Digital media convergence: Advertising & New Media
After the “digital revolution” influenced all aspects of traditional
media the main impact was on the consumer and their new ability to search for
many different experiences. Now with
people becoming less “brand loyal” and more influenced by word of mouth and recommendations,
“traditional media advertising” is elapsing.
Jenkins defines digital
convergence as “flow of content across multiple media platforms, the
cooperation between multiple media industries, and
the migratory behavior of audiences”. (Jenkins 2006) Convergence is a
defining reality of twenty-first century digital media. Traditional media
industries, such as paper, magazines and TV, struggle to deal with the shock of
the new media – a proliferation of competing platforms, a reconfiguration of
audiences, and a digital context in which media products can be shared, copied
and remixed by millions. (Wittkower D. E. 2010)
The process of digitising media, which in turn assists in convergence,
impacted on three main areas of the media. Media creation: where all tools and
resources for content production are now available to the consumer (MAS110
Lecture), enforcing the idea that the consumer is no longer the customer but
more so the product. The second, Media consumption: more people, using a range
of devices, can now more easily access content. (MAS110 Lecture) For example
laptops and computing devices allowing, “free streaming” TV shows. This opens
up the media spectrum for all consumers. And the final most important being the
innovation of internet which falls under Media Distribution: internet
connectivity and infrastructures means that content can be easily distributed
(MAS110 Lecture) and even more so now with consumers grasping digital media
devices such as the tablet and smart phones.
Engaged activities in new
media are rife such as posting photos on Flickr on our mobiles, posting
mashed-up videos on YouTube, collaborating on music play lists at Spotify,
writing book reviews at Amazon, correcting mistakes in Wikipedia and sharing
links on Twitter. We can archive our lives in real time through blogs, through
photo and video sharing websites, through status updates and tweets. “We can
digitize everything that matters to us – our past, our work, our interests, our
loved ones. We can archive how these develop, as they develop”. (Wittkower D. E. (2010)).
What happens when all of
these converge and what kinds of things are converging? At the first level, we
can think of the coming together of the so-called “three C’s of convergent
media – content, computing and communications”. (Miekle G. R and Young S.S (2012) Apple’s iPhone, which is not
a phone so much as a state-of-the-art touch-screen computer that will also make
phone calls if you really want it to, is a good example of this aspect of
convergence.
In 2006 a commentator stated that “The mobile phone is still very much
“a mass medium waiting for the kiss of life” (“Mobile Marketing Pitfalls”,
2006). That is to say, it is a “sleeper” advertising medium, like Sleeping
Beauty, an emerging advertising market with an enormous potential, which is
still far from being realized. (O’Shea, 2007b) Some years on the Prince has
arrived as the phenomenon of digital media convergence, the “coming together”
of technologies for media consumption, production, and distribution. (Jenkins
2006)
Forward
thinking marketers were realising there are better ways in which smart ads can
be implemented. To them the ultimate medium for smart ads would be a device
that would enable advertisers to target specific individuals and send or show
them their supposedly relevant ads anytime of the day at anyplace. The device
that fits this criterion is the mobile phone. Even the big players such as
Apple and Google recognised the new playing field and proceeded to set up iAd
and AdMob respectively.
From Adidas to Zohan (movie), AdMob has run
hundreds of successful mobile advertising campaigns for major brands
The mobile phone
was described by advertisers as the “next great conduit between consumers and
advertisers”. (Wilken, R. and Sinclair, J. 'Waiting for
the Kiss of Life').
Whilst it seems simple enough that advertisers
propose their advertisements and the mobile services produce these on their
product, an issue arises that means extensive analysis and examination goes
into deciding the lucky advertisement. The criterion in which this analysis
follows is made to satisfy the “ecosystem” theory. The key features of this
system are the relationships between the mobile operators, the advertisers, the
content providers, and the handset manufacturers. All of which aim to benefit their
own market but in doing so must benefit the consumer. (Wilken, R. and Sinclair, J. 'Waiting for the Kiss of
Life')
It’s Free but
comes at a Cost. Popups.
