Facebook

This is the website that you use in order to use the facility:
www.facebook.com

Facebook is a recent communication network that enables people of all ages to interact with each other through comments and notices posted. Like Myspace, you can add and delete friends as you please, however Facebook profiles are more personal, giving you the option to the limit the type of people viewing your profile. Despite having said that Facebook was aimed at all ages, at the moment, it is predominantly teenagers who are using it. It seems that they have chosen to move from Myspace, to Facebook, as there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people using Facebook as their primary source for mass networking.

Having designed a made a profile that is personal to yourself, you can then start adding and making new friends. On the homepage (when signing in) you are welcomed with a somewhat notice board informing you of people that have added you and people that have added other people, outside of your network; this facility does however restrict the rights of privacy.

According to the ‘mission statement’ of the website, this networking system is used for the following things:

- Share information with people you know.
- See what's going on with your friends.
- Look up people around you.

Facebook successfully achieves this, as audiences are able to use the site to do the above things. Facebook have completetly taken for granted the advantages of the internet, using it as a broad platfrom from which networking and communicating has taken over.

Topshop Podcasts

This is the website to take you directly to the Topshop Podcasts:

http://www.topshoppodcast.com/

Podcasts are videos that have been put on the internet for people to download onto their iPods – this cheap and innovative idea probably benefits teenagers more than it does adults, purely because of the fact that more teenagers use iPods than adults.

Topshop have recently set up their own Podcasts which help [positional customers] to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends and styles.

Podcasts are a good example of convergence – combining the effects of internets and computers with the convenience of iPods. By doing this, Topshop have found a way to satisfy most of their customers – they probably think that people don’t have as much time on their hands as they used to, so by setting up Podcasts, they are finding an alternative route for their customers to keep on top of the latest trends; in return, Topshop will see customer loyalty from their purchasers.

Through Podcasts, Topshop are able to distribute their own products and in addition promote models such as Kate Moss who may have their own concessions in Topshop stores.

The Shipwrecked MySpace Page

This is the link to the MySpace page for Shipwrecked 2007:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=160284646

The MySpace page for Shipwrecked 2007 offers an array of bright colours to welcome audiences on to the page. They have taken full advantage of the extras that one might use when having a MySpace profile – they have created blogs, from which people on their Friends List can comment on. Blog entries such as those referring to a competition for fans. These blogs encourage audience involvement and because of this, are more likely to gain customer loyalty – in a sense that people will return to the site again and again as they feel that going on the site is beneficial.

The Shipwrecked page also has a video of the team members on the site – something that only a few MySpace profiles actually have. The videos are likely to encourage people to watch the show more.

The profile enables people to keep up to date with the latest Shipwrecked news as well as finding out more information about the actual members.

The profile successfully distributes and promotes events that are going on, for example a ‘Floorfillers Anthems’ club event happening on the 24th April – information for up and coming events portray the Shipwreckers site as a welcoming one and one that is trying to target older people (say in their 20s) as opposed to the teenagers who tune in to watch the program on a weekly basis.

MySpace

This is the website that links you to the MySpace website:

http://www.myspace.com/

MySpace has become a very popular communicating website, where people of all ages, predominantly teenagers, are invited to set up their own profiles and personalise them, making them open to the rest of the public for viewing and adding. All profiles are given their own individual URL, allowing non-MySpace members the chance to view a friend’s profile.

When using MySpace, you are able to go on the profiles of your friends, and leave them comments – an easy and straight forward way of interacting with people of your own age or with people you know.

The site also provides a range of different activities for one to do, for example, read books and blogs, check out your horoscopes, watch clips from movies and also watch clips from music videos.

The website successfully distributes other media sources, by having various advertisements flashing around the site, for example there are adverts on the site for ‘The Sun’ newspaper and for Orange. By doing this they are encouraging users to consume more media sources.

MySpace are using the internet as a wide base from which they distribute services to the public through adverts and through promotion from other media texts such as newspapers.

