The role of social media in artisanal production: a case of craft beer

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Date
2017
Authors
Foster, Derek
Kirman, Ben
Linehan, Conor
Lawson, Shaun
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Publisher
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Published Version
10.1145/3131085.3131117
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Abstract
We present craft beer as part of an artisan industry case study that demonstrates how the use of social media creates a community narrative that engages both producer and consumer around the artisanal produce and its values. In contrast to mass drinks production, the past decade has seen a resurgence in specialist artisan 'craft beer' producers, making niche, high-quality products. Specifically, we examine the craft beer industry's use of digital technologies as a way of engendering bilateral consumer engagement with their products, and how it can influence brewing practices and support in-the-field quality control. A qualitative approach, using grounded theory, was undertaken to understand the digital relationships between key stakeholders in the craft beer community, including craft brewers, retailers, bloggers, and fans, through a series of interviews, ethnographies, focus groups, and public events. Our analysis reveals future design considerations for these stakeholders, with findings supporting the design of future interactions that can further strengthen the relationship between small, artisan industries and their consumers.
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Keywords
Artisan industries , Sharing economy , Social media
Citation
Foster, D., Kirman, B., Linehan, C. and Lawson, S. (2017) 'The role of social media in artisanal production: a case of craft beer', Proceedings of the 21st International Academic Mindtrek Conference, Tampere, Finland, 20-21 September. doi: 10.1145/3131085.3131117
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https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=3131085.3131117
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10468/6543
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Applied Psychology - Conference Items
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