All advertising agencies are encouraged and motivated to utilize the
opportunity to advertise in such an immediate and one on one way but at the
same time are extremely sensitive about alienating consumers by inundating them
with unwanted advertising appeals: this is where agencies step lightly as they
do not want to risk losing their clients, the companies do not want to brand or
product backlash, and the mobile operators do not want a consumer revolt and
migration to their competitors.
For the consumer, fear of spam, in combination with the widely held
judgment that the mobile device is arguably the most private medium there is’
(Deign, 2006 34) is the reason for consumer to be reluctant in accepting mobile
advertising messages.
Consumers are most of the time the victim of unconscious advertisement
exposure. As soon as any mobile device is activated, 100% of the time, either a
contact number or email address is required. They are automatically vulnerable
to uncontrollable advertisement notifications. When given the option to
deactivate the on going unwanted notifications, the consumer must run through a
process that exposes them or detours them through a website, call center/sms
system.
Today with the Internet being
a prime example of converged media within the mobile phone, it has become
increasingly popular in advertising. It is now considered “a portal” (Wilken, R. and Sinclair, J. 'Waiting for
the Kiss of Life')
to the mobile internet and thus connects advertisers and providers more
directly with consumers and this can be done through various forms of
technology. E.g. Geo-tagging. A good example is the power of the “check-in” on
facebook. In order to “check-in” you must be on a mobile device. Not until
recent times, high corporate companies realized the promotional benefits involved
with “check-in”. E.g. Hungry Jacks fast food has introduced a “check-in for a
cheese burger” campaign. The idea is simple. A “check-in” at Hungry Jacks is
all it takes for redemption of a free cheeseburger. To the consumer this is an
easy process leading to a reasonable reward but to Hungry Jacks it is a small
price to pay for huge advertising benefits. Constant exposition of “Hungary
Jacks” flooding news feed after news feed on facebook is advertising heaven
with over 921,301,880 facebook users.
The
business and culture of our digital lives, from the L.A. Times
Advertising
on mobile phones up 128% in last 2 years, study says
June
7, 2011
To conclude, evolution of the smart phone in media creations,
consumption and distribution is just a representative of the transformation
change resulting from the digital revolution. The world’s swift advances in the
technological sector both advertising and new media are apt to continuous
change. Focuses on practical media are now being rather for-seen and instead
the need to please consumers with desirable mediums, features and something are
becoming a priority.
References
Unit References:
-
Jenkins, H., 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old
and New Media Collide. s.l.:New York, New
York University Press
Recommended
readings:
-
Wilken,
R. and Sinclair, J. 'Waiting for the Kiss of Life' : Mobile
Media and Advertising; Oct 30, 2009 : Sage Publications
-
Additional
Research
-
Deign,
J. (2006) ‘Mobile Ads Up’, Campaign 19(12
May): 34–35
-
O’Shea,
D. (2007b) ‘Small Screen for Rent’, Telephony 5 February: 34
-
‘Mobile
Marketing Pitfalls’ (2006) B&T 4
September, URL (accessed August 2007): http://www.bandt.com.au/articles/90/0C044690.asp?print=true
-
http://www.checkfacebook.com/
Lecture
Notes
-
Introduction
to Digital Media Production, Week 1
Books
-
Miekle
G. R and Young S.S (2012) Media Convergence: Networked Digital Media in
Everyday Life. New York, NY 10010:
Palgrave Macmillan.
-
Wittkower
D. E. (2010) Facebook and philosophy (vol
50) Chicago and La Salle, Illinois:
Open Court.
Pictures
and Videos
http://activerain.com/blogsview/2160887/making-the-ones-and-zeros-hit-warp-speed
http://blog.protocol80.com/2011/04/urge-people-to-check-in-on-social-networks/
http://blog.smashapp.com/2011/06/13/independent-app-developers-offer-your-app-for-free-or-don%E2%80%99t-make-it-at-all/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/06/advertising-on-mobile-phones-up-128-in-last-2-years-study-says.html
http://www.burnworld.com/blog/convert-audio-source-mp3-files-usb/
http://www.economist.com/node/21558272
http://www.facebookprivacyissues.info/
http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/spotify-arrives-faq-about-the-new-service
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swv7KUQO5UA&feature=related