fastcompany.com

It’s different now, when brands can build their own communities on Instagram and Twitter, sell cases and subscriptions directly to consumers, and re-engage through text, e-mail, and Facebook ads.

But increasingly, creators with loyal followings are creating their own independent offerings—ranging from paid courses to niche communities to vertical social networks—with the basis of competition shifting to curated content and community, trust in a particular creator, and alignment to specific topics.

The rise of Web 2.0 was heralded as an advancement by not just allowing people to read and write content and do transactions but to connect with each other in new ways. That gave rise, eventually, to Facebook and other social networks, along with a raft of “sharing economy” companies that peddled a fantasy of building community at the heart of busi... See more

While synthetic media can amplify real people’s creativity at greater scale, it can also generate digitally-native creators. This was Trevor McFedries’ vision for Brud. McFedries was moved by how media can be a vehicle for social change: he points to research showing Will & Grace was largely responsible for public support of same-sex marriage. ... See more