Social media is a phenomenon that has expanded fast during the recent years and has become a part of people’s everyday lives. Social media has developed to not only deal with updating others about what is happening and uploading pictures. Today social media plays a big part in marketing. Therefore advertising is not only exposed in traditional media such as; TV, radio and newspapers, but also on the internet and the social media platforms. Advertising on social media appears in different forms; sponsored posts (paid ads), User Generated Content (non-paid ads) and Electronic-Word-of-Mouth. These different forms of advertising on social media are experienced differently by consumers and therefore this study aims to gain an understanding to which extent consumers find different forms of advertising on social media credible and useful. A qualitative method has been used for this study. For the collecting of data semi-structured interviews have been conducted. This study has been divided into three themes, namely; advertising on social media, attitude of consumers and perceived credibility and usefulness. It turned out that consumers experienced User Generated Content as the most credible form of advertising on social media. Sponsored posts were seen as the most useful, since this form of advertising was perceived as inspiring and informative. / Sociala medier är ett fenomen som utvecklats väldigt fort och blivit en del av människors vardag. Det har utvecklats till att inte enbart handla om att uppdatera andra personer om vad som försiggår i ens liv och att lägga upp bilder. Idag används sociala medier även av företag och andra profiler i marknadsföringssyfte. Reklam exponeras därmed inte bara i traditionella kanaler såsom TV, radio och tidningar, utan även på internet och de sociala medieplattformarna. Reklam på sociala medier förekommer i olika former; sponsrade inlägg (betald reklam), User Generated Content (icke-betald reklam) och Electronic Word of Mouth. Dessa olika former av reklam i sociala medier tas emot på olika sätt av konsumenter och därför ämnar denna uppsats att få förståelse för i vilken utsträckning konsumenter finner olika former av reklam i sociala medier trovärdiga och användbara. Studien har ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt där insamlingen av data skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Studien har delats in i tre olika teman nämligen; reklam på sociala medier, attityd hos konsumenter och uppfattad trovärdighet och användbarhet. Det framkom att User Generated Content upplevdes som mest trovärdigt bland de olika formerna av reklam. Däremot ansågs sponsrade inlägg som mest användbart då denna form av reklam uppfattades som inspirerande och informationsrik.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de créer et évaluer un modèle narratif pour les jeux vidéo émergents dont une part importante du contenu est générée de façon procédurale. Elle propose pour cela une application dans le jeu vidéo Minecraft. L'approche classique de la narration dans les jeux vidéo s'adaptant difficilement à des expériences de jeu plus libres nous proposons de donner au joueur les moyens de transformer le récit en temps réel et de manière explicite grâce à une forme narrative modulaire et adaptative au contexte de jeu courant. Dans un premier temps, la thèse explore les liens entre narration et interaction par le biais de l'étude des rôles de la narration dans les jeux vidéo. Puis, dans un deuxième temps, nous identifions les propriétés qui caractérisent les jeux vidéo émergents afin d'exposer les enjeux narratifs de ce type d'expérience de jeu. Dans un troisième temps, nous détaillons notre proposition d'un modèle narratif adapté aux jeux vidéo émergents ainsi que l'architecture logiciel permettant au joueur de transformer le récit en temps réel. Finalement, nous présentons deux expérimentations visant à vérifier nos hypothèses et à évaluer notre modèle narratif. / This thesis aims to create and evaluate a narrative model for emergent videogames that make extensive use of procedurally generated content. As such, an application of this model is presented within the videogame Minecraft. The usual approach to narratives in videogames can hardly be applied to experiences of play that involve more freedom from the player's perspective, such as what offer emergents videogames. Thus, we aim to provide players with the means to explicitly alter the story in real time, thanks to a context sensitive and modular narrative form. First, we explore the relationship betweenstorytelling and interactivity by studying the various roles held by narratives in videogames. Then, we identify the properties that define emergent videogames to better expose the narrative challenges they represent. Next, we detail our proposal of a narrative model suitable for emergent games as well as the architecture allowing players to transform the story in real time. Finally, we present an experiment in which we evaluate the validity of our narrative model in the context of emergent videogames.

