy tickets and merchandise and also hear about what music she played at the previous nights show.

The benefits to the audience of reading her blog are that they do get exclusive information as well as downloads and can find out about her celebrity lifestyle. The audience can purchase her merchandise and tickets for tours from the site itself or related sites which are linked by the blog.

Institutions
The institutions involved are Lily Allen’s label, Regal. The website allows them to promote their artist, Lily, as well as her music and merchandise. The use that Lily’s blog has is that it encourages consumers to come to her website to find out about what she has been doing, and in turn they may well choose to listen to some music, and purchase music or merchandise. The interactivity of the website encourages consumers to spend longer on it and gain a higher interest in Lily so that they may go to see her tour etc.

The audience gains from the blog as they can read about the lifestyle most will aspire to as well as get information on an artist they enjoy.

Key concepts
The key concepts of the website are interactivity and non-linear in that the audience can consume the website in any order they wish. Vertical integration is present meaning that the audience have an increased experience through the variety of media and content available and resulting in a higher loyalty to Lily Allen as a brand and for the record label Lily’s fans may check out other artists on the label to see if they like them too.

2. Radio Station Website - Capital FM - The Breakfast Show with Johnny and Denise

http://www.capitalradio.co.uk/Sectional.asp?id=7328

Technology used
The technology present on this website consists mainly of mp3 files as it is a radio show, but with some video clips. The website contains interviews and podcasts of the shows, meaning that it is replacing listening to the actual show because its material can be accessed at any time, rather than just between the times it is aired. This increases the number of listeners because some people tune in throughout the day to listen to the interviews, rather than wanting to listen to the whole show. The website also contains a playlist full of music being played on the station as well as a link to listen to the live radio show.

The Media being used
The media content present on the website includes mp3 files, podcasts and video clips.

Mp3 files
The mp3 files of interviews and sections of the show allow the listener to either re-listen to an interview, such as the one with David Tenant, or if they missed it, it allows them to access the material without having to listen during the time the show is aired. This allows Capital to encourage listeners to tune in earlier or continue listening for longer in order to catch the good interviews. It also allows Capital to advertise the high standard of celebrity that they interview, possibly encouraging listeners to tune in for the interviews.

Podcasts
The podcasts provide the opportunity for listeners to download the breakfast show’s ‘best bits’ from the week, with a date for easy manoeuvring through the podcasts and a small summary to allow browsers to see what is going to be in the podcast it provides the listeners with the opportunity to take the show with them wherever they go. It also encourages long term loyalty to Capital as a brand and Johnny and Denise’s breakfast show because people can re-listen to the jokes and the funny events.

A RSS feed is also available for podcast software so that whenever a new podcast becomes available it automatically downloads, keeping the listener up to date on the week’s show.

Video Clips
Video clips are used to break up the audio and provide something visual for the audience. It allows you to see interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, such as the interview between host Lucio and pop star Robyn. It also allows the audience to see inside the studio and get a glimpse of how things work into the studio. Video clips act as something unique for the viewers of the website as, due to the nature of radio, the interviews aren’t seen by those listening, so it gives the viewer an exclusive look into the way the breakfast show runs.

Audiences
The website appeals to any age of listener and gender because there is something for everyone, although young children may be excluded as it isn’t very visually stimulating. I feel that the audience isn’t targeted by age or gender demographics but rather by their tastes in humour and music. Capital mainly play Pop music and Indie music, so anybody who didn't enjoy those genres of music probably wouldn't find much to appeal to them as it is based very much on that. Johnny and Denise also have a very particular style of humour, making jokes with undertones and insinuated meanings, so you would have to appreciate their style of humour to really enjoy the show.

The website is mainly to promote the station and the shows, as well as the characters of the presenters with a ‘meet the gang’ section. The audience are using the website to catch up on any interviews or parts of the show they missed and also to re-listen to their favourite parts and interviews. They may no longer be tuning into the radio station every morning, but rather downloading the podcast to catch the funny bits and listening onto to the interviews. It benefits the audience by offering a second chance to listen to interviews, a podcast of the ‘best bits’ that they can store on their iPod and listen to on the go, as well as exclusive video clips of interviews which aren’t seen by those who don’t access the website.

Institutions
The institutions involved include the Capital radio station, but to some extent the film and music institutions are include too. Capital is using the website to advertise its show and encourage loyalty within listeners, however the music industry benefits from having it’s artists music stored on the playlist and everyone being interviewed is being kept in the public eye, in effect it is free promotion of singles and new movies coming out.

It brings Capital new listeners because people may be looking up their favourite show on the station, such as Lucio’s show and stumble across the breakfast show. They can read about the show, listen to the podcasts and interviews and there is information on scheduling time, allowing listeners to broaden their taste and consumption for themselves.
By having things such as the playlist online, people can listen to music online and chose what songs they want to listen to and new music for free. This again allows them to broaden their tastes and offers them a free service.

