Digital Media Convergence - Advertising & New Media
Convergence can be described as the coming together of things that were interdependent previously. Media convergence therefore refers to the adaptation and ever-changing nature of the media, and the process whereby “new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and cultures” (Dwyer, 2010). We are entering an era where technology will become become a staple and constant in our everyday lives, and we will use all kinds of media in correspondence with each other (Jenkins, H 2004). Particularly in terms of telecommunication devices, this technology no longer has just one use, but a proliferate selection of media tools.
While new media does extend to a wide array of possibilities and potential for advertisers, the gap is quickly closing between new media consumers, and new media producers. Particularly in terms of the digital camera, consumers are now able to produce and input their own content online. The implications of new media and digital convergence has meant that consumers are now able to avoid advertising techniques, proving to be an obstacle for advertisers to overcome. The introduction of the personal video recorder is one particular example that have provided a challenge for advertisers. This has meant that audiences are likely to skip the conventional commercial advertisement, to continue watching the content they originally chose to watch.
The extensive shift of content from Television to the Internet has additionally meant that audiences have become vastly fragmented, indirectly creating another obstacle for advertisers. Due to the rise of digital convergence and the digital media culture, advertisers have responded to the phenomenon in varying ways to address the emerging “confluence culture”.
The term “confluence culture” (Sheehan & Morrison 2009) in terms of the media scape, is when conventional methods adapt to the forms of interactive content available. In order to keep the public engages, advertisers have gone beyond standardized print advertorials, and have moved into the realm of online advertising to increase engagement. Consequently, online opportunities for advertisers have enabled them to generate more specifically altered material, targeted at particular audiences and developing a personal engagement with consumers. This has effectively become a benefit for advertisers in generating profit and successfully engaging in a target audience as they are able to manage distraction.
There are many different techniques to internet advertising, including banner, pop-up and email forms. The three fundamental types include search advertising, display advertising and classified advertising. Search-based advertising in social media has become a popular technique amongst advertisers and continues to grow. Examples of such a strategy can be seen through Yahoo! and Google alike, paying up to $US900 million to well-known social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace for the rights to provide “search and text-based advertising” (Spurgeon, 2008). An increasingly picked-up strategy by many small business advertisers, an article in The Guardian recently spoke about Twitter enabling advertisers to target specific audiences, based on their daily tweets. Google has become a huge success in displaying advertorials based on what users look for in search engines, while similarly Facebook displays advertisements specifically altered to users based on their online activity. In an effort to keep up with the new social media form of advertising, Twitter has recently decided to allow advertisers send paid ads to users based on their tweets.
While new media does extend to a wide array of possibilities and potential for advertisers, the gap is quickly closing between new media consumers, and new media producers. Particularly in terms of the digital camera, consumers are now able to produce and input their own content online. The implications of new media and digital convergence has meant that consumers are now able to avoid advertising techniques, proving to be an obstacle for advertisers to overcome. The introduction of the personal video recorder is one particular example that have provided a challenge for advertisers. This has meant that audiences are likely to skip the conventional commercial advertisement, to continue watching the content they originally chose to watch.
The extensive shift of content from Television to the Internet has additionally meant that audiences have become vastly fragmented, indirectly creating another obstacle for advertisers. Due to the rise of digital convergence and the digital media culture, advertisers have responded to the phenomenon in varying ways to address the emerging “confluence culture”.
The term “confluence culture” (Sheehan & Morrison 2009) in terms of the media scape, is when conventional methods adapt to the forms of interactive content available. In order to keep the public engages, advertisers have gone beyond standardized print advertorials, and have moved into the realm of online advertising to increase engagement. Consequently, online opportunities for advertisers have enabled them to generate more specifically altered material, targeted at particular audiences and developing a personal engagement with consumers. This has effectively become a benefit for advertisers in generating profit and successfully engaging in a target audience as they are able to manage distraction.
There are many different techniques to internet advertising, including banner, pop-up and email forms. The three fundamental types include search advertising, display advertising and classified advertising. Search-based advertising in social media has become a popular technique amongst advertisers and continues to grow. Examples of such a strategy can be seen through Yahoo! and Google alike, paying up to $US900 million to well-known social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace for the rights to provide “search and text-based advertising” (Spurgeon, 2008). An increasingly picked-up strategy by many small business advertisers, an article in The Guardian recently spoke about Twitter enabling advertisers to target specific audiences, based on their daily tweets. Google has become a huge success in displaying advertorials based on what users look for in search engines, while similarly Facebook displays advertisements specifically altered to users based on their online activity. In an effort to keep up with the new social media form of advertising, Twitter has recently decided to allow advertisers send paid ads to users based on their tweets.
While initially internet advertising saw a promising beginnings (Dreze, X 2003), advertisers began facing obstacles in the lack of effect advertisements had on audiences. As it is, these days consumers have the tendency to be less brand-loyal, an imperative component of marketization strategies for many companies. Traditional media advertisements found that a “one-way” communication model became unsuccessful, and many consumers have lost interest due to the “one-to-many” approach. However, on the other end of the scale, while online advertisers thrive in a one-to-one marketing approach, it has been found that many organizations have struggled to develop a strong brand image through advertising online