Lerncontentmodelle beschreiben den modularen Aufbau von Lernmaterialien auf verschiedenen Komplexitätsebenen von Assets bis hin zu fertigen Kursmaterialien. In Autorenwerkzeugen wird diese Untergliederung oft unterstützt, bspw. durch Mediendatenbanken, modularisierte Inhaltsstrukturen oder pädagogische Metadaten zum unterstützten Lernszenario. User Generated Content in Social-Software-Anwendungen entsteht nicht auf diesem strukturierten Weg, sondern spontan und abhängig von den bereitgestellten Funktionen. Der Beitrag zeigt, dass sie sich aber weiterhin bezüglich ihrer Abhängigkeit vom Lernkontext klassifizieren lassen. Als Abstufungen ergeben sich Assets, Informations- und Lernobjekte, zielgruppenbasierte Zusammenstellungen und Kursunterlagen. Damit soll einerseits eine taxonomische Grundlage geschaffen werden, um User Generated Content als Lernmaterialien einzuordnen, es ist aber vornehmlich ein erster Schritt hin zur deren systematischer Re-Integration in institutionelle Lernmaterialien.

Denna studie är ett examensarbete utfört i Grafisk design och kommunikation vid Tekniska högskolan vid Linköpings universitet. Studien syftade till att undersöka till vilken grad konsumentgenererat innehåll används av företag och användare samt användarnas motiv till varför de skapar konsumentgenererat innehåll. Vidare kommer studien undersöka hur konsumentgenererat innehåll gestaltas samt vilka tillvägagångssätt som finns för att uppmana till konsumentgenererat innehåll och vilket som fungerar bäst. Med hjälp av tre olika metoder kunde syftet besvaras. Studien innefattade en empirisk förstudie, semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som har förstahandserfarenhet av konsumentgenererat innehåll samt genom en observation och bildanalys på två utvalda företags Instagramkonton. Resultatet av studien påvisar att det finns flera olika tillvägagångssätt för företag att uppmuntra till konsumentgenererat innehåll på Instagram. Det framkommer även varför användare motiveras till att skapa konsumentgenererat innehåll, en av dessa motivationer är att bidra till informationssökning. Innehållets gestaltning tenderar att spegla företagets värderingar. / This study is a bachelor dissertation project carried out at the program Graphic Design and Communication at the department of Technology at Linköping University. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which consumer-generated content is used by companies and users as well as users' motives for why they create consumer-generated content. Furthermore, the study will examine how consumer-generated content is designed and what approaches are available to encourage consumer-generated content and which works best. Using three different methods. Using three different methods, the purpose could be answered. The study includes an empirical feasibility study, semi-structured interviews with people who have first-hand experience of consumer-generated content and through an observation and image analysis on two selected companies' Instagram accounts. The results of the studies show that there are several different approaches for companies to encourage consumer-generated content on Instagram. It also appears why users motivate the creation of consumer-generated content, and one of these motivations is to contribute to information retrieval. The design of the content tends to reflect the company's values. / <p>Examensarbete utfört i Grafisk design och kommunikation vid Tekniska högskolan vid Linköpings universitet</p>

Denna studie är ett examensarbete utfört i Grafisk design och kommunikation vid Tekniska högskolan vid Linköpings universitet. Studien syftade till att undersöka till vilken grad konsumentgenererat innehåll används av företag och användare samt användarnas motiv till varför de skapar konsumentgenererat innehåll. Vidare kommer studien undersöka hur konsumentgenererat innehåll gestaltas samt vilka tillvägagångssätt som finns för att uppmana till konsumentgenererat innehåll och vilket som fungerar bäst. Med hjälp av tre olika metoder kunde syftet besvaras. Studien innefattade en empirisk förstudie, semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som har förstahandserfarenhet av konsumentgenererat innehåll samt genom en observation och bildanalys på två utvalda företags Instagramkonton. Resultatet av studien påvisar att det finns flera olika tillvägagångssätt för företag att uppmuntra till konsumentgenererat innehåll på Instagram. Det framkommer även varför användare motiveras till att skapa konsumentgenererat innehåll, en av dessa motivationer är att bidra till informationssökning. Innehållets gestaltning tenderar att spegla företagets värderingar. / This study is a bachelor dissertation project carried out at the program Graphic Design and Communication at the department of Technology at Linköping University. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which consumer-generated content is used by companies and users as well as users' motives for why they create consumer-generated content. Furthermore, the study will examine how consumer-generated content is designed and what approaches are available to encourage consumer-generated content and which works best. Using three different methods. Using three different methods, the purpose could be answered. The study includes an empirical feasibility study, semi-structured interviews with people who have first-hand experience of consumer-generated content and through an observation and image analysis on two selected companies' Instagram accounts. The results of the studies show that there are several different approaches for companies to encourage consumer-generated content on Instagram. It also appears why users motivate the creation of consumer-generated content, and one of these motivations is to contribute to information retrieval. The design of the content tends to reflect the company's values. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