MySpace successfully offers audiences the chance to stay interactive with their friends, wherever they are in the world, through private messaging services and comments.

Windows Live Messenger

This is the site to use if you want to download the product onto your computers:

http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=MSNTDLINK

Windows Live Messenger enables people of all ages the chance to communicate with each other using a software that is compatible with most computers including Apple Macs. The service is also available worldwide, allowing more and more people to stay in contact with each other across seas.

The key function of the software is Instant Messaging, however there are some other tasks that you can also do when using the product. Here is a list of some of the things that you can do:

- You can use the product to consume media, such as music and movies.
- communicate with other people by leaving offline messages for them when they sign in
- you can download music via links from other peoples music library
- send music and videos and files to people
- you can have video conversations and talk with friends using a microphone
- you can go on webcam
- you can have large group conversations
- you can produce your own videos using webcam

This service is brought to you by Microsoft Windows, and has increasingly become a vital software for the majority of teenagers to have.

As well as using MSN to interact with friends and family by using your computer, you can also use your mobile phone aswell. On some mobiles, such as 3G ones, you can download the programme onto your phone and use it from there. There obviously aren’t the luxuries, such as using webcam to see each other; however the basic format still enables you to talk to your friends using a free service.

On the homepage of the programme (when using it on a computer) there is always a permanent advert bar, hosting an array of different subsections and web-pages, for example there are sometimes adverts for casinos and e-shopping. This encourages audience consumption of media sources, inviting them to download songs and to buy new clothes.
Windows Live Messenger is a prime example of good interactive service for the public which also promotes and distributes various other media forms.

TeenVogue Online Magazine

I used the following websites:

http://www.teenvogue.com/
http://www.teenvogue.com/style/coverlook/2007/03/willaholland_20070313
http://boards.teenvogue.com/index.jspa
http://www.teenvogue.com/style/tips/search

On logging onto the Teen Vogue website, you are automatically welcomed with a window which tells you how to subscribe to the magazine for a mere 80¢ per issue. Teen Vogue have had this window installed for instant viewing every time someone signs onto the website, to ensure maximum promotion of the magazine, and therefore an increase in sales, as this price is much lower than the retail price the magazine is sold at in shops.

The bright colours, such as reds and yellows, that audiences are welcomed with on the homepage, immediately indicates the intended target group – this magazine is obviously aimed at girls aged between 12 and 18 – the title of the magazine also gives this away.

The Teen Vogue website enables young girls to be in control of what they do; a slight spin-off of the hit selling Vogue magazine which is targeted at women of all ages, predominantly women who are interested in fashion. However this magazine allows maybe the children of the women who go and buy Vogue to have something of their own to read – from this they gain independence and a mind for fashion.

This website shows the convergence of magazines and the internet – over recent years it has become more common to have e-magazines. The Teen Vogue website successfully combats the idea of only being able to read magazines in the product form. The website offers audiences the chance of reading certain articles from the current issue of Teen Vogue, such as the cover story which is all about Willa Holland (a star from the OC) – you can also go behind the scenes of the interview with the young start – something that you wouldn’t have been able to do by just reading the magazine at home.

This website also gives people access to certain forums, where they can interact with people all over the world who share the same interests as them. People post relevant posts about style and clothing, where other people are entitled to voice their own opinions on the topic.

This website is very fashion orientated – providing young girls with tips from real fashion designers about how to ‘put a fresh spin on the plain white tank with homemade rosettes.’ Giving them free information like this, allows them to relate to their audiences more.

This website successfully interacts with its audiences, and allows its audiences to interact with other people; it also provides people with information they may not have been able to obtain from just reading the normal magazine. In addition this is a much more convenient and cheaper method of keeping up to date with the latest articles that Teen Vogue offer to the public.

Timbaland Video - YouTube

I used the following website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qXlBkyDRE4

To back up my YouTube case study, I have decided to look into a specific video to see what the site offers audiences.