Key Concepts
The key concepts which apply to this website are interactivity, non-linear, portability and time-shift.

Interactivity and Non-linear
The audience can interact with the website by choosing podcasts to download, live streaming of the show, video clips and mp3 files of interviews. All of this allows the audience to choose how to consume the content of the show. The audience no longer has to listen to the show when it is on, they can pick out their favourite sections such as the interviews, and ignore sections they don’t like. The audience can also listen to sections of the show at any time of the day, not just when it is aired, this allows the audience to work the show around their schedule and desires, rather than the other way around.

Portability
With the introduction of podcasts the audience can now consume the media wherever they want. The best bits can be downloaded and taken on the tube, something never possible before due to lack of radio reception. They can also be taken abroad and on aeroplanes, which wouldn’t have been possible, also due to the reach of the radio station.

Time-shift
The audience no longer have to listen in a linear fashion to a show to listen to an interview. The audience also now have the possibility to listen to an interview, even if they don’t like listening to the actual show due to the time of day or the host. It provides the audience with a more flexible consumption of the media, meaning that they no longer have to tune in at the exact time; they can fit it around their lifestyle. Another factor for the audience is that they can re-listen to shows again and again, rather than missing something or only listening once. The audience now has more options concerning its consumption of the media.

1b. The Apprentice

http://www.bbc.co.uk/apprentice/

Technology used

The technology involved includes the internet and live streaming of video clips and the latest programme.

Websites such as these are replacing technologies such as TV guide reviews and the special episodes, which usually follow the programme giving ‘more detail’ into the programme. They are important as they provide a service to the audience, which they haven’t used up until this point. The detail and extra footage as well as information on the programme is not accessible anywhere else, meaning that if the audience want to know more about the programme, they have to come here for such detail.

The Media being used
The website includes a variety of types of media including related websites, video clips and a blog

Related websites
Related websites include http://www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden/ which is a programme which may appeal to people who enjoy watching the Apprentice.

Video clips
There are many links to video clips on the front page, including catch-ups, live streaming on the BBCi player and a video link on the lefthand toolbar. The videos are to be informative and give the viewers something more than those who just watch the TV programme. It gives them additional clips and exclusives which help to draw in current viewers whilst the clips also help to give prospective viewers a taste of the show. The clips also provide a summary on what has happened so far in the series for those who are late joiners.

Blog
A former contestant, Tre, writes the blog on the website. This has the effect of appealing to the audience by giving them the point of view of someone who has been in the current contestant’s position.

Audience
I think the main target audience are young career minded people or middle-aged people who wish to aspire to a better job. I think that they use the website as a way of finding out more about the people who are going into business and possible ways for them to get into it.

The benefits of using the website are catch up clips, previews of the coming weeks show, news on who got eliminated from the previous week and exclusive interviews provide a more detailed view of the programme.

Institutions
The only institution involved is BBC which the programme is show on. It does this to promote its own programmes and encourage viewer loyalty.

The BBC uses the video clips and the blogs to make the audience feel as if they are getting something unique, which is putting them ahead of their peers in terms of knowledge of the latest news in 'The Apprentice'. It works by offering them details information and ‘exclusives’ to market the programme to them and people they will recommend the programme too. They are exhibiting and distributing their media via clips and the BBCi player.

Key concepts
Key concepts which are work on this website are interactivity and fragmentation.

Fragmentation
This works, as there are contestants on the show and people will like certain contestants and hate others. Once on the website they can look up profiles of their favourite contestants and through the news bulletins and video clips see how they did in that weeks or the previous weeks challenge. It divides the audience into which contestants they like.

Interactivity
Interactivity comes in the form of being able to watch clips, read the latest news on the programme and the blogs.

1. Mainstream Broadcaster Website - BBC

a) BBC Lifestyle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle/

Technology used

The BBC lifestyle website uses a variety of technology including interactive videos, interactive guides, pictures, roll over navigation bars and programmes which allow you to design things.

The website is a database for people on everything to do with home and lifestyle. It is replacing recipe books in that you can search a database for recipes, watch videos that explain recipes and are interactive and numerous other things. It is also acting as a replacement for programmes, which would provide the audience with information on subjects such as gardening, cooking, parenting, healthcare and much more. It is significant as it acts as a 24 hour, easily accessible database through which people can find out information about these subjects. In a time where people have a larger disposable income to spend on leisure pursuits, the idea of living a lifestyle is more relevant.

The Media being used
There are a variety of media texts used on the website, these include video clips and full-length programmes, message boards, WAP updates to your phone, newsletters, blogs and much more.

