Produsage. You may have heard this term being thrown around recently. Produsage is a term that has been coined to refer to a concept that has been developing and evolving over the last several years. So, what does this term mean? According to Bruns (2007), an academic who has conducted significant research on this topic, produsage refers to “the collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement.” Produsage occurs based upon the framework of networked, participatory environments, where the creation of shared content breaks down the traditionally distinct roles of producers and consumers (Bruns, 2007).
The Internet has given rise to a diverse range of new media platforms where produsers reign. These platforms foster a “collaborative, participatory environment, which … enables all participants to be users as well as producers of information and knowledge” (Bruns, 2007). One such media platform is the blog; blogging has become a widely popular activity. Blogs can be used for a variety of purposes and they can provide anyone and everyone with a stage to voice their message.
Blogs can serve as an effective tool for marketing purposes. A corporation may create a blog to deliver information regarding their particular brand or product. Blogs are a salient marketing tool as they encourage dialogue and a participatory, community environment; a company website might easily deliver the same information, however, it doesn’t provide the equivalent level of personalization and interactivity as a blog. Therefore, corporations may use their blog to encourage feedback on a topic from consumers; this creates a personal, interactive experience for the consumer, making them feel valued.
So how does the concept of produsage relate to marketing blogs? As these blogs encourage consumer dialogue and feedback, participants have the opportunity to interact and share their experiences, thoughts and opinions on a brand or product with the wider networked community. In this interaction between consumer/corporation and consumer/consumer, participants are both users of existing information and knowledge, and producers of new content; participants are collaborating, building and extending information and knowledge regarding the product or brand (Bruns, 2007).
This produsage of content by consumers is highly significant to marketing professionals. Consumers are more likely to trust the experiences and opinions shared by other consumers. This serves the company positively if consumer feedback is assenting, while the company may be negatively affected by dissenting feedback. Nevertheless, produsage is an important aspect of marketing blogs; consumers’ interaction with the company’s blog can in turn forge a stronger brand relationship.