I have chosen to look at the video for Timbaland’s new song ‘Give It To Me’. When using the search bar at the top of the page, you can type in anything that is related to the song, giving audiences the chance to feel free and open when using the site. This function enables people to type in anything, even if they don’t know the title of the actual song, by typing in a word that relates to Timbaland, then they are sure to find the video they are looking for.

When clicking on your preferred video, you are welcomed with a list of related videos that may appeal to you. This function encourages audiences to use the YouTube service again and again, as by using it they may find something new to watch, that they may not have watched without being on the site.

Underneath the selected video, there are an array of subtitles including ‘login in to rate’, ‘save to favourites’, ‘add to groups’, ‘share video’ and ‘post video’. These options also promote interactivity for audiences, as they are invited to interact with other members by leaving comments and rating certain videos.

The iPod Nano

I used the following website:

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

The iPod Nano is a thinner design of the actual iPod, and it comes in 5 different colours. In comparison to the original iPod, it has a brighter display and has up to 24 hours of battery life. It comes in a range of different sizes – 2GB, 4Gb and 8GB, therefore ranges in price according to the size of the product. The most amount of songs that one can store on ones iPod is 2,000 – a relatively smaller number in comparison to that of the original iPod, however this smaller and more convenient product is more likely to attract the younger and more innovative audiences, that are teenagers and young adults.

The younger audiences are using this product as a key fashion accessory – many have taken this from various celebrities that have been spotted with their iPods. This product has completely revolutionised the way in which people listen and store their music.

When purchasing an iPod, you must also download the software iTunes, which enables you to buy and download various songs off the internet and also store all your tunes in an easy-to-use music library. In addition you can also shop for movies, TV episodes, audiobooks and free podcasts, from relatively cheap prices.

The key company behind the iPod family is Apple – this worldwide company has been able to produce a product which has taken overnight success due to a number of different reasons – celebrity endorsement, worldwide advertisement and also mass appeal to the product. Because of the introduction to this ‘perfect’ product, Apple have seen a massive increase in sales and popularity and loyalty from customers.

This converged product is just one example of the miniaturised products from the original 80GB iPod – users are able to sync up their iPods with their iTunes, and therefore use both their computers and mp3 players in order to achieve maximum pleasure when listening to their favourite songs, wherever and whenever they are.

Channing Tatum Website

I used the following sites:

http://www.channingtatumonline.com/
http://www.channingtatumonline.com/gallery/index.php

This website is dedicated to actor/model Channing Tatum and has been set up by fans. The site offers fans the chance to see exclusive pictures of him, videos of the actor and other media sources of the actor. The site allows people to download wallpapers and screen savers of Channing directly onto their computers for absolutely free.

The website is updated on a regular basis, enabling people to keep up with the latest news on Channing himself.

The website provides an interactive service for its users allowing them to access forums enabling them to communicate with fellow fans; you can also post comments for the owner of the website to see, from this they are able to improve their services to the public.

When clicking on the gallery section of the website, you are welcomed by a selection of subtitles, which show you different images of him, for example you can see photos idea for desktop wallpapers, pictures from different photo shoots, magazine scans and various events that he’s attended. This means that the audience are more likely to come back to the website, as they know it’s regularly changed, keeping up with the latest stories about their favourite actor.

YouTube Website

I used the following website:

http://www.youtube.com/

The YouTube website enables people the chance to watch and upload videos of their choice – this worldwide phenomenon allows people of all ages to engage with each other via comments and through watching videos and clips from TV episodes and films.

This website offers people the opportunity to watch anything they could ever want to watch, from music videos to illegal gang videos and from films to TV programs.

YouTube distributes lots of different media sources to the public at a free cost – because of this, YouTube probably earn their money from the various different companies which supply the website with its goods to advertise and market.

The website also offers people the chance to keep updated with blogs from different YouTube staff members, where different employees inform audiences what videos they’ve recently been watching. This facility enables people to feel more involved within the process of the whole YouTube network, and are more likely to use the website again as they feel welcomed and comfortable when using the site.