In my recent peer review discussion for BCM302, I had the opportunity to chat with Winston Neville, Matilda Jones-Sinclair, and Lucas Merrick. We shared insights into our individual projects, which highlighted our diverse approaches to digital artefact development.

Lucas initiated the conversation by detailing his project focused on building an online presence for a glass specialties company. He shared challenges related to halting progress when the client became busy, suggesting that running multiple digital artefacts could offer backup options.

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Glasscon

I followed with my project, which involves collecting extensive personal data to identify patterns and trends using AI analysis. I received valuable feedback from my peers, especially regarding user accessibility and the potential for developing an app to enhance engagement.

Going Beyond The Data... Looking At The Evolution of My Digital Artefact

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James.James McTaggart

Winston shared his project aimed at monetising his online platform while growing a portfolio for future job opportunities. He emphasised the importance of being proactive in obtaining opportunities, like reaching out to potential collaborators and sponsors.

Finally, Matilda shared her DA, a TikTok account she created for domestic violence charity, KYUP!. She highlighted the importance of choosing projects that resonate personally, reinforcing that genuine interest leads to a more enjoyable experience.

I think this discussion primarily highlighted the significance of learning through exploration, and was pleased to see each other encouraging one another to innovate and adapt their DAs.

This blog post reflects on the development of my Digital Artefact over Semester 2, 2024. What started as an exploration into brand development has evolved into a personal data visualisation project aimed at helping users understand the narrative their data tells. Inspired by projects like Spotify Wrapped, my goal is to explore how people can engage with their data in meaningful and insightful ways, as well as aggregating it all together to highlight its power when combined.

Initial Concept: My initial project idea, BuildingBrands, was framed around creating a digital platform for brand development. However, after reflecting on my own interests in personal data and automation, I decided to pivot. This shift led me to reframe my project to focus on the research question: What insights can be gained from intercepting the personal data collected by my technology and apps?

This pivot allowed me to explore how disconnected data points could be aggregated into a coherent narrative, not only about who I am but also for predicting future trends. My inspiration drew from studies such as Nicol et al. (2022), which emphasise the risks and complexities of understanding digital traces. As well as AI-specific work from Agrawal, et al., (2022), which forces us to think about AI and its connection to prediction, referring to AI as Prediction Machines. A recent manuscript from Scott Cunningham & Van Pham deeply inspired this investigation. The article looks at claims that "ChatGPT Can Predict the Future When it Tells Stories Set in the Future About the Past" (Van & Cunningham, 2024).

A Place Where All Data Comes Together

Midjourney: "dramatic digital illustration AI servers, database, networking"

At the start of my project, I faced the challenge of integrating various personal data streams into one cohesive platform, with the goal of creating a personalised summary similar to Spotify Wrapped. I initially turned to ChatGPT for data processing, but its limitations in handling large amounts of data forced me to seek alternatives. This led me to experiment with Glide, a no-code platform that integrates GPT-4. By repurposing Glide for my data aggregation needs, I applied the concept of exaptation (Garud et al., 2016), using the platform way beyond its original design. This shift allowed me to start generating weekly summaries from my data, which offered early insights into patterns of app usage, productivity, and spending habits.

Establishing Additional Data Streams
As I progressed, I realised that my initial dataset was not comprehensive enough to provide a full picture of my behaviour. Exploring the adjacent possibilities to this stage of my project let to me expanding my data collection to include new sources such as GPS data from Life360, daily financial transaction summaries, and even images from my camera roll. By integrating these additional data streams, it allowed me to uncover new insights from my data. The more data sources I integrated, the more intricate the narratives became. For example, I could infer my work-from-home habits based on app usage during business hours, demonstrating the potential of combining various data points to create a detailed profile.

Automating for Project Sustainability

Midjourney: "AI servers, database, networking https://s.mj.run/fzV3zdErdwc --ar 7:3"

As my dataset expanded, it became clear that manual data processing was not sustainable in the long term. This realisation prompted me to explore automation tools such as iTools, which enabled bulk data exports, and Google Sheets for more streamlined processing. By automating data collection, I aligned my project with the concept of antifragility, where systems grow stronger when exposed to challenges (Taleb, 2012). By setting up some type of automation, the project would become much more sustainable but also be more resilient, ensuring that it could continue functioning even with inconsistent human input. Due to restrictions on IOS, I would have required certain developer privileges and the app still wouldn't pass approvals from the IOS app store due to it basically being an app that transmits all data to cloud. In recent updates, Apple has cracked down on privacy, with a suite of new requirements to allow access to most parts of the IOS. As a result, I really struggled to develop something myself to collect all the data on the phone to the same detail as i was collecting manually, and couldn't find anything which existed that i could use instead.

Creating a Real-Time Database For Connecting To Other Apps

Midjourney "dramatic digital illustration AI servers, database, blue ethernet networking cables https://s.mj.run/fzV3zdErdwc --ar 7:3"

During class discussions about Web3.0, I reflected on how personal data in the future might interface directly with platforms rather than being stored in proprietary databases. I read an article by Lans, (2012) that discussed the creation of personal data stores, which aligned with the above Web3.0 concept, where production platforms merely interface with the personal data stores to bring a tailored experience to each user.

My peer reviews highlighted the need for making my project helpful to others, which meant I had to move my data off my computer and into a dynamic database. The Glide database I was using worked well, but it was limited in accessibility from other platforms. (Knight, et al., 2017) suggests using Google Forms and Sheets as a database for collaborative metadata creation in digital projects due to its low cost, and ease-of-use. While unconventional, it functioned as a modular, cell-based system that allowed easy imports and exports of CSV files, fitting perfectly with my text-based data.

After some research and with the help of ChatGPT, I generated a Google App Script that converted the live Google Sheets file into a URL formatted as JSON. This allowed me to link the sheet to various tools, creating a dynamic, real-time system where changes made in the sheet updated instantly through the URL. The ability to fetch and update data dynamically was a breakthrough, as it created a truly accessible and scalable knowledge base. This shift aligned with my ongoing exploration of exaptation, where I've been pushing platforms beyond their intended purposes, allowing me to achieve interoperability without building an expensive, hosted database.

This process taught me the value of pushing existing tools to their limits. By using Google Sheets in a way it wasn’t designed for, I achieved something practical and adaptable, which allowed me to use my data in more places, making it more valuable moving forward (Díaz & Contell, 2018). I’m considering how this dynamic database can facilitate broader applications, not just for my project but potentially for other users who could benefit from this real-time data connection (Li & Clifton, 1995) & (Xia, et al., 2002). This decision underscores the adjacent possibilities that arise when we creatively reimagine existing tools and systems.

Trialling Various Media Formats To Interact With My Data

Midjourney "dramatic digital illustration AI servers, database, blue ethernet networking cables https://s.mj.run/fzV3zdErdwc --ar 7:3"

Initial peer feedback suggested expanding the utility of my project beyond personal reflection, encouraging me to explore how this data-driven assistant could offer proactive advice to users. This feedback led me to explore the idea of exploring a recommendation engine that could personalise suggestions based on accumulated data, whether through daily insights, trend predictions, or behavioural guidance. This adjacent possibility of my raw data being collected would allow the project to evolve from a personal tool into something that could benefit a wider audience, making data more meaningful and actionable in everyday life.

I trialled creating an AI assistant that could interact with this live data through my above real-time database. While tools like Intercom offered an engaging conversational interface, it had limitations with handling personal data, often returning generic responses due to its built-in safety features.

Exploring OpenAI revealed both challenges and opportunities, as it occasionally failed to read all context data due to character limitations, but could deliver useful insights when it did.

The potential for AI to generate personalised suggestions based on a user’s trends—like recommending productivity breaks or budgeting tips—introduced new avenues for my project’s utility.

Using AI to Build a User Profile from Data

Midjourney "dramatic digital illustration database creating user profiles, demographics https://s.mj.run/x1xl76KB1IY --ar 7:3"

From the outset of my project, my goal was to explore how personal data collected from phones could be used to build a detailed user profile, often without the user's awareness of the extent of the data being gathered. Initially, I tried using Intercom to extract demographic data from my dataset, but its built-in safety features limited my analysis. This led me to pivot to OpenAI’s development playground, where I tested the AI by inputting a month’s worth of my personal data to see if it could form an accurate profile. I was pretty impressed as despite the data being anonymised, the AI made surprisingly precise assumptions about my profession, income range, and lifestyle habits, demonstrating the ease with which data can be used for marketing insights.

This experiment illuminated the power of AI to connect seemingly unrelated data points, a process that aligns with the concept of exaptation. As a result of this milestone, I started looking into custom GPT models within OpenAI directly to try and establish a GPT which other's could use to achieve something similar through AI data interpretation.

The process also revealed adjacent possibilities, where the limits of existing tools are expanded to create new uses. Through this, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how AI-driven personalisation could (and is) become a significant tool for marketers and developers.

The ABCs of artificial intelligence personalization

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Algolia

It has reshaped my perspective on the power of data aggregation, while raising important questions about privacy, data ownership, and the ethical implications of using personal information in the digital age.

Using My Learnings of the Semester to Create a Custom GPT

Midjourney "dramatic digital illustration AI servers, database, blue ethernet networking cables https://s.mj.run/x1xl76KB1IY --ar 7:3"

Over the semester, I gathered data from my blog posts, peer reviews, and personal information from September, why not share that info so others could do something similar. My objective was to develop a tool where users could input their data and receive detailed assumptions about their lives, similar to how marketers create profiles for targeted campaigns. To achieve this, I compiled all the data and input it into OpenAI’s Playground, which generated raw instructions to build the custom GPT. I then tested the model with various data inputs, observing how accurately it made assumptions based on the collected data.

HTML embed created using ChatGPT.

