Digital Media Convergence and Advertising & New Media (42895421)

Throughout the late 20^th century mass media organisations such as television, radio and print vastly controlled the majority of content delivery. This control has had a large influence on the products we bought, the music we listened to and the television shows that we watched. Consumers had very little control or influence over the content or distribution. Media convergence has changed the way we are influenced. We have a greater level of control over content we want to view, when we want to view it and how we want to view it. These changes have meant advertisers have had to come up with new strategies to attract consumers to purchase products. I will be discussing how media convergence benefits consumers and how the role of the advertiser has changed. I will also be discussing how the advertising world has been affected by media convergence and the new strategies that agencies have had to embrace to connect with consumers.

“Media convergence is the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries.” (T. Dwyer, 2010) Media convergence has had an overwhelming impact on the way we get entertainment and information, traditional forms of media such as Television, Radio and print media are becoming less popular as consumers use web technologies instead which enables us to view forms of information and entertainment which would not have been possible ten years ago.  Amateurs are now able to showcase there work in ways up until recently have not been possible. “Confluence culture encourages the blending of new and traditional media outlets and blurs the boundaries of professional and amateur.” (Beyond Convergance, 2009) Today’s media industries have a large array of delivery platforms to choose from to deliver their content, which have only been possible over the last decade. Portable devices are becoming smaller and more powerful at the same time; this advancement in technology has meant information is available around the clock in almost any location. We have become so much more dependent on these devices we are now spending more time using the internet than watching television, in 2010 Australians averaged 21 hours and 42 minutes of Internet viewing time per week which has surpassed television viewing which we view about 14 hours and 46 minutes. (Nielsen Australian Online Consumer Report, 2010)

(Nielsen Australian Online Consumer Report, 2010)

The impact that media convergence has had can be clearly demonstrated through The Sydney Morning Herald. The Fairfax media newspaper now delivers its content through the use of digital services. Although the paper option is still a key delivery mode for Fairfax Media, digital versions of the content are now a prominent part of the business with web and tablet versions of the news becoming a primary delivery method. It is for this reason Fairfax now offers video and interactive content as well as print journalism to broaden the spectrum of content they offer.

Advertising is a key revenue source for The Sydney Morning Herald but throughout the long history of the newspaper the way it is delivered has drastically changed. We are exposed to it every single day but traditional forms of advertising are becoming less prominent with advancement’s in technology. Traditional forms of advertisement delivery consist of print ads, billboards, television and radio advertising which are designed with the mass audience in mind, they are targeted at a particular mass audience group based on research which will see the advertising broadcast with characteristics such as its location and its delivery medium. It is now so much easier for advertising agencies to target individuals opposed to a group audience. “ The internet search engine is, perhaps, the single most important development for informational advertising since the time of the first paid newspaper advertisements or the telephone.” “Advertisers target search terms rather than consumers.” (Spurgon, 2008).

An advance in technology that shock up the advertising world was the V.C.R. People watching television no longer had to sit through commercial slots but instead could time shift television to view a programme when it suited them and also skip through the commercial slots, today time shift products such as PVR’s are more popular than ever. It for this reason advertising agencies have to look at new means to showcase a product through methods such as product integration and branded entertainment. These are usually discreet forms of advertising so the viewer is not always aware of the advertisement. Jean-Marc Lehu describes there as being four types of product placement that are used in film and television, Classic placement where the product is clearly on display, Institutional placement where a location is put on show such as hotel, Evocative placement where an item is showcased apposed to a brand such as a Champagne bottle with no brand on show and stealth placement is when the branding is so discreet that it usually goes undetected, they are all techniques film and television makers seek when determining how to use product placement.

Media convergence is very effective through Apple's iAd strategy. Subliminal advertising is key component to it being effective for there devices. The iAd strategy works by integrating into others App’s and acts as another form of revenue to the Developer, whenever the ad is pressed on the developer receives revenue but also takes them to another App which appears integrated. But many of these Apps do not portray there product with the ‘in your face buy my product approach’, but instead delivery is a form of entertainment whether it be through a game or seamless navigation the quality of the App manages to get the user to embrace the advertisement. This is a clear example of the philosophy behind media convergence and branded entertainment. By using new forms of media advertising agencies are able to convey their message through an entertaining approach.

