Linn-Birgit Kampen Kristensen

Publishing research quarterly 37 p. 183-199 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-021-09803-y

This article looks at three theoretical fields: communication theory based on the Two-step flow hypothesis, marketing theory concerning electronic word-of-mouth and finally diffusion theory of innovations. The launch of the audiobook streaming service Storytel in Norway is used as a case to describe the ramifications of only using bloggers in the introduction of a new service. The first research question is what factors are considered upon entering a brand relationship between product/service and blogger? The second research question is how do bloggers interact with their readers when participating in the launch of a new product/service? The article is based on qualitative interview with the marketing manager, contracts between influencers and audiobook streaming service in Norway, content analysis of blog posts and Instagram posts, and answers from a population survey to answer the question. This is a part of the Digitization and Diversity research project, conducted by the Centre for Creative Industries at BI Norwegian Business School, and is funded by the Norwegian Research Council under grant number: 247602.

Mangfold i spill: Digitalisering av kultur og medier i Norge p. 173-189 Doi: https://doi.org/10.18261/9788215044828-2021-09

Kapittelet tar for seg hvordan bokbransjen har håndtert fremveksten av nye tjenester, og hvordan lesere tar i bruk digitale boktjenester. Kapittelet ser på hvordan et mangfoldig boktjenestetilbud påvirker bokens posisjon for leserne og utforsker om de nye boktjenestene fører til en mer mangfoldig bruk. Videre ser Kristensen på hvordan de ulike bokstrømmetjenestene stenger for hverandre i utviklingen av et mangfoldig innhold på tjenestene.

Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565211057516

The printed book has been resilient to change, and the adoption of e-books has been slow. In this context, few studies have addressed a potential turn to streaming services for books. This paper examines the adoption of book streaming in the Norwegian market, where the market-leaders Storytel and Fabel report rapid increases in number of subscribers. We examine who these early adopters are, and what may predict future use of streaming services among non-users. Theoretically, the study is situated within the fields of innovation diffusion and technology acceptance. The study is based on a cross-sectional online survey with a representative sample of the Norwegian population. Results show that users are younger and more educated, and that book streaming is more popular among women than men. The audiobook format allows for flexible ways of consuming books, complementing rather than replacing the printed book. For non-users, results show that convenience value and price value predict behavioural intention to use book streaming services. While emotional attachment to printed books has been found to act as a barrier for adoption of e-books, its negative effect on behavioural intention for book streaming services is only modest.

Journal of Electronic Publishing 22(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/3336451.0022.102

This article contributes to the discussion of digital versus physical books and sharpens focus on the consumers of books. Using mixed methods, the article explores the emotional relationship between books, information and technology and provides new insight into the importance of habits, the impact of books as symbols of status, format choice and technology acceptance. The study looks at what are determining factors when choosing a format for reading, and how e-books and physical books compare to each other. Respondents report that their ability to relax with the book is reduced when reading an e-book and that the joy and comfort of reading a book are diminished when reading on a screen. The results confirm and extend previous research in this area and suggest that emotional value should be included in technology acceptance studies for digital reading.

Nordic Journal of Media Studies 1(1) p. 125-136 Doi: https://doi.org/10.2478/njms-2019-0008

Digitalization is both a major cause of the challenges now faced by several media industries and a source of their potential solutions. Within the book and newspaper industries, the value of the physical product is about to be surpassed by that of digitally delivered content, disrupting the distribution system that these industries have relied on for many decades. In particular, digital distribution has radically changed the way in which consumers engage in unpaid and paid media consumption. Anchored in the notion of disruptive innovation, and more specifically related to the idea of distribution as disruptive technology, our study investigates Generation Z’s unpaid and paid consumption of digital books and online local newspapers. Drawing on two Norwegian audience surveys, we find that both industries involve at least one disruptive actor. Generation Z relies heavily on Facebook as a distribution channel for news. Paywalls have a negative effect on the usage of paid online local news, despite the belief that paywalled news is better than free news. In the Norwegian book industry, paper books still have a very strong position among Generation Z. Audiobooks have greater usage than e-books, and we conclude that the real disruptive actor in the Norwegian book industry is the streaming of audiobooks by actors such as Storytel.