When I applied this approach, the AI’s ability to connect unique data points and provide insightful feedback was impressive. The model could infer lifestyle habits, working patterns, and demographic information, all from anonymised data. This aligned with the concept of exaptation from Garud et al. (2016), as I repurposed OpenAI’s original intent to generate highly personalised profiles. From this, I learned how AI tools can be adapted for media creation, demonstrating their utility beyond traditional marketing. The ability of the AI to construct detailed user profiles highlights to me that such a tool has some good potential for uses in personalisation and marketing.

How to achieve hyper-personalization using generative AI platforms

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ZDNETVala Afshar

Reflecting on these insights, I decided to focus my next steps on refining the training data and improving the model's ability to interpret inputs across different contexts, including data which wasn't included within my collected data set, such as follower counts, for example.

I also created rules around how assumptions are created. For example, to ensure more helpful trends are recognised, "avoid combining disconnected data sources unless clear interrelations are evident.", more importantly, if data indirectly hints towards demographic information, assumptions should be made based on existing knowledge around that demographic. For example, we can assume younger users are more active on social media. These guidelines embed into the training data of the GPT aim to guide the data analysis process, encouraging ChatGPT to call on its existing knowledge to fill the blanks in the data (Van & Cunningham, 2024).

Creating a custom GPT marks a key milestone in project sustainability, allowing this project to be accessed by other people and also allowing me to resume working on this from time to time. As I move into a marketing role, I am constantly exploring how AI can support more personalised experiences for customers.

ChatGPT - Data Insight Analyst

Provides clear, detailed data-driven assumptions based on user datasets.

ChatGPT

Wrapping Up

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This project was a valuable learning experience that highlighted the power of data aggregation and personalisation. By pivoting from my original brand development concept to a personal data visualisation experiment, I was able to explore how disconnected data points can form very coherent narratives about a user's behaviour, habits, and even future trends. Through challenges like managing large datasets and trying to automate processes, I discovered how existing tools could be adapted to create new possibilities through exaption. Elements like generating predictions, identifying trends and creating profiles about the data were encouraging and helps answer my research question, that some rich data can in-fact be gained from from intercepting the personal data collected by my technology and apps?

While this project is not intended to be a finished product or a pathway to success, it has provided me with a stronger understanding of the potential and limitations of personal data currently. This also highlighted the importance of approaching data responsibly, especially in terms of privacy and ethical implications. This also allowed me to visualise why large online corporations place so much value on user data. This final exploration has illuminated new pathways, particularly within AI-driven personalisation and the art of data-centric storytelling. It has left me with insights I am eager to carry forward, setting the stage for impactful, data-informed strategies in my future marketing work. With fresh clarity, I’m already exploring platforms that harness personal data to shape uniquely tailored customer experiences, ready to bridge this knowledge into the next chapter.

When reflecting on my presentation about Kirrily Dures, it’s important to consider how my own values and understanding of 'narrative' shaped my response to her story. Storytelling is a powerful tool for conveying identity, values, and experience, but with that power comes great responsibility (Karnik, 2024). The ethics of storytelling lie not just in the accuracy of the retelling, but also in how the storyteller frames and interprets the story (Nash, 2012). Whilst preparing and sharing Kirrily’s narrative, I tried to remain conscious of this—ensuring her consent, respecting her values (both implicit and visible), and maintaining the integrity of her story without overstepping boundaries.

First, I made sure to explain my intentions to share Kirrily's story, ensuring she consented. After our interview, I shared my presentation slides and notes with her, providing an opportunity for her to review how I had portrayed her experiences. She texted me to confirm that she was happy with the way I represented her.

As explored throughout the semester, Carey, Walther, and Russell (2009), refer to The Absent But Implicit as values and elements within a narrative that, while not explicitly stated, are central to the storyteller's identity and worldview. For example, Kirrily’s commitment to building strong client relationships and maintaining job satisfaction over financial gain eliminated deep-seated values of authenticity and dedication—values that she didn’t verbalise directly but were evident through the way she spoke about her career. Ensuring she was comfortable with how these values were communicated was vital to maintaining trust and integrity in the storytelling process.

In my presentation, I also applied the concept of the Club of Life (Russell & Carey, 2002), which highlights the importance of connections and relationships in shaping one’s life narrative. Kirrily repeatedly emphasised the value of being respectful, reliable, and pleasant to work with because these relationships could be crucial later. This idea resonated with me, as I’ve observed how fostering positive relationships in professional settings can lead to unexpected opportunities. In Kirrily’s case, the strong connections she built during her time at Fairfax Media helped ease her transition into self-employment after taking redundancy. By highlighting this aspect of her narrative, I aimed to show that her success wasn’t solely the result of her design skills or industry experience, but also her ability to maintain meaningful, long-term relationships.

Also, in introducing the topic of AI, I realised I was treading on potentially sensitive ground. Kirrily has worked in graphic design for many many years, and AI’s increasing role in creative industries can evoke feelings of uncertainty for professionals (Whiting, 2024), I know it certainly does for myself. However, Kirrily's adaptability and openness to embracing AI technologies, rather than rejecting them, spoke to her forward-thinking approach. My decision to bring up AI was partly shaped by my curiosity and concerns about how technology is transforming my field. Like Kirrily, I aim to remain adaptable and learn how to integrate new tools like AI to stay relevant. This shared concern about the future helped me frame the conversation in a way that was both respectful and relevant to our shared professional experiences.

In terms of narrative understanding, I was mindful of how I portrayed Kirrily’s age. During the interview, Kirrily joked about not revealing her age, which I made sure to honour in the presentation. Although age can be a significant part of a person’s story, especially in terms of career longevity, I recognised that it wasn’t necessary to explicitly mention her age. I wanted to ensure her narrative was told in a way that aligned with Kirrily's comfort levels and personal boundaries. Whilst I cracked a joke during my presentation, illuding towards how old she is, I believe this is a great example of the relationship between myself and Kirrily, as I know for a fact she wouldn't mind and would have found it quite funny.

Kirrily's experience with redundancy was a significant turning point in her career, and it would have been easy to sensationalise this moment as a dramatic disarray. However, I wanted to present it as a moment of resilience and adaptability, qualities that I feel Kirrily embodied as she transitioned to running her own business. I recognise that the way I framed this reflects my own values of adaptability in the face of change, which is very relevant in industries where technological advancements, like AI, are continually reshaping the landscape.

Maintaining ethical storytelling, I aimed to interpret and present the story in a way that aligns with Kirrily's values and experiences. By focusing on Kirrily’s implicit values, such as her dedication to maintaining client relationships and her openness to change, I wanted to establish a narrative that aimed to honour her journey. My values of adaptability, relationship-building, and respect for others’ boundaries—played a significant role in how I shaped and responded to her story, ensuring that it was told ethically and respectfully.

Overall, storytelling goes beyond just getting consent from your interviewee. It involves respecting personal values, carefully framing stories, keeping an eye out for values, watching for body language queues to understand if a interview is comfortable (Gachago & Livingston, 2020) & (Nash, 2012). By incorporating these ethical considerations into my presentation of Kirrily’s story, I feel I was able to ensure that her narrative was both accurate and respectful, reflecting her values and experiences in a way that she felt comfortable with.

Throughout this project, I focused on analysing Minecraft's marketing strategies through the lens of my purpose-built analytical framework, developed earlier in the semester. This framework consists of three pillars: Audience Engagement Strategies, Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency, and Innovation and Adaptability. These elements help explain how Minecraft has maintained active players and cultural relevance for over 15 years.

Theories from scholars like Harizi and Trebicka's (2023) informed my understanding of audience engagement, highlighting the critical role of user-generated content and social media in driving Minecraft’s visibility and community involvement. User-generated content, in particular, allows players to become creators themselves, which is a hallmark of Minecraft’s long-lasting appeal. Harizi and Trebicka’s research aligns perfectly with how Minecraft's marketing uses player creativity to sustain a sense of ownership and personal investment in the game’s ongoing evolution.

Additionally, my analysis draws on Kuo, Hiler, and Lutz’s (2017) work, which explores the importance of narrative consistency in constructing affect in players (Moore, 2012), and fostering long-term brand loyalty. Minecraft’s ability to create a consistent narrative environment—where the player’s imagination drives the story—has created a unique brand identity that fosters loyalty among players of all ages.

To produce my DA, I researched various key elements of Minecraft's marketing success such as user-driven innovation and participatory culture, influencer marketing, brand consistency and corporate restraint after Microsoft's acquisition, user-generated content and sustained relevance and also a little bit of the differences between marketing across global borders, focusing in on Minecraft China Edition (Kerr, 2017).

Creative Process

When I first began working on my Digital Artefact, I pitched the idea of analysing the marketing strategies of four different games. However, early feedback from several sources made me realise that focusing on a single game would allow me to dive deeper into one specific case study. After reflecting on this feedback, I chose Minecraft as my focal point, a decision that allowed me to thoroughly analyse its marketing strategies and how they have evolved.

Creating TikTok videos, where I planned to share my findings, posed unique challenges. The analytical nature of my framework made it difficult to compress into short-form content without losing essential detail.

My early drafts were too long, and the information was presented in a way that might not have resonated with TikTok’s fast-paced, visual style. I'm way more used to creating long-form, data-rich analytical content, so this was a bit of an adjustment.

I only recently read an article by Kolagar, et al., (2023), which discussed leveraging OpenAI GPT4 to generate informal, engaging TikTok content summaries from formal educational content. This informed my content creation, where I leveraged OpenAI's GPT-4o to generate scripts that were more concise and conversational. The goal was to strike a balance between providing informative content and keeping it light and engaging for TikTok's audience. I spent considerable time researching Minecraft videos, reading articles, and re-downloading the game to experience key features firsthand, then provided to GPT-4o, which distilled that research into a more digestible format. This process helped me refine the analytical elements so that they informed the content without overwhelming the audience.

