MAS110
Essay
“Discuss the phenomenon
of digital media convergence in relation to advertising and new media…”
The result of
social, economic and cultural changes leading to advances in digital technology
over time, Digital Media Convergence as "the ability of consumers to
obtain multiple services on a single platform or device or obtain any given
service on multiple platforms or devices" is a relatively recent
phenomenon (Dwyer, 2010, pg. 5). Characterised by the vast availability of
media content which allows consumers to sidestep most advertising altogether,
Digital Media Convergence has resulted in the need for commercial media outlets
to converge and digitalise brands and advertising strategies. The reconfiguring
of media corporations and their approaches to new media, advertisers growing
reliance upon participatory culture and social media and the growth of 'niche marketing'
are all direct results of media convergence and the digital advancements of the
last decades.
Transforming Media
Industries profoundly, the development of digital media convergence, in which
digital devices are inter-connected giving on-demand access to consumers,
required immediate reconfigurement from traditional methods of media
corporations in order to maintain relevance to their now-digitalised consumer
base. Accounting for the mass movement of consumers to the online setting, advertising
usage within Corporations in the form of online advertisement have been
increasingly developed. To reach a fragmented and individualised, web-based
audience, "Media corporations have developed new ways of amassing
audiences for the purposes of building and maintaining profitable consumer
media cultures" and are simultaneously limiting the usage of old-packaging
strategies for audiovisual content (Dwyer, T. 2010, pg. 12) .
Monopolising the
media's funded production and distribution markets Corporations often structure
arrangements with similarly large businesses to further advance their
businesses in the digitalised arena. As a model of adaption to media
convergence, Google’s successes both in corporate alliances and advertising
alterations provides an ample real-world example of Media Corporations within
digitalised setting.The most prominent
search engine available freely online, Google as a Media Corporation provides a
search system for consumers for almost every event, circumstance, issue or even
person! Their greatest source of revenue, Google's offering of search-engine
driven advertising known as Adwords, created in 2000, is a key example showing
a successful business reconfiguration following technological advancements.
Advertising to the highest bidders, Adwords customers choose keywords to
represent their business that will appear on the Google site once searched for;
this is a definite way to ensure target advertising with Google claiming
"you're advertising to an audience who's already interested in you"
(Google Corp, 2012, pg. 1) Offering a 'pay-per-click' service to its clientele,
Google's Adwords measures the success of the businesses investment online;
representing the importance of converging businesses onto a digital scale in
order to increase their visibility to consumers in a contemporary context. As
"a 21st century model linking buyers with sellers", it is evident
through this example that providing localised and personalised online
advertising is essential (Google Corp, 2012, pg. 1).
'Participatory
Culture' resulting from digital media convergence which allowed greater accessibility
of the online media sphere has culminated a "circulation of media content,
across media systems, competing media economics and national borders."
(Jenkins, 2006, pg. 25). This cultural shift gives consumers greater autonomy
in determining what, when and how media content is consumed; with multiple
functionality devices blurring the lines between media producers and media
consumers. Indeed, it is evident that "convergence involves a change in
the way media is produced… and consumed", however the power to produce,
distribute and participate within the online sphere is still unequal; with
monopolised Corporations ultimately holding greater power to project their
media messages to a greater audience (Jenkins, 2006, pg. 25).
The rapid pace of
cultural and social change enabled by new media technologies has resulted in
"advertising being forced to reconsider consumers relations to
brands" and to shift from traditional methods of targeting audiences to
strategies that will pertain greater relevance to an online and convergent
audience (Jenkins, 2006, pg. 22). With people "encountering many…
contradictory media messages in a wide variety of different contexts and across
different platforms..." the former role of advertisements as one-way
commercial broadcasts to a passive audience is now greatly complicated(Turnball,
2006. pg. 80). As the wider public become increasingly interactive with new
media forms, especially social media forums, the ability for individuals to
outwardly broadcast their opinions on products, corporations and even
commercials themselves poses great threat and great opportunity for advertisers. These YouTube clips showing the Coles 'Prices are Down add' and then the oppossing 'Colworths' Parody are clear examples of the challenges for corporations in producing widespread advertisements.