ABC'S Media Watch program talks about how the television networks are using product integration and branded entertainment in there programming.

Media convergence has had an overwhelming effect on the services we now really on a daily basis such as video and audio sharing services, social networking websites and many more. Convergence has allowed amateurs to broadcast to the wider population with such ease that have only been available recently. Consumers now have more choice with such a variety of services available through the competitive bases of the industry. Advertising agencies have stretched the creative boundaries to broadcast there messages as media convergence has meant that traditional means of broadcasting a message is no longer the most effective way. As technology continues to develop new forms of media and broadcast will continue to appear.

Reference List

Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence McGraw Hill. Berkshire. pp.1-23

Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising & New Media Ozon Routledge. pp. 24-25

Nielsen Australia. (2010) Australian Online Consumer Report.

Dinnie, K. (2008) Branded entertainment: Product placement & brand strategy in the entertainment business. pp.216-217

Sheehan, K.B. and Morrison, D.K. (2009) Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world [online]. First Monday. Available at: http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2239/2121 [Accessed 27 August 2012].

Media Watch (2012) Branding Entertainment (broadcast date 18 June 2012) [television programme]. Sydney: ABC.

Media Convergence - Advertising & New Media (Olivia Dent, 42471346)

Advertising & New Media.

By Olivia Dent (42471346)

               Advertising has always been a part of our lives and the desire for businesses to make a profit and market a particular image to us means it will always be a part of our lives. Yet this doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed. Media has always developed depending on the technology and desires of the consumer and so has advertising from newspaper ads to Google Adwords, television advertisements to viral videos. This means that more creative and sometimes more intrusive ways of advertising are developed. In this essay media convergence will be defined as ‘the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and cultures’ (Dwyer, 2010). For advertisers, it has become much trickier to capture a consumer’s attention with the ability to fast forward through advertising on television, flick the page in a newspaper or mute the radio. While it is found everywhere we may not be paying attention, rather texting or surfing the web on our smartphones. The medium is an important factor to consider when advertising to people finding new ways to reach an audience on a new kind of device or website is crucial to retain a viewer’s attention. Spurgeon explains, ‘They [advertisers] are looking for new ways to reach increasingly distracted, distrustful and disinterested customers’ (Spurgeon, 2010 pp. 27). He goes onto explain that many advertisers must creatively integrate their advertising to avoid being seen as a nuisance or interruption (Spurgeon, 2010).

Google Adwords search (2012)

               One form of successful online advertising is search engine advertising. The method is simple; advertisers buy a space at the top of a search list related to a particular keyword. For example if I Google ‘advertising agencies’ on the 17^th of August, three different paid search results come up, one for a search engine advertising on Yahoo, the second is for Believe Advertising and the third is for Press Play Creations. Press Play Creations offers integrated advertising for television, web development and social media (Press Play Creations, 2012) which is another great example of media convergence, not just the method I found it through. As Spurgeon explains ‘Advertising in search engines and online directories is the largest and one of the fastest growing segments of online advertising’ (2010, pp. 25). Google offers these services and it has earned billions of dollars from them and continues to do so. In 2011 the profit from advertising revenue achieved a 29% profit increase (Google, 2012). All parties involved are able to profit. Companies like Google are able to gain huge profits from this simple advertising technique. Businesses are targeting potential customers more effectively than television because they are searching for these businesses. The user benefits because they are shown advertisements relevant to their search. Google also profits from advertising, not just from the search words but from the details they gain about their users. They are able to effectively target potential customers due to the large amount of information they gather about their users via Gmail, Google+ and Google Chrome.