An essential part of my strategy involved adapting the content to the TikTok platform and its predominantly U.S.-based audience. I thought an American persona and style would likely resonate better, so I found ElevenLabs to generate an AI voice for the videos. After experimenting with different voices, I chose Britney, a natural, WatchMojo-style voice that brought a professional yet approachable feel to the videos. This allowed me to maintain the analytical core of my content while making it engaging and fun for TikTok viewers.

ElevenLabs 2024 10 13T04 54 06 Brittney Hart

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Posting times were another key factor in my strategy. After researching the best engagement times for my U.S. audiences, I converted AEST to EST and determined 6pm EST (9AM AEST), would be a good option as people are home from school and work.

This change led to a significant increase in views—especially for my second video, which saw a 920% boost in engagement compared to the first.

Engagement & Feedback

Feedback played an important part in shaping my DA. Early feedback from Richard and several classmates, both in person and online, suggested focusing on one game rather than my very ✨ambitious✨ plan to cover four. This shift allowed me to more comprehensively look into Minecraft’s marketing strategies, rather than delivering a watered-down overview of 4 games.

Further feedback encouraged me to frame the DA for a public-facing audience. This was essential for crafting content that would resonate with TikTok’s style and constraints. Consequently, I focused on making the content informative but digestible for those unfamiliar with the BCM215 course, ensuring the analytical depth was still present but not overly academic.

In terms of audience engagement, my videos haven’t gone viral, but they performed consistently well, with most achieving over 1,000 views. My second video, which covered influencer marketing with Dream and TommyInnit, reached 6,300 views as of writing this. While I did receive a flurry of comments on October 12th, the accounts seemed dubious in authenticity, so their impact is uncertain. Interestingly, my video covering Minecraft China performed REALLY bad! Was it because I mentioned China?! I guess we'll never know... 🧐

Revealed: how TikTok censors videos that do not please Beijing

Leak spells out how social media app advances China’s foreign policy aims

The GuardianAlex Hern

Future Directions

Looking ahead, I see a few opportunities to further develop my Digital Artefact. One key avenue is to dive deeper into Minecraft’s various paratexts, such as Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Education Edition. These versions of the game extend Minecraft’s reach far beyond its core mechanics, targeting diverse audiences including casual gamers, educators, and younger children (Hofmann, 2019). Analysing how these paratexts contribute to audience engagement and franchise longevity would offer a more comprehensive understanding of Minecraft’s marketing strategies.

Additionally, a comparative analysis with other franchises like Fortnite or Roblox would be valuable. Both games implement similar engagement strategies, including seasonal events, user-generated content, and live-service models, but in distinct ways. Fortnite, for example, leans heavily on event-based marketing and cross-platform collaborations, while Roblox prioritises a sandbox model that encourages user-generated games (Lee, 2024).

A comparison of these franchises with Minecraft would highlight different industry practices and how they maintain community-driven engagement over time.

Roblox vs Fortnite: Brand Experiences in the Gaming Universe

Unveiling the gaming showdown: Roblox vs Fortnite. Learn how brands are navigating these virtual universes and drive engagement.

Exclusible

Another direction for future exploration involves a long-term study of how user-generated content continues to shape Minecraft’s evolution. Minecraft’s modding community, content creators, and player-generated worlds contribute to the game’s lasting success (Postigo, 2007) & (Tancred, et al., 2024). Conducting interviews with content creators and mod developers would offer valuable qualitative insights into how player agency has influenced the game’s development and broader marketing ecosystem.

Minecraft Celebrates 15th Birthday and Continues to Focus on UGC

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Shorten & Monetize Gaming LinksEditor

From a DA content perspective, Heineman’s (2014) discussion on retrogaming and nostalgia highlights the power that nostalgic content holds, having the ability to reshape identity. This is certainly something I could explore, creating content to appeal to older Minecraft players who might experience nostalgia when looking at gameplay in early days, for example (Moore, 2020).

Moreover, I’m interested in exploring how AI tools could be utilised to analyse game media marketing strategies. I briefly experimented with this idea during the semester but didn’t have enough time to fully develop it. Mirwan, et al., (2023) only recently explores this concept, with results showing that using AI in marketing drasticly improves operational efficiency, enriches the customer experience, and increases engagement and loyalty. By training an AI tool on industry standards and successful marketing campaigns, I could create a system that evaluates and predicts the effectiveness of various marketing strategies. This tool could be used not only for Minecraft but also for analysing marketing approaches across the gaming industry as a whole.

One challenge I encountered was the limited academic resources on modern game media marketing strategies. There is little research on influencer marketing, social media campaigns, and user-generated content. A future path for this project could be to develop a research article exploring these emerging techniques in greater depth, with hopes of sharing useful insights for researchers, game developers, designers, and marketers.

Wrap Up

Throughout the development of this DA, I have gained a deeper understanding of how Minecraft’s marketing strategies have evolved and sustained the game’s cultural relevance over the years. By focusing on the analytical framework of audience engagement, brand consistency, and innovation, Minecraft serves as a model for how long-term strategies can keep a game thriving even in a highly competitive industry.

Working on this project also pushed me to step out of my comfort zone as a content creator. Creating short-form TikTok videos prompted me to adapt my analytical framework into a format better suited to TikTok while trying to preserve its depth. This experience has been important for balancing research with engaging presentation, a skill that will be helpful for future projects.

Minecraft’s success is a testament to the power of community-driven marketing and the importance of user-generated content in the gaming industry. By focusing on player engagement and brand integrity, Minecraft has managed to stay at the forefront of gaming for over 15 years, and I believe its marketing strategies offer valuable lessons for the future of game media industries.

In my previous blog post, I introduced Minecraft as a model of marketing innovation, seamlessly blending player-driven content with strategic brand positioning. Through the lens of my marketing evaluation framework—focusing on Audience Engagement Strategies, Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency, and Innovation and Adaptability—I will explore how Minecraft’s campaigns have shaped its community and ensured its lasting success.

As someone who marked my calendar for each summer update and even had a Minecraft-themed birthday party in primary school, this game holds personal significance to me. It remains the only game I’ve ever purchased and the only game I've made a website about (I can't believe this still exists), and its lasting impact speaks not just to its marketing strategy but to the deep connection it fosters within its player base.

This post applies each pillar of the framework to key elements of Minecraft’s marketing efforts, illustrating how Mojang has cultivated a thriving, dynamic player base in 2024.

Audience Engagement Strategies

Minecraft's marketing success is deeply rooted in its community-driven approach, which allows users to actively engage with the game beyond simply playing it. Mojang has tapped into user-generated content by encouraging modding, content creation, and sharing through platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and now offering Minecraft Marketplace, a built-in platform for players to install community-made mods, skins and much more!

Minecraft passes one trillion views on YouTube

Block building sim is the most watched video game ever on the platform, with 35,000 active creator channels based in 150 different countries

The GuardianKeith Stuart

These strategies align with Harizi and Trebicka's (2023) findings that social media plays a pivotal role in integrated marketing communication, as it fosters direct interaction between consumers and brands, enabling the game to remain relevant for over a decade. For example, Minecraft’s partnership with content creators like PewDiePie and CaptainSparklez helped increase the game's presence, leading to viral trends that expanded the audience reach, engaging both casual players and long-time fans. The game is also carefully designed with affect, where players experience non-conscious reactions such as excitement or tension during exploration and building (Moore, 2020).

Minecraft Earth—an AR expansion aimed at enhancing real-world interaction—was sunsetted in 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which made outdoor exploration unfeasible. Its initial introduction demonstrated Mojang’s willingness to experiment and innovate. The game’s discontinuation allowed Mojang to refocus on its core values of creativity and open-ended play, better aligning future updates with the original Minecraft experience.

By adopting these strategies, Minecraft has cultivated a highly engaged community that continuously contributes to its longevity.

Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency

Minecraft’s branding has remained extremely consistent throughout its marketing campaigns, which has been critical in establishing a distinct identity. Kuo, Hiler, and Lutz (2017) explore how video game consumption has evolved, noting that games like Minecraft, with their distinct visual styles and thematic consistency, manage to build stronger emotional connections with players. The game’s simple yet iconic block-style graphics and its focus on creativity and exploration are reflected in all its branding efforts, from merchandise to social media posts.

Mojang has maintained a steady narrative around player freedom and creativity, positioning Minecraft as a platform for endless possibilities. Even after Microsoft’s 2.5 billion acquisition of Mojang in 2014, essentially "buying a generation of gamers", the game's branding remained true to its core identity, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of over-commercialisation... I'm further exploring if this was successful in my DA. At the time, the acquisition was viewed as the end of Minecraft, however looking back 10 years, the game certainly retains its essence and alights with promises from Xbox's CEO at the time.

By integrating new updates and game mechanics without losing sight of its original vision, Minecraft has upheld brand consistency while innovating within its universe. For instance, updates like Trails & Tales (the most recent major update) not only improve gameplay but align with Minecraft's ethos of exploration, adventure, and creativity, strengthening its brand narrative (Mojang, 2023).

Innovation and Adaptability

One of Minecraft's most significant strengths lies in its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots. Over the past 15 years, Mojang has adapted its marketing strategy to reflect changing player expectations and technological advancements. Vashisht, Royne, and Sreejesh (2019) discuss how gamification in advertising creates immersive experiences that keep players engaged and invested in games over time. This can be seen through the introduction of new features like cross-platform play, the Bedrock Edition, and virtual reality compatibility, ensuring that it remains accessible to a broad audience.