A key advertising
strategy attempting to harness the influence of social media to represent their
brand, the 'Viral Campaign' approach, is considered an innovative method of reconnecting
"disinterested and distrustful" audiences to Advertisers (Spurgeon,
2006, pg. 44). Often focussed at a particular 'niche market' audience, the
viral strategy involves launching an ad campaign online to media outlets with
the prospect of consumer popularity driving it through social media websites
and, in doing so, gaining recognition within the online sphere and the wider
commercial media market. A key example of this process is Vodaphones 'Doug
Pitt' campaign. Initially posted on social media site, YouTube, the "Meet
Doug Pitt..." clip has gained prominence with over 1,342,700 clip 'hits'.
An inexpensive way to project a brands message as well as determine the success
of the advertisement, this 'Viral Campaign' has proved effective for Virgin
Mobile; with Doug Pitt now appearing on Channel Sevens 'Sunrise' Television
show(AUS). Reflecting the values of convergent culture today, the viral
campaign relies on consumers sovereignty in watching and sharing this clip.
Unlike prior to the
era of digital convergence and new media technologies in which audiences were
considered holistic and together in their media-intake, contemporary media
audiences are intangible and autonomous; with all consumers reacting and receiving
media content in different ways. With media industries including newspapers,
radio and the internet deriving greatest revenue from featuring advertising
within their forums, rather than from the direct sale of their products to the
public, the need to deliver target audiences to advertisers is often considered
the primary function of commercial media today (Turnball, 2006, pg. 81).
Faced with the
dilemma of "how to track down the relevant audience" amongst the
millions of nomadic consumers, advertisers now rely on demographical research
on media uses in order to reach a more individualistic and private audience
(Turnball, 2006, pg. 79). The wide disparity of consumers due to the vast
availability of media technologies and content has overseen a growing desire by
advertisers for targeted advertising in the form of 'niche marketing' to
communicate products with certain consumers likely to purchase their products.
With new media usage allowing for easier tracking of personal interests, tastes
and individual demographics of consumers online, this micro-marketing strategy
which "concentrates all marketing efforts on a small but specific and well
defined segment of the populate" is a key trend resulting from increasing
convergence of the media market (Web Finance 'Business Dictionary', 2012, pg.
1). In this current convergent culture, it is guaranteed that "more will
be known about our media usage then ever before...", with knowledge of
demographics essential in attracting much-needed advertisers towards commercial
media outlets (Turnball, 2006, pg. 83).
Disintegrating the
barriers between consumers and producers and steering media formats away from
traditional broadcasting techniques, digital media convergence provides a
platform for greater social commentary. This phenomenon, re-positioning
consumer sovereignty as primary, places increasing pressure upon Advertisers to
discover innovative ways to deliver their brands to consumers in a way in which
will be well-received. Commonplace within contemporary society, Advertisers
shift to 'Branded Content' methods including product placement within new media
productions, brand sponsorships, advergames and producing 'brand communities'
are all key examples of adaption’s to changes within commercial media following
digital media convergence (Spurgeon, 2008, pg. 44).
As ones "sense
of self... is embedded in their access to and use of various media
technologies", the need for brands to advance with their audience into the
online and new media setting is indeed essential (Turnball, 2006, pg. 80). With
the phenomenon of digital media convergence ultimately morphing commercial
media outlets greatly, the changes found within the sphere advertising and uses
of new media reflect the underlying social trends and cultural contexts within
wider society.
Bibliography
·
Spurgeon, C. (2008) “Advertising and New Media”
Ozon Routledge pp. 24-45
·
Dwyer, T. (2010) “Media Convergence” Mcgraw
Hill, Berkshire pp. 1-23
·
Jenkins, H. (2006) “Convergence Culture: Where
Old and New Media Collide” NY University Press
Recommended Reading:
·
Meikle, G. Young, S. (2012) “Media Convergence:
Networked Digital Media in Everyday Life”, Palgrave Macmillon.
Academic Reading:
·
Turnball, S. (2006) “Audiences” in Stuart
Cunningham and Graeme Turner, “The Media and Communications in Australia”
(second edition), Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Real-World Examples
and Online Resources
·
Google Corporation, (2012) “Adwords”, www.google.com/adwords
·
Coles (2012) “Down Down Big Red Hand” TV Ad on
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdV4pr4frd4
·
Colworths (2011) “Up yours independent Stores”
(Parody) on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GauVjALllE4&feature=fvwrel
·
VirginMobileAUS (2012) “Meet Doug Pitt…” Viral
Ad on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAyTES9gDAU
·
JoliePittStop (2012) “Doug Pitt on Today Show…
Spokesperson for VirginAus” on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG8t_o9Rhnw
·
Business Dictionary (2012) “What is Niche
Marketing?”, Web Finance Corp. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/niche-marketing.html
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