Commercialization of an interactive story universe hello X. Commercial potential of a participatory media product in Science Communication

Abstract

This thesis explores the commercial potential of an interactive story universe hello X, developed by Ice-9, a Tromsø based media company which specialises in using fiction narratives in participatory workshops and live events, interactive games, museum exhibitions and more traditional audio-visual productions. It uses creative co-production concept to generate rich media content, intended to nurture debate on large-scale socio-economic issues. The main focus of the thesis is on developing a viable commercialisation strategy for hello X, through analysing its innovative potential and market opportunities and particularly its potential in science communication. The introductory chapter of the thesis provides the discussion on the importance of the topic, outlines the structure of the thesis along with the choice of theoretical frameworks, research design and methodology. The innovation study explores the innovative potential of hello X regarding its use in science communication. The market study follows the customer discovery model to identify the customer need and on that basis, provides the strategic customer segmentation and positioning, followed by environmental analysis PESTEL. The final chapter of this thesis is a business plan, which proposes a strategy based on the insights from innovation and market studies.