A Guide to Disruptive UGC (User -Generated Content)' was the final activity produced by S()fia Braga during her artistic research in the AMRO Research Lab 2023. The workshop took place in October 2023 at the Department of Time-Based Media of the Art University of Linz and was open to all students of the different departments of the university. During the two-day workshop, the participants, together with the artist, explored the use of UGC (User - Generated Content) on social media platforms (mainly on TikTok) as a new marketing strategy to effectively promote and sell products to other users. The first part of the workshop focused on the challenges posed by UGC culture and the new forms of free labour that are emerging. Participants were also given examples of guerrilla tactics aimed at undermining this dynamic. In the second part of the workshop, students were invited to form small groups and create short videos exploring alternative and/or creative ways of using online transmedia storytelling.
*Extract from the workshop's open call:
"In today's social media landscape, we've adapted to the constant bombardment of advertisement. Brands and companies, recognizing this shift in consumer behavior, have sought new ways to capture our attention. Gone are the days when polished advertisements held our interest; we now yearn for authenticity. This realization has given birth to UGC creators- users who craft content similar to traditional UGC (User-Generated Content) while aiding brands in promoting their products. During the initial phase of the workshop, we'll delve into the intricacies of social media control dynamics placing a special emphasis on the challenges posed by UGC marketing strategies and the emergence of novel forms of free labor, with a focus on platforms like TikTok. We will look into various artistic practices that aim to subvert social media platforms dynamics and disrupt the user experience through online guerrilla tactics, and we will delve into some of the most relevant internet trends and subcultures to prepare ourselves to create our own subversive UGC. Throughout the workshop, participants are invited to create short videos in which they will subvert the conventional narrative we've grown accustomed to on centralized social media platforms, while exploring alternative and creative ways of using online transmedia storytelling."