Additionally, Minecraft's partnerships with educational institutions and initiatives like Minecraft Education Edition demonstrate the game’s adaptability to different markets. These moves have opened new revenue streams and reinforced the game's relevance in modern culture. Even during the rise of competitors like Fortnite, Mojang's strategic focus on longevity over short-term trends has allowed Minecraft to maintain a thriving player base. Additionally, Minecraft’s collaborations with other franchises, such as Star Wars and Super Mario, follow the essence of Fortnite’s partnerships, which Moritz, Schöber, and Stadtmann (2020) cite as essential to its adaptability and cultural relevance. This has been achieved throughout Minecraft while keeping the core game experience intact.

Wrap Up

This analysis of Minecraft through the lenses of Audience Engagement Strategies, Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency, and Innovation and Adaptability demonstrates how the game has built and sustained a thriving community for over a decade. By examining how players engage with Minecraft’s open-ended world, we see how their creative input continues to shape the game’s cultural significance, transforming it into a platform that reflects user-driven narratives and experiences. My Digital Artefact will feature data visualisations and campaign highlights that showcase key moments where Minecraft’s marketing strategies encouraged audience participation, strengthened its brand identity, and adapted to emerging trends, solidifying its place in gaming history.

Initially, my project focused on BuildingBrands, but after re-evaluating my interests and goals, I decided to pivot towards a more challenging and personal direction. I reframed the project around the research question: “What insights can be gained from intercepting the personal data collected by my technology and apps?” This pivot led me to explore how seemingly disconnected data points could be aggregated to form a comprehensive narrative, not only about who I am but also about predicting future trends and understanding past behaviour. With Gen Z being relatively relaxed about data privacy, my goal is to help users visualise their personal data, similar to how Spotify Wrapped summarises musical preferences. Inspired by studies like (Nicol, et al., 2022), who studied the cumulative risks of online personal information, revealing current difficulties in conceptualising digital traces and understanding how information may be combined across platforms.

A Place Where All Data Comes Together

One of the major hurdles was finding a platform that could merge all this diverse data into something that users could easily interpret. Inspired by projects such as ReelOut, created by (Farrow, et al., 2013) which is an application that constructs stories from social media data using sentiment, themes, and named entities. The initial idea was to use ChatGPT for such data processing, but its 500-character limit per file proved practically unusable for my use-case.

This challenge led me to experiment with Glide, which integrates GPT-4 into its database functionality.

By recontextualising the intercepted data into weekly summaries, I was able to develop more accessible data visualisations and text summaries, similar to Spotify Wrapped. This application of exaptation—repurposing Glide for data aggregation—helped me realise that existing tools can serve purposes far beyond their original design (Garud, et al., 2016). By exploring the adjacent possibilities of functionality (like overcoming ChatGPT’s character processing limitations) I've established new opportunities for exploring richer datasets and creating more personalised user experiences.

Establishing Additional Data Streams

After processing my initial dataset, I realised that the data wasn’t as holistic as I had expected. This led to another key learning moment: expanding my data capture methods. I began incorporating new streams, including GPS data from apps like Life360, a family-tracking app not typically intended for projects like mine. Here, the concept of exaptation came into play again. Similarly, I integrated my banking data, importing daily transactional summaries, which added an entirely new dimension to the dataset.

This iterative process led me to explore more unconventional data sources, asking ChatGPT for suggestions on what else could be incorporated to build a complete picture of my daily digital footprint. As i began adding additional data streams, my data summaries began to get more intricate and detailed, making assumptions and predictions based on existing data, such as that i work from home due to the large amount of productivity apps used on the WiFi during business hours.

As I began collecting browser history, app usage details, and recently even my calendar data and a daily image from my camera roll, I noticed another adjacent possible which opened new pathways for media creation, such as personalised recaps of my daily activity or generating insights based on my financial transactions. (Aylett, et al., 2015) developed algorithms to select Instagram images, which produced story-like sequences, I want to also attempt to integrate a visual imagery component into my daily data set as each new stream enhances the narrative, providing users with insights that wouldn’t be possible without the combination of multiple data points. This demonstrates the cumulative risks described by (Nicol, et al., 2022), where the aggregation of data across platforms can create an intricate, deeply personal narrative.

Automating for Project Sustainability

Throughout the early stages of this project, I had realisation that manually collecting and processing data is neither scalable nor sustainable. Automation is vital for the project to continue evolving beyond the semester. I started researching tools like iTools, which, while not explicitly designed for data interception, allows for bulk exports of app data—an important step forward.

Antifragility, coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, involves initiatives that benefit from adversities. By automating this data collection process, the project aligns with antifragility, where systems improve and adapt when exposed to stress (Taleb, 2012). In this context, automation allows the project to become more resilient, capable of maintaining accuracy even if human input is inconsistent. My overall goal is to create a dataset so detailed and strong, that even if i was to miss a day of data collection, the system can learn from previous patterns and fill in the gaps, turning potential failure into an opportunity for further insight.

The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better (Taleb, 2012)

From this, the identified adjacent possibles of this project could evolve into a personal assistant that offers daily insights based on users’ data? Could it predict trends or suggest actions based on accumulated behavioural patterns? By thinking in terms of future possibilities, I’m positioning the project to continue evolving in ways that might not have been apparent at the start. I’m also exploring how this automated system could serve the general public, offering them detailed data narratives to make sense of their digital footprints.

Next Steps

What began as a simple data collection project has grown into something far more ambitious. By repurposing existing tools, expanding my dataset, and automating processes for sustainability, I am building a digital artefact that educates users about the narratives embedded in their personal data. Moving forward, I am excited to explore how AI and automation can further enhance the storytelling capacity of this project, making personal data more meaningful and accessible to users in new and engaging ways and develop user-friendly data visualisation, to help make sense of this project.

Minecraft is one of the most iconic video games of the past two decades, known for its open-ended world and limitless creative possibilities. Since its release in 2009, the game has built an expansive and dedicated player base, in large part due to its innovative and community-driven marketing strategies.

I chose Minecraft as the focal point of my analysis because of its rich history of audience engagement, brand consistency, and adaptability over a 15-year span. Given its continued relevance in 2024, Minecraft presents an ideal case study to explore how long-term marketing strategies can sustain and expand a game's cultural impact.

Audience Engagement Strategies

In the modern marketing landscape, social media has become an essential tool for fostering two-way interaction between companies and consumers. Harizi and Trebicka (2023) highlight how social media platforms, when integrated into marketing communication strategies, enhance consumer engagement and brand promotion by facilitating ongoing conversations between brands and their audiences.

The Surprising Future of Social Media Lies with Minecraft

The next big thing in social media is game-based. Learn why Minecraft is the future of social media and how you can apply their keys to success.

dlvr.it | blogDebra Garber

Minecraft has embraced a participatory media culture and has capitalised off this approach, empowering players to create and share their own content through platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Minecraft Marketplace (Moore, 2020). It's rumoured that before Microsoft's acquisition, Mojang's video marketing budget was close to $0 as it wasn't required due to UGC promotion by social media creators.

Game On: How the Intersection of Gaming and Social Media is Transforming the Entertainment…

At TheSoul Publishing, we are at the forefront of the increasingly intertwined sectors of the gaming industry and social media platforms…

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By giving players agency over their experiences and interactions, Minecraft allows them to act to shape meaningful outcomes within the game, as Murray (1997) describes. This connects with the concept of dramatic agency, where players experience the satisfaction of their choices impacting the narrative and gameplay, making them active participants in Minecraft’s evolving world (Moore, 2021).

This choose-your-own-adventure strategy has allowed Mojang to cultivate a thriving community that continues to drive the game’s popularity. This social media integration has also helped Minecraft evolve into more than just a game—it has become a cultural phenomenon where the players themselves are part of the marketing.

Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency

Video games uniquely blend narrative and gameplay, offering players immersion, agency, and transformation (Kuo, Hiler, & Lutz, 2017). Minecraft has used this interplay to create a consistent brand identity, which has been instrumental in maintaining strong emotional connections with players over time.

Minecraft Branding — Crafting a Holistic Brand Experience Beyond Logos and Colors

In today’s competitive market, establishing a strong brand identity is vital for any business, and custom Minecraft builds has succeeded…

MediumSeniors Studios

The game’s distinct visual style and focus on creativity have remained central to its branding efforts, allowing Minecraft to preserve its narrative of freedom and exploration, even after Microsoft’s 2014 acquisition. As Moritz, Schober, and Stadtmann (2020) point out, product differentiation in games like Fortnite has been crucial for maintaining profitability and identity within a highly competitive market.

Similarly, Minecraft’s ability to consistently position itself as a platform for endless possibilities has allowed it to differentiate itself from other games, ensuring its continued relevance across multiple generations of players.

Innovation and Adaptability

As gaming technology evolves, staying relevant requires constant innovation. Vashisht, Royne, and Sreejesh (2019) discuss the increasing role of gamification in marketing, particularly how it can affect consumer engagement by creating immersive experiences. Minecraft has continuously adapted by introducing features like cross-platform play, the Minecraft: Education Edition, and virtual reality compatibility (Sánchez-López et al. 2022). These innovations allow Minecraft to cater to various audiences, from casual gamers to educators, enhancing its longevity. By remaining adaptable and integrating new technologies, Minecraft ensures that it remains accessible and engaging to both its long-time players and new users, a strategy that has proven essential in today’s fast-paced gaming market (Arsenault, 2009).

This is Minecon: the biggest ‘Minecraft’ fan convention

Inside the main convention hall, children scurry left and right with foam diamond swords raised high above their heads. Eyes wide and mouths agape, some of them rush toward a blocky reimagining of Big Ben, where Minecraft’s formidable Ender Dragon can be found wrapped around the clock face. Below, parents wander between life-size character statues and trees with cube-cut canopies, a mixture of fascination and bemusement etched onto their faces. For one weekend in July, 10,000 of the most dedicated Minecraft players have descended upon London’s Excel Exhibition Centre for Minecon, a fan convention celebrating the blockbuster sandbox building game. With panels, signings, tournaments and merchandise, it’s the Minecraft equivalent of Disney World and Comic-Con.