Yes / This study aims to explore how marketers can use text mining to analyze actors, actions and performance effects of service encounters by building on the role theory. This enables hotel managers to use introduced methodology to measure and monitor frontline employees’ role behavior and optimize their service. Design/methodology/approach: The authors’ approach links text mining and importance-performance analysis with role theory’s conceptual foundations taking into account the hotel industry’s specifics to assess the effect of frontline hotel employees’ actions on consumer satisfaction and to derive specific management implications for the hospitality sector. Findings: This study identifies different actors involved in hotel frontline interactions revealing distinct role behaviors that characterize consumers’ perspectives of service encounters with different role types associated with front-office employees. This research also identifies role performance related to role behavior to improve service encounters. Practical implications: Customer–employee interactions can be assessed by user-generated contents (UGC). Performance evaluations relate to frontline employee roles associated with distinct role scripts, whereby different hotel segments require tailored role designs. Insights of this study can be used for service optimization, market positioning as well as for improving human resource management practices in the hotel industry. Originality/value: This study contributes to the service encounter literature by applying role theory in the text mining of UGC to assess frontline employees as actors and the effects of their actions on service quality delivery. / Science Foundation of Ministry of Education, PR China (Grant No. 21YJA630031)

This study investigates how tagging is being used in a new way when members of a Swedish dating site get to tag themselves in an act of self-presentation with the aim of meeting new people. In the study seven members of the dating site Mazily were interviewed about their self-presentation, tagging and identity formation there. The questions concerned how they formed their own tags, but also how they interpret and use other members' tags in their search for a potential partner. I have been using queer theories for this study, in order to find out what kind of norms and structures that lie behind and affect the members' behaviour on the website. My study finds that the interviewed members to a high degree reflect about both their own and other members tagging and self-presentations. Although they spend quite some time trying to analyse other people on the website they have a great sense of understanding that a person may give two very different impressions on the site and offline. Another finding is that although tagging is a very free way to present yourself, there still are structures and norms about gender, sexuality and culture that will affect members actions on the dating site. This is a study in Library and Information Science.

The After August Museum collects and exhibits an open, user-generated body of content. Its primary objective is to help heal the post-Katrina Lower Ninth Ward community. It is respectful and considerate of the area's established traditions, present concerns, and future goals. The museum assumes multiple shapes and plays multiple roles as it acts as the center of the transitioning community.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Thomas Gould / The consumer value of user generated content was investigated between culture groups. Two groups of survey participants and three groups of interview respondents were utilized to identify the culture value’s influence on people’s reliance and preference in consumption-related UGC information. The behavior pattern of Chinese students and American students on UGC were identified and connected with dimensions of culture value. Some difference in preference and attitude between Chinese users and American users were found in this research. Power distance, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance are considered important cultural factors that influence the consumer-value of UGC in each culture group. Several potential areas for future quantitative and qualitative study as well as suggestions for UGC platform providers were also identified.

The following study aims to give a first look into the process of when tourists searches for information before a trip and to understand how they reflect over the reliability in different kinds of information. Internet has an important meaning for information research, especially within the tourism business and experience economy. The value of reviews has grown increasingly bigger for customers when they are about to look for information, decide which product that suits them the most and to make their decision. While positive reviews have become yet more important for a product/experience to get chosen by the customer, false reviews have started to take their places at the websites of reviews. The reasons behind may be to raise a certain product’s ratings or simply to give another product or company a bad reputation.The following essay put light on the problem with the phenomena of false reviews and how these can harm the tourism industry in several ways. The study will highlight how different segments of tourists searches information, what value reviews have to them and what makes a review seem trustworthy or faked. The segments that were asked to participate in the survey were chosen based on their age and life situation. Through this we created the following three groups: students, parents from a family with children, and people who are retired.The result of the study shows that many of the respondents within the segment Students use online reviews to gather information and to boost their motives for consumption. The respondents within the other two groups mainly use the tourism companies’ own websites when they are about to consume. An important result of the study is that, although many respondents gave the answer that they mainly search information on websites, they still put greater trust in rumors and comments from friends, especially the respondents within the segment parents from a family with children. It has also been proved that the use of internet increases the risk of getting a negative experience.