The site itself is easy to navigate with each subsection (gardening, food, health, parenting and consumer) being colour co-ordinated so that the reader knows at all times what section they are looking it. The navigation bar along the top of the website and then a smaller, more detailed one running down the right hand side again makes it easy to navigate for those who may not be technologically minded.

Blogs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/today_in_your_garden/weblogs_index.shtml

Only the gardening section of the website has a blog, in fact it has a few blogs, each run by different gardeners who want different things from their gardens and have different types of gardens. The blog is useful for consumers/readers who are interested in gardening as it contains a variety of tips and useful solutions to problems within the garden. The blog is a way of encouraging interactivity as the reader can leave comments on each post. The variety in the content of the blogs and number of bloggers means that a wide audience is catered for within the niche of the gardening community, it also appeals to both avid gardeners and casual gardeners who only read it if they have something specific they want information on.

Video clips and full-length programmes
In order to make the content more exciting and interactive for the reader there are many video clips, which are there to explain cooking techniques as a visual aid and to stop the website from just containing text, which could become boring for the reader, meaning they may not come back to it.

Containing full-length programmes also means that the reader can watch the programme after they have read about it, or indeed when they want, rather than having to fit their life around the scheduled time of viewing on TV. Of course, with the introduction of BBC3 and BBC4 some of the readers may not even have the channels on which the shows are broadcast, allowing them to access some of the same programmes as a taste.

Message Boards
The message boards are a way for readers to post any questions or comments they have on certain comments and other readers offer solutions or comments. This way of getting audiences to interact with each other increases the loyalty of the reader as they create an online community with those who share similar or the same interests. This in turn encourages loyalty to the BBC who provide the setup for the community.

Audiences
The success of the lifestyle website lies in that it doesn’t have one single target audience. Wide varieties of people, with a wide variety of interests, are among the targeted through the same website. The target audience isn’t dependent on age (except perhaps the parenting section), but rather on lifestyle choices and interests. This results in a variety of content which is accessible for all sorts of ages, from those who love technology with the downloadable videos and design functions, to whose who aren’t so much in the form of articles and the database function.

The website offers a lot to the audience in terms of tips, advice and a forum to put forward questions. There is a wide variety in the content so that there is sure to be something for everyone and for everything they are interested in. They are using it because of convergence, with everyone being in one place. They can watch videos, read about recipes, plants and bringing up a family. They don’t have to go to separate medias to gain information about different aspects of their interests such as how to sharpen knives and recipes. Previously they would have had to go and find it in books or on a particular TV programme only scheduled at certain times. Now, through this modernisation they can consume it around to their lifestyle’s necessities.

Institutions
The only institution involved is the BBC as they are using their programmes and their brand on the website to target their audiences.

They are using the technology to encourage loyalty to their institution: the audience watches their programmes, comes to them for advice, and tips. In turn, the audience finds out about new programmes and then chooses to watch them. If the audience know they can find what they want on that channel then they will pick them first when flicking for something to watch. With the feedback option on the website, it also enables the BBC to schedule what people want to watch, which benefits the viewers too.

Key Concepts
The key concepts that work on this website are interactivity, immediacy, personalisation, time-shift, diversification, vertical integration, narrowcasting and fragmentation.

Interactivity
The website contains lots of interactivity, which keeps the reader interested and loyal to that particular website. Interactivity is present on this website in a number of different forms, such as the large quantity of videos available to watch, the message boards and blogs to leave comments on. You can have updates sent to your e-mail as well as personalise your own garden plan online and set up a calendar for planting plants.

Immediacy
Immediacy works in the speed and instant gratification that readers gain through the website being easy to access the content of the website. You can have updates sent to your mobile and newsletters e-mailed to you.

Personalisation
A major advantage for the reader is that you can personalise the website to cater to your needs. You can choose what recipes you want, set up a calendar for your garden, and watch videos about things that you want to watch rather than sitting through a whole programme.

Time-Shift
Time-shift lets the website be accessible to people whenever they want it, rather than having to watch TV at a scheduled time. Things are easy to find and download (such as some videos) rather than programming a video to record.

Vertical Integration
The website contains links to many other BBC channels, programmes and areas of interest, meaning that the website isn’t just good for finding out about lifestyle, but everything else such as the news, weather and TV scheduling.

Narrowcasting, fragmentation and diversification
Diversification is a diverse audience with niche interests, through having the main lifestyle section and then sub-sections of special interest it draws in a wider audience. The narrowcasting is the targeting of niche media, media which is relevant to niche hobbies and lifestyle choices. Fragmentation is the breaking down of these niche groups, particular types of gardens (e.g. avid or new) and cooks (certain types of foods and levels of skill).