               Facebook uses a similar technique, asking users to ‘Like’ pages to gather and then they target those users via a few simple advertisements on the right side of the page. Users also have the option to remove types of ads completely and asked to explain why this advertisement isn't useful. Reasons such as it “goes against their beliefs” or just “doesn’t interest them” are some of the options (Facebook, 2012). Another convergent advertising practice is businesses on Facebook creating pages to ‘like’. These pages might feature free products or invites to exclusive events if you ‘like’ the page. This results in businesses having a direct path to their customers to advertise to. This can backfire on the business as it has with Target recently. An angry mother posted a comment on their Facebook page stating the clothing range for young children that makes them ‘look like tramps’ (Bourke, 2012). This post received 50,000 likes and comments and resulted in widespread negative media coverage (Bourke, 2012). So while convergent advertising can be a useful way of targeting customers and creating a community around a product, that community can revolt and create a negative image for a brand. Yet in this convergent world we live in, not being on websites like Facebook can be detrimental to companies, as brands are able to ‘retain some level of control in the creation of messages, and creates communities where brand managers can learn of any negative message that may occur’ (Sheehan, Morrison 2009)

               It has been proven that advertising and branding via social networking works on a whole new level. For example, a study explained by Pelsmacker and Neijens examined the strength of a campaign if sent through social networks compared to other media. It was found that something like a television advertisement sent to someone via social media creates a more positive attitude towards the brand and campaign because it was shared in a more personal manner, but if it is shown on television it would get nowhere near that kind of reaction (Pelsmacker and Neijens, 2012). An example of this style of advertising being a huge success is the ‘big beer ad’ for Carlton Draught. This ad frequently aired on television and also made a huge impact online, getting millions of views on YouTube and being shared among friends. While it didn’t impact on the share price of the company and the sales of the product slowed, most likely due to a slight decline in the market at that time, they still consider it to be a success as the brand as a whole benefited greatly (SMH, 2007). An independent survey showed after the ad aired and spread across the internet ‘84 per cent were able to name the brand unprompted, 47 per cent felt more positive about the brand’ (SMH, 2007). This kind of media convergence, an advertisement made for television and to be shared among friends online is very popular among businesses, but it must be worth sharing in the first place to be a success online.

               The shift from conventional television, newspaper and radio advertising has meant that advertisers need to be more creative in their approach. The Big Beer Ad was extremely successful for Carlton Draught, while it didn’t affect sales too much it gave them increased brand awareness because they were able to reach a wide audience across television and the internet. Another method of advertising with new media is Google Adwords which feature small advertisements when someone searches a particular term. Google also targets users via the information they collect from e-mail and the Google browser. This has resulted in a huge increase in profits and a more successful method of advertising rather than using other media.  While older methods of advertising such as television, radio or newspapers has its advantages, targeting potential customers online, or creating advertisements for multiple mediums means that it can reach a wider audience and there is a better chance audiences will react in a more positive way and reach a greater number of people than if it was created for only one medium. 

References:

Bourke, E., 2012, Facebook targets retailer over tramp complaint, The World Today, Viewed 17/08/12, http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3567272.htm

Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp 1-23. 

Facebook, 2012, Facebook Advertisements, Viewed 17/08/12 http://www.facebook.com

Google, 2012, Financial Tables 2012, Google Inc., viewed 17/8/12, http://investor.google.com/financial/tables.html

Google Adwords search image, 2012, Google Inc., viewed 18/8/12, (Link)

Pelsmacker, P., Neijens, P. C., 2012, ‘New Advertising formats: How persuasion knowledge affects consumer responses’, Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol. 18, No.1, pp1-4

Press Play Creations, 2012, ‘What We Offer’, viewed 28/8/12, http://www.pressplaycreations.com.au/what_we_offer.php

Sheehan, Kim and Morrison, Deborah (2009) ‘Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world’ in  First Monday vol 14 no 3, http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121

Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media,  Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45. 

Sydney Morning Herald, 2012, Big Ad struggles to convert plaudits into sales, Viewed 18/8/12, http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/big-ad-struggles-to-convert-plaudits-into-sales-20090619-com0.html

The Big Beer Ad (2006) Carlton Draught, [Television Advertisement], 

‘This Is Not A Joke’ Banner Advertisement  (2011) Viewed 27/8/12, http://www.noobgalore.us/noob-galore-suggestion-box-39/ads-flashing-pictures-sound-59532/

MAS110 Assignment 1: Alice GRIFFIN

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