EngadgetNick Summers

The interplay of these three pillars—Audience Engagement Strategies, Brand Integration and Narrative Consistency, and Innovation and Adaptability—creates a cohesive and sustainable marketing framework for Minecraft. The integration of social media has allowed players to become advocates and content creators, actively increasing the game’s visibility. Minecraft’s consistent branding and unique narrative positioning have fostered strong emotional connections with players, ensuring its place as a cultural icon. Finally, the game’s ability to evolve with technological advancements has allowed it to remain relevant in a competitive market. These factors work together to form the backbone of Minecraft’s marketing resiliency.

When applying this framework, my initial analysis of Minecraft’s marketing highlights several key features. One of the most prominent themes is how Minecraft empowers players through creative freedom, which has become a cornerstone of the game’s identity. Additionally, Minecraft’s community-driven approach, particularly through user-generated content, amplifies engagement and makes the players themselves integral to the game’s marketing. Mojang’s brand consistency across platforms—whether through visual branding, social media presence, or partnerships—ensures that the game remains culturally significant. Furthermore, its adaptability to technological advancements and new markets has allowed Minecraft to stay relevant in the fast-evolving world of gaming.

All this research about Minecraft has me considering starting my next two-week phase...

The Building Brands Toolkit aims to support small businesses, digital creators, and BCM students in brand-building by leveraging advanced technologies. Lee et al. (2023) discuss the applications of OpenAI to enhance performance for a restaurant's branding. The use of AI was blended into their businesses' operations and created enhancements in areas such as marketing, and menu creation to employee training, to enhance its competitive advantages, at a much lower cost compared with more traditional tools (Lee et al. 2023).

My project shifts the focus from static content to dynamic, interactive experiences, utilising AI tools to create social media caption generators, imagery tools, chatbots, and AI voiceovers. This reframing allows users to engage with branding concepts in a more intuitive and accessible way, enhancing their ability to implement effective strategies without getting overwhelmed by technical details and putting them in the 'too-hard pile'.

I will leverage exaptation by repurposing existing technologies for new applications to support my brand-building tools (Larson et al. 2013). For example, OpenAI will be trained for creating to develop social media captions. I'll also leverage uChat, a customer service chatbot service to facilitate my AI chatbot trained with all the knowledge of the BuildingBrands platform.

The toolkit's two-phase approach involves gathering and refining knowledge to create user-friendly guides and tools, followed by using this content as training data for an AI-powered chatbot. This chatbot will be integrated into platforms like Instagram, facilitating natural conversations about marketing and branding. The transformation of this content into a human-like chatbot illustrates Media transmutation, highlighting the fluid adaptability of media (Elleström 2014). Research has indicated that improvements in user interaction were recorded when an OpenAI-based chatbot was implemented into a content-heavy website (Santoso et al. 2023).

The toolkit aims to serve as a practical resource for SMBs and creators, whilst also acting as a portfolio for my future employers.

Reference List

ACMI, n.d. Minecraft [Online Image]. [Online]
Available at: https://www.acmi.net.au/works/61410--minecraft/
[Accessed 04 08 2024].

Ashmore, M., 2023. (WIP Chapter 8) The Evolution of Social Networks For Generation Z — And the rise of Fortnite As A Metaverse Prototype. [Online]
Available at: https://markashmorefrsa.medium.com/3d-worlds-and-generation-z-b1340838f450
[Accessed 03 08 2024].

Epic Games, 2017. Fortnite [Online Image]. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8020008/
[Accessed 04 08 2024].

Fallabrino, E., 2023. Tweet, Play, Love: Evaluating Social Media Communication Strategies on Gamer and Non-Gamer Audiences. Sociology Mind 2023, Volume 13, pp. 24-42.

Harizi, A. & Trebicka, B., 2023. The Integration of Social Media in Integrated Marketing Communication: A Systematic Review and Theorical Framework. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 12(6), pp. 159-175.

KONVOY, 2023. Future of User Generated Content. [Online]
Available at: https://www.konvoy.vc/content/future-of-user-generated-content
[Accessed 03 08 2024].

Kuo, A., Hiler, J. & Lutz, R., 2017. Journal of Consumer Behaviour. From Super Mario to Skyrim: A framework for the evolution of video game consumption, 16(2), pp. 101-120.

Moore, C., 2020. BCM215 Lecture: BCM215 Game Media Industries - Media Archaeology Lecture YouTube Video, BCM215, University of Wollongong. Viewed 23/04/2024.

Moritz, K.-H., Schöber, T. & Stadtmann, G., 2020. Product differentiation in video games: a closer look at Fortnite's success. European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) - Discussion Paper No. 419 , pp. 1-21.

Nau, E., 2018. Why Story Matters: A Review of Narrative in Serious Games, Austin, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin.

Polat, V. & Akgün, A., 2015. A Conceptual Framework for Marketing Strategies in Web 3 . 0 Age : Adaptive Marketing Capabilities. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly; Antioch, 7(1), pp. 1-12.

Vashisht, D., Royne, M. & Sreejesh, S., 2019. What we know and need to know about the gamification of advertising: A review and synthesis of the advergame studies. European Journal of Marketing, 53(4), pp. 607-634.

WikiMedia, 2021. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time [Online Image]. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Legend_of_Zelda_Ocarina_of_Time.jpg
[Accessed 04 08 2024].

WikiMedia, 2024. Super Mario Bros Box [Online Image]. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Super_Mario_Bros._box.png
[Accessed 04 08 2024].

Zheng, Y., 2023. The Impact of Social Media Marketing on the Gaming Industry: A Case Study of "Glory of the King". Bratislava, Slovakia, Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Economic Management and Green Development.

Over the semester, I've engaged in live reactions to several films that project diverse visions of the future. Each session involved integrating subject themes into real-time analysis. This critical self-reflection examines how I've leveraged artificial intelligence, subject themes and peer interactions to deepen my understanding of future cultures through the screenings of The Matrix (1999), Ready Player One (2018) and Arrival (2016).

Leveraging AI for Deeper Insights: I built a GPT for Peer Commentary

In my previous blog post, FIGHTING for my Attention, I explored the potential of AI to streamline the film analysis process. I found asking AI to create my live analyses prior was cumbersome and limiting than direct observation and note-taking, as it constrained my analysis to predetermined ideas, often identifying more themes than ChatGPT during screenings. However, I found that my critical conversation distracted me from my own observations, causing me to miss key themes. To address this, I developed my own BCM325 GPT, This AI tool, fed with insights from our readings, lectures and subject knowledge doc, assisted in crafting peer responses that were not only relevant but helpful, allowing me to maintain active participation in discussions without losing focus on the film's unfolding narrative as well as enhance my engagement with the material

Another goal I made in my last post was to make my peer commentary more concise. I noticed that people were commenting large paragraphs on my posts, which were full of detail but often unhelpfully long and generic. Instead, I amed to be consice yet full of helpful analysis and commentary. I believe that over the past few weeks, I have achieved this balance.

Connecting Films with Subject Material

The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix became a lens through which I explored cyberculture and decision-making, something which was featured heavily in this film. My posting drew from Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger's work on the importance of decision-making, emphasising its complexity and the interplay between personal and social dimensions (Moore, 2022) & (Stollberg-Rilinger, 2019). I left this session feeling very conscious my whole life could be a simulation and I simply believed it was real due to having the ability to make 'my own' decisions.

I also explored secondary sources from Bostrom, (2003), reflecting philosophical explorations of simulated realities and their implications for our understanding of consciousness and existence (Bostrom, 2003). I also pulled articles by cognitive science professor at ANU's, David Chalmers, which critiqes the realness of the experiences within The Matrix from a cognitive science perspective.

Ready Player One (2018)

Watching Ready Player One prompted my discussions about cyberspace and virtual reality, the Anthropocene epoch, societies of control (EOI) and themes of identity and reality. Lambach (2020) aided my discussions around privacy and data protection in the context of geolocation technologies. Focusing on the "enormous amount of deeply personal data that makes it easier to identify users through data triangulation, raising issues of privacy and data protection" (Lambach, 2020). I reflected this concern in my live analysis, exploring the antagonist corporation's extensive surveillance and tracking capabilities and highlighting risks associated with centralised control in digital realms.

Smith, et al., (2021) helped me explore the role of cyberspace in social skills and identity. This prompted discussions about how characters in Ready Player One use their avatars to express their identities and develop social skills they may feel unable to in the real world. This reflects the paper’s points on social media as a space for identity exploration and social skills development among youth (Smith, et al., 2021).

Arrival (2016)

Through the lecture and seminar guide, I was able to note the features of language and communication that formed part of the movie's central themes. I discussed language as a tool for communication and understanding and how language shapes thought, taking focus from an article written by Lera Boroditsky at MIT.

Another thing i explored was the hectapods differing technology and intelligence, which transcend that of human comprehension. This concept mimicks the projected future of AI, where artificial intelligence will rise above human intelligence and form new ways of communicating, solving problems, living, etc.

MIT School of Engineering | » When will AI be smart enough to outsmart people?

Mit Engineering

Summary / Key Takeaways

Digital marketing platforms have become essential tools for businesses of all sizes. Platforms like Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, TikTok for Business, and many more, offer distinctive opportunities for engagement and growth, with lower costs compared with traditional marketing solutions. However, while these platforms provide small businesses with potential advantages, the financial constraints they face in digital marketing compared to larger enterprises can limit individual small business economic growth and put smaller brands at a disadvantage, spending money on digital advertisements rather than funding core business expenses. This contextual statement will examine the challenges digital marketing platforms pose to small business economic growth, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, which focuses on promoting decent work and economic growth. It will provide the backdrop for my video essay, highlighting the experiences small businesses face when choosing between spending on digital advertising and essential business investments.

Digital marketing has emerged significantly over the last 15 years, paralleling the rise of the internet and changing consumer behaviours towards online information and commerce platforms. Initially regarded as a secondary strategy (Stafford, 2010), it has become a staple, with a market of 2.71 billion digital buyers worldwide as of 2024 representing over a third of the global population (eMarketer, 2024). However, the costs associated with setting up and maintaining digital marketing platforms can be prohibitive (Ritz, et al., 2019), especially for smaller businesses that typically lack the marketing budgets of larger enterprises (Dorofeeva, 2018). This creates economic disadvantages for smaller firms, as they struggle to match the digital marketing spend of larger brands (Lynn, et al., 1999). The COVID-19 pandemic intensified these disparities, forcing many businesses to shift online, thus increasing competition and altering the digital marketing landscape. Many small businesses find maintaining a digital presence challenging in this rapidly evolving market (Gao, et al., 2023). These challenges align with the aims of SDG 8, which seeks to promote sustainable economic growth and decent work for all (OECD, 2019), highlighting a key concern for policymakers and business strategists regarding the financial constraints small businesses face in digital marketing.

Digital marketing platforms, while cost-effective on the surface, entail various expenses that can accumulate rapidly. Advertising costs on platforms such as Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, social media management tools, websites and the expense of job advertisements on digital platforms like Seek all contribute to a substantial financial burden (D'Angelo, 2023). These financial burdens can be particularly challenging for small businesses, as they struggle to balance marketing budgets with other essential business expenses. Though typically more expensive per campaign, traditional marketing does not require continuous expenditure to maintain a digital presence. For small businesses, these costs are often restrictive (Dwivedi, et al., 2021). Lynn (1999) spotlights that some small businesses struggle to maintain these marketing budgets, leading to compromised sustainability. Lynn also discusses that emergent digital marketing technologies are helping to level the playing field, giving smaller businesses access to the benefits previously only available to larger organisations (Lynn, et al., 1999). High service costs can also limit small businesses from expanding their team, purchasing essential equipment, or maintaining their operations, leading to stunted growth and a lack of sustainability​ (Alyahya, 2021) & (Jung & Shegai, 2023). Marketing & branding forum, BBF, suggests that the gap between small and large businesses is made more significant by smaller brands typically spending less than the recommended 7-8% of their gross revenue on marketing, limiting their ability to build brand awareness and attract new customers​ (BBF Digital, 2023).

Recent innovations regarding Artificial Intelligence, such as large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT for quick text generation and Midjourney for image development, offer potential cost savings through automation and enhanced customer engagement, their implementation still requires initial investment and ongoing maintenance, which can be daunting for smaller businesses. Alongside this, global cloud-based accounting software Xero found that 80% of small business owners are worried about AI development. Introducing another barrier to entry based on ethical and privacy concerns (Hempfling, 2023). Cloud-based computing offers another potential solution, providing access to advanced computing power without significant upfront costs or needing on-premises equipment. Cloud computing allows many popular web-based apps to operate daily. Canva, for example, is a cloud-based graphic design tool that has been adopted widely by small businesses worldwide to develop their marketing content (Millaningtyas, 2023). Its easy-to-use interface and cloud-based technology, which uses graphics processing on a server rather than the user's computer, have allowed users with low budgets to access high-power graphic design tools without the requirement of a powerful computer (Amazon Web Services, 2019). Although cloud computing can democratise access to advanced technologies, the ongoing costs, initial education, and technical challenges can still pose significant hurdles for small businesses.

Some small businesses use social media platforms to monetise their marketing efforts, utilising revenue-generating possibilities to fund their marketing efforts, essentially sustaining their operations (The Social Space, 2023). Although this strategy works for some, mainly operating on TikTok and YouTube, which currently have the highest Pay-per-view (Chillingworth, 2024), many small businesses struggle to gain enough traction to financially justify the time and money they're investing (Dekel, 2023). This also puts businesses in a cycle of dependency, where the benefits of these platforms are offset by their costs (Brownstein, 2023).

The United Nations's Sustainable Development Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth aims to improve working conditions and the local and broader economy through economic aid, education, and policy advocacy. The costs of maintaining a competitive digital presence undermine this SDG, opening up vaulnerabilities for reduced job creation, lower productivity, and hindered economic development (United Nations, 2019). Addressing these challenges is crucial for achieving the goals of SDG 8 and promoting a more inclusive and sustainable economic landscape. The ACCC recommends regulating digital platforms to create a fairer economic landscape, ensuring small businesses can compete on a more level playing field, especially with commerce moving digital (ACCC, 2019).

My video essay, aimed at sole traders and small business owners, explores small business financial and resource constraints due to the costs associated with digital marketing platforms, which most small businesses cannot justify spending. This resource gap often leads to tough choices—like deciding whether to halt business development (hire more staff, purchase new equipment, etc.) to afford digital marketing expenses or risk digital exclusion (Teixeira, et al., 2019). A solemn voice over aims to emphasise the emotion and seriousness of the issue. The impactful music also adds to the weight, aiming to emotionally connect with viewers and enable them to better resonate and understand small business owners' stuggles. The stretegic placement of narriative pauses invites viewers to reflect futher and emphasise. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) stock footage from Pexels, as well as some paid footage from Shutterstock enhances the visual appeal and production value of the video, whilst ensuring the content remains free of copyright infringement.

Recent innovations in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are enabling small businesses to compete with larger enterprises in marketing. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can serve as virtual marketing coordinators, offering marketing plans, copywriting, strategy, and general advice to enhance marketing expertise. Additionally, tools like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Claid.ai are assisting small businesses in generating product photos and stock images, eliminating the need for expensive photographers (Hare, 2023). These advancements are beginning to level the marketing playing field, allowing individuals who may lack formal marketing qualifications to develop compelling content and strategies (Kozinets & Gretzel, 2021). However, there is still plenty of room for improvement; the accessibility of these AI tools is increasingly restricted by paywalls, which require businesses to fund monthly subscriptions (Bruyn et al., 2020). These subscriptions add a significant financial burden when combined with ongoing costs such as website hosting, email services, POS systems, and other communication expenses. Although these disruptive technologies offer substantial potential to transform marketing practices, they often necessitate shifts in business models and additional investments. This can pose considerable challenges for small businesses, which must manage these costs alongside their existing financial pressures (Bower & Christensen, 1995), especially with the cost of goods rising yearly (Macau, 2023). The ATO does offer small business deductions for digital transformations, which may ease the transition (ATO, 2024), but despite the advantages AI technologies bring, the continual expense of maintaining these tools introduces an additional layer of complexity to the economic challenges faced by small businesses.

Social innovations are also crucial for supporting small businesses through economic and development challenges by providing essential resources and networking opportunities. Initiatives like small business workshops, coworking spaces, and innovation hubs offer vital support, enabling employees and small business owners to collaborate, innovate, and access mentorship, training, and financial aid (Pol & Ville, 2009). This ecosystem helps small businesses grow sustainably through relationships and networking, reducing reliance on paid digital marketing and enhancing their competitive capacity in the marketplace (Siqueira, et al., 2014).

In conclusion, while digital marketing platforms offer significant opportunities for small businesses, the financial burdens associated with maintaining a digital presence can impede their growth. These challenges, amplified by the disparities in resources between small and large enterprises, highlight the need for regulatory adjustments and increased accessibility to advanced technologies, free from paywalls. By addressing these issues, the promotion of a more equitable economic environment will exist, better supporting the goals of Sustainable Development Goal 8 and fostering sustained economic growth and decent work for all. This streamlined approach ensures that small businesses can thrive in a congested digital arena.

In my previous articles, 2030: The Future of Satellites and 2040: The Future of Satellites, I explored potential developments in our global satellite network, using Wendell Bell's framework for future studies. This post uses the same framework as previous articles, but we'll be looking even further into the future—25 years and seven months, to be exact. 2050 will be a significant milestone in the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as per their TWI2050 plan and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, per the Paris Agreement. Satellites will play an essential role in achieving and managing the aftermath of these fundamental goals.

Possible Futures

Interconnected Swarm Satellites

By 2050, we might see the development of interconnected cybernetic swarm satellites working together in a highly coordinated, self-regulating and adaptive nature (Moore, 2020). These swarms will consist of hundreds or thousands of small satellites that can reconfigure in real-time to optimise coverage, resilience, and data transfer rates (Space: Science & Technology, 2022) & (Vladimirova, et al., 2008). This innovation would represent a significant leap in satellite technology, enhancing capabilities in communication, Earth observation, and space research. Swarm satellites would leverage advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to autonomously manage their formation and operations (Vassev, et al., 2012).

Biodegradable Satellites

Pushed by environmental concerns of spacejunk and atmostpheric pollution of current satellites, NASA and Japan recently developed the LignoSat probe, a satellite built of magnolia wood, with plans to launch in a few months. If successful, this advancement could see more sustainable and biodegradable materials used for satellites materials by 2050. With satellites naturally decomposign after their operational life, reducing space debris and the environmental impact of space activities. This shift towards sustainable satellite design reflects a commitment to responsible technological practices addressing the Anthropocene epoch, aligning with global efforts to minimise human impact on the environment and promote continuous renewal (Moore, 2022a) & (Gorman, 2014)

Space-Based Solar Power Stations

In full transhumanism fashion, satellites could be leveraged to solve our energy needs through space-based solar power stations by 2050. These stations would collect solar energy in space and transmit it to Earth using high-frequency radio waves. Amidst the race to net zero by 2050, the UK are currently working on this technology and anticipates a working space solar power station by 2040, this technology is very expensive and inefficient, with only a small percentage of captured energy actually being transmitted back to earth. If effiency is improved, this technology would provide a constant and reliable energy source, independent of weather conditions and time of day, significantly contributing to global energy sustainability. The development of space-based solar power stations would align with the transhumanist vision of leveraging advanced technologies to solve critical challenges and enhance human capabilities.

Probable Futures

Real-Time Earth Monitoring Networks

By 2050, the expansion of satellite networks in orbit will enable the implementation of a real-time Earth monitoring system  (Leyva-Mayorga, et al., 2022). This network will provide high-resolution imagery of any location worldwide with minimal latency, alongside other critical environmental and societal data, including weather patterns, climate change, natural disasters, and human activities. It will support the global effort to maintain net-zero carbon emissions by monitoring carbon reductions and observing positive and negative climate and air quality changes (Tollefson, 2016).

This data will become a core knowledge base component, facilitating proactive decision-making and crisis management (Vladimirova, et al., 2009). The integration of such networks into global governance systems embodies the concept of societies of control, where continuous monitoring and data analysis are essential for managing complex environmental and societal challenges (Deleuze, 1992), such as climate change and pollution.

However, this development will also spark significant concerns regarding privacy as high-resolution global live surveillance becomes a reality (Mckenna, et al., 2019). Despite these concerns, this infrastructure will assist UN member states in achieving and maintaining their Sustainable Development Goals more rapidly. (Rockström, 2016) highlights the importance of a stable and resilient Earth system, a goal that satellite technology can significantly advance.

Satellite End of Life Extended by Autonomous Spacecraft Maintenance

Advancements in robotics and AI will likely lead to the deployment of autonomous spacecraft for satellite maintenance by 2050. These robotic systems will perform repairs, refuel satellites, and even upgrade them in orbit, extending their operational lifespans and reducing the need for costly replacements (Lopatka, 2018). NASA recently canned their OSAM-1 project, which involved a robot manipulating a set of tools to refuel space-based assets, due to "technical, cost, and schedule challenges", this may be revisited in the future, as capabilities increase. This development will ensure the longevity and efficiency of satellite networks. The evolution of autonomous maintenance systems highlights the importance of machine learning and AI in optimising satellite operations and maintaining the integrity of space infrastructure. 

Satellites Will Send Signals the Opposite Way

Mars is to be settled by 2050, according to UNSW School of Mineral Energy Resources Engineering Professor, Serkan Saydam and Elon Musk, who created SpaceX with the primary goal of getting one million people to Mars by 2050. Internet connectivity for those on Mars will be essential for communication, research and leisure. Broadband connectivity is broadcasted from satellites orbiting Earth to various planets within our galaxy. Moving to Mars no longer means sacrificing comforts like YouTube, TikTok, and online shopping (Haque, 2011). A laser beam link, backhauled by RF, will connect Earth (as the base station) with other celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars, which will have their own networks of Low Earth (Mars? Moon?) Orbit satellites providing phone and internet connectivity. According to ChatGPT, the time for a laser-based signal to achieve a round trip from Mars to Earth is around 25 minutes, so Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) will be established to cache popular content, ensuring faster load times and a seamless online experience.

Integrated Global Navigation Systems

By 2050, integrated global navigation systems, supported by satellite networks, will provide unprecedented accuracy and reliability for navigation and positioning services. GPS would have an accuracy of under 10cm, according to Prof. Andrew Dempster, director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research. These systems will enhance various applications, from autonomous vehicles and drones to maritime and aviation navigation, ensuring worldwide seamless and precise location-based services (Pál, et al., 2019) & (Willgoss, et al., 2003). The development of integrated global navigation systems highlights the role of satellites in supporting critical infrastructure and technological advancements in transportation and logistics.

Preferable Futures

Ethical AI and Satellite Governance

Systems fully controlled by AI, according to Makridakis, (2017) will lead to increased unemployment and more significant wealth inequalities (Makridakis, 2017). A preferable future for satellites by 2050 would involve robust ethical frameworks and governance structures for AI-powered satellite operations. Swinburne University of Technology's Thomas Graham calls for responsible AI in Space, investigating the need for regulation of automated systems in the space industry for his PHD, noting that frameworks would ensure that AI algorithms used in satellite systems are transparent, fair, and accountable, preventing misuse and promoting trust in satellite-based services (Graham & Thangavel, 2023), as well as supporting the global economy in a meaningful way.

Community-Focused Satellite Projects

By 2050, satellite projects could be designed to focus intensely on community needs and local development. This would involve engaging with local communities to understand their needs and challenges and ensuring that satellite data and services are tailored to support regional development goals. Initiatives like the federal government's Digital Earth Australia (DEA) aim to increase the utilisation of Earth Observation (satellite) data across Australia. With many resources appearing globally. This approach ensures that satellite technology's benefits are equitably distributed. This vision aligns with social equity and justice principles, emphasising the need to use technology to improve the quality of life for all people, particularly those in underserved or marginalised communities.

The future of satellites by 2050 holds immense potential for advancing communication, environmental monitoring, and space exploration. By considering the possible, probable, and preferable futures, we can better prepare for and shape the developments in satellite technology to ensure they benefit all of humanity while addressing critical challenges such as space debris, sustainable development, and climate change mitigation.

Last Updated: Wednesday 29 May, 2024 @ 3:23pm

In my previous article, 2030: The Future of Satellites, I explored potential developments in our global satellite network, guided by Wendell Bell's framework for future studies. Bell encourages us to "discover or invent, propose, examine, and evaluate possible, probable, and preferable futures" (Bell, 1996). With 2040 fifteen years away, significant changes are anticipated in satellite technology and its applications.

Possible Futures

Personal Satellite Ownership

Over the past decade, satellites have become more affordable to deploy and manage. This trend has led to the democratisation of satellite ownership, extending beyond governmental and corporate control to individuals and smaller organisations. Advancements in satellite technology have significantly reduced production and launch costs, making satellites more accessible (Young, 2015), (Mitry, 2020) & (Langford, et al., 2018). The private satellite industry has seen a 30% annual increase in the number of small satellites launched into low Earth orbit (Mitry, 2020). Ownership costs have dropped below $100,000, and launch costs can be further reduced through subsidies (Langford, et al., 2018). These changes could transform data collection and dissemination, benefiting various applications from resource evaluation to communication. This democratisation would put cyberculture and cybernetics at centre stage, highlighting the increasing integration of technology into daily life and the self-regulating nature of complex systems.

Space Debris Management

A critical challenge for future satellite deployment is space debris. The growing amount of untrackable and volatile space junk threatens the safety and sustainability of satellite operations. This focus on sustainability echoes the concept of the Anthropocene and emphasises human impact on the environment and the need for responsible technological practices. For example, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Starlink have taken proactive measures to address this issue by de-orbiting faulty satellites back to Earth rather than Graveyard orbit and ensuring that the Falcon Heavy rocket returns to Earth, minimising space debris. Sustainable practices in satellite operations will be essential for the success of future space missions.

Given the dangers posed by solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other space weather phenomena (which we only recently experienced, disrubting Starlink operations globally), the rise of mega-constellations could lead to a new kind of natural catastrophe, potentially blocking Earth's orbit for future space missions. With potentially tens or hundreds of thousands of satellites in space, even one collision could set off a domino effect. The Kessler syndrome theory suggests that an overabundance of satellites could result in a single collision creating enough debris to make further collisions unavoidable. While there is no agreement on exactly when this critical point will be reached (Primack, 2018), it's obvious that the chance of this occurring greatly increases with the more satellites we put into orbit.

Interplanetary Missions

By 2040, satellites will likely extend beyond Earth's orbit, supporting interplanetary missions to Mars, the Moon, and beyond. These satellites will facilitate communication and data relay between Earth and other celestial bodies. Enhanced deep-space communications capabilities are essential for advancing our understanding of the solar system (Edwards, 2001 and Weber, et al., 2003).

Corpino & Nichele (2017) note that the role of CubeSats in high-quality planetary science missions, particularly for Mars exploration, highlights the potential for significant advancements in space exploration. This vision of space exploration ties into the concept of cyborgs and transhumanism, where human adaptation to new environments, such as outer space, involves integrating technological advancements into our bodies and systems.

Probable Futures

Advanced Global Communication Networks

By 2040, satellites could form the backbone of global communication networks, providing ultra-fast internet access worldwide. This would bridge the digital divide, offering connectivity to remote and underserved regions. As discussed in my last post, the current infrastructure and bandwidth capacity of Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites was limited to around 0.1 users per km². In 15 years, more satellites in orbit will significantly improve bandwidth, service quality, and reliable global internet coverage via LEO satellites (Osoro & Oughton, 2021). This development would address current wireless communication issues, particularly the range limitations of terrestrial-based solutions. Lambach (2020) warns of the massive amounts of deeply personal data that could expose users' identities (Lambach, 2020). Satellite-based quantum communications could improve this by enforcing ultra-high security communication over large distances and reducing interception of signals from third-parties.

Mega-Constellations

By 2040, the deployment of mega-constellations consisting of thousands of small satellites will likely provide comprehensive coverage for various applications, including internet services, Earth observation and navigation (Xie, et al., 2021). However, these constellations pose legal and operational challenges, such as collision risks and light pollution for astronomers, which must be addressed through international cooperation and regulatory frameworks (Boley & Byers, 2021). The complexities of managing mega-constellations highlight the need for advanced cybernetic systems to ensure efficient and safe operations in space.

Autonomous AI Satellites

Recent advancements in machine learning, where systems can improve their performance through data analysis and adaptation (without explicit programming) and AI, have shown promise in improving the performance of autonomous satellites. Zeleke (2023) demonstrated the use of machine learning for efficient resource utilization in CubeSats, while Kothari (2020) highlighted the potential of deep learning in space applications. Ortíz (2023) further discussed the need for AI accelerators in onboard processing for satellite communications. These developments could lead to the creation of autonomous satellites capable of self-repair and adaptation, reducing the need for human intervention and increasing operational efficiency.

Preferable Futures

Sustainable Space Operations

Drobyazko (2021) notes that currently, insufficient funding and inefficient distribution of finances in the aerospace industry pose significant challenges to the implementation of sustainable space activities (Drobyazko, 2021). A preferable future for satellites hinges on the adoption of sustainable practices, including the use of environmentally friendly propellants, space debris reduction, and safe satellite disposal (Heilala, 2023) & (Spini, 2020). International cooperation is crucial in this regard, as it is necessary to establish and enforce standards for sustainable space stewardship. Heilala also discusses in their article the potential of space debris as a renewable energy source is also highlighted (Heilala, 2023). Such practices will be essential for maintaining the long-term viability of space activities. This vision is closely related to Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer's Anthropocene and the movement to start making more ethical and sustainable decisions for our future (Moore, 2022).

Environmental Monitoring

Satellites will play a critical role in monitoring Earth's environment by 2040. They will provide detailed data on climate change, pollution levels, deforestation, and natural disasters, aiding global efforts to manage and mitigate environmental issues. Enhanced Earth observation capabilities will allow for real-time, high-resolution imagery and data, improving resource management, urban planning, and disaster response. NASA has already started deploying infrastructure to measure and monitor sea levels from space with high accuracy.

This application of satellite technology reflects the concept of societies of control, where continuous monitoring and data collection are essential for managing environmental and societal challenges.

Global Collaboration & Equitable Access

Bailey, et al., (2001) emphasise that building the infrastructure, policies and relationships for a global space collaboration is a long-term process (Bailey, et al., 2001). By 2040, international collaboration in satellite projects could be standard for addressing global challenges such as climate change, disaster response, and sustainable development (Withee, et al., 2001) & (Tan, 2014). This collaboration would build better freedom of information for lower socioeconomic regions and boost the effectiveness and reach of satellite technology. This reflects the concept of futurists working together to envision and create a better future through shared knowledge and resources. Drawing on the values of enlightenment, using reason and empirical evidence to improve society, global collaboration could ensure that satellite technology benefits all of humanity, not just the wealthy or technologically advanced nations, is crucial.

The future of satellites by 2040 holds immense potential for advancing communication, environmental monitoring, and space exploration. By considering the possible, probable, and preferable futures, we can better prepare for and shape the developments in satellite technology to ensure they benefit all of humanity while addressing critical challenges such as space junk/debris and equitable access for all.

Last Updated: Wednesday 29 May, 2024 @ 3:37pm

Aussie Influencer is a niche tabletop board game designed for digital natives aged 7-40 who are active on social media. It's a blend of strategy and chance, strongly emphasising social interaction. This makes it an engaging choice for families and groups of friends who enjoy dynamic and diverse gameplay, where each session promises a unique experience. The game's objective is to complete small mini-games while navigating the board to reach 1 million followers and get verified first, thus winning the game. By replicating influencers' public challenges and experiences, Aussie Influencer ensures that players have a solid understanding of the game mechanics, making it a fun and thought-provoking game.

Theme: The Life of a Social Media Influencer

Aussie Influencer leverages its theme as the philosophy engine of the game, intricately weaving ideologies and philosophies through gameplay to address social issues, ethical dilemmas, and cultural narratives (Moore, 2020), including Australian attitudes like Tall Poppy Syndrome. The game aums to provoke players into rethinking their views towards influencers. It inquiries into stereotypes, the evolving nature of social media platforms, and online security. Reflecting the dynamic, competitive, and sometimes chaotic pursuit of fame, the game explores managing public perception and using digital tools strategically to maintain a following. Trammell and Sinnreich (2014) discuss how games serve as reflections and instruments within social contexts, shaping societal interactions through their rules and interfaces (Trammell & Sinnreich, 2014). This concept forms the thematic basis of Aussie Influencer, which critiques and mirrors the social dynamics of digital fame. Additionally, drawing from Chen's (2023) research on the impact of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the game explores the intricate relationship between online visibility and self-identity (Chen, 2023). Players experience the dual nature of social media, balancing authenticity with public scrutiny. This blend of gameplay and thematic depth enables Aussie Influencer to offer a meaningful commentary on the complexities of digital fame.

Setting: Time and Place

Set in modern-day Australia, Aussie Influencer features iconic and globally recognised locations like Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, serving as backdrops for the influencers' activities. These vibrant and culturally rich settings provide a relatable and engaging environment for the players. Drawing from Harper and White's exploration of Australia's iconic symbols, Aussie Influencer features challenges inspired by these national treasures (Harper & White, 2010). For example, the Kangaroo and Sydney Opera House not only serve as backdrops but are integrated into game materials and mechanics, showcasing their transformation from national curiosities to symbols of Australian identity.

Mechanics: Interaction with Game Assets

Aussie Influencer’s game mechanics simulate the journey of social media influencers. Players begin by selecting an Influencer Card, detailing their character's unique "likes" and "dislikes," which influence their participation in challenges—some cards allow players to go first, while others restrict their participation in certain events. The game board consists of 31 spaces, each representing a different stage in an influencer's career. Players advance one space per turn, encountering Challenge and Sabotage spaces that significantly shape their path.

Challenge Cards, triggered by specific board spaces, act as mini-games where players can gain followers by successfully completing tasks. Sabotage Cards introduce elements of competition and direct interaction, allowing players to hinder others' progress. The ultimate goal is to reach one million followers and achieve verification status on the board, a milestone that marks the peak of an influencer's career and ends the game.

These mechanics are designed to offer a dynamic blend of strategy, chance, and interaction, mirroring the competitive and fast-paced environment of social media influencing. Drawing on Forbeck's insights, the mechanics in Aussie Influencer transcend traditional gameplay rules, serving as narrative elements that deepen the metaphor of an influencer’s career ascent (Forbeck, 2011). This approach not only engages players with the game system but also aims to immerse them in the unfolding story of their influencer’s journey, making each strategic decision meaningful and impactful to the narrative.

Ji Woong Lee notes that games with non-probabilistic uncertainty are often more successful, noting that players develop specified strategies despite the uncertainty (Lee, 2010). To maintain player engagement, I designed the game to build uncertainty around who could win until the end. The implementation of 'roadblocks' such as sabotage cards, the constant threat of overshooting the verification spot on the board (going back to the start), and the mini-games usually based on chance, add a heightened level of unpredictability, which makes it very difficult for a player to see the finish line until the very last minute.

 Core Game Loop

In Aussie Influencer, players advance along the board by automatically moving one space each turn, drawing and resolving Challenge or Sabotage Cards to manage their follower counts in pursuit of reaching the verification space with one million followers to win the game.

World Building

Aussie Influencer’s ‘world’ presents a stylised, Hollywood-style depiction of Australia, infused with the interconnectedness of social media platforms and elements of Australian culture, current affairs, and global social media trends. The game incorporates real-world dynamics like collaboration and competition and uses influencer cards to enhance player connection and representation. These elements engage players with real-world issues, such as interventions by the eSafety commissioner and the pervasive influence of cancel culture on social media (Petrovic, 2021). In line with Trammell and Sinnreich's (2014) insights on games as transitional objects between metaphorical and instrumental uses, Aussie Influencer leverages its world-building to reflect on the roles that social media plays in shaping public discourse and personal identity (Trammell & Sinnreich, 2014).

Game Assets

Rogerson, Gibbs, and Smith emphasise the importance of materiality in board games, highlighting how physical components can enhance the gameplay experience (Rogerson, et al., 2016). Inspired by this, Aussie Influencer integrates high-quality, tactile game elements like cards and the gameboard to enrich the sensory aspect of play. Over the past few weeks, I've used OpenAI's DAL-E image generation and ChatGPT v4 for initial design inspiration. While not perfect, these tools provided a solid base, which I enhanced using Canva.

The game features carefully designed packaging, gameboards, and cards, including Influencer, Challenge, Sabotage and Follower Count cards. I'm exploring using mobile technology, like phone calculators, to streamline Follower Count tracking and eliminate manual calculations, enhancing gameplay enjoyment. Using a mobile app could be a fitting extension, considering the game's theme.

Follower Count Card

Player Cards

Challenge Cards

Sabotage Cards

Three Act Structure

The three-act structure, defined by the work of Greek philosopher, Aristotle, aims to decode complex game design by dividing into chain of events corresponding to the beginning, middle, and end (Moore, 2020) & (Tidball, 2017).

Aussie Influencer 3-act structure:

1. Start/Setup (Act One): Players select their characters and begin at the start of the board, gradually building their resources and understanding the game's challenges.
2. Confrontation (Act Two): As players navigate the board, they engage more deeply with the game mechanics, using their cards to affect gameplay and interact with other players, simulating real-life social media interactions and strategies.
3. Climax and Resolution (Act Three): The game reaches a high point as players approach the verification space, requiring strategic use of accumulated followers and resources to win. The conclusion comes when the first player successfully verifies their influencer status.

Playtesting & Feedback

Based on initial playtesting and interviewing fellow classmates, I've noted a few changes for my next iteration, which will improve playability and strengthen mechanic narrative relationship.

1. Each player starts with a base amount of followers, better replicating the real experience of influencers.
2. Further development on who plays the mini-game first and what the benefit of going first is, in a dice roll alea style game.
3. Sabotage card pile will also include some deflect cards, which players can store for later.
4. All game cards will be printed so we don't have to get use a laptop.
5. Adding levels to challenge cards, so players can only play level 1 cards when they are on the first 5-7 squares. This would make it easier to make mini-games reflect real experiences of new influencers.
6. More diversity and variations in players/influencers as well as challenge and sabotage cards.
7. Gameboard could be more thematic, perhaps in the shape of the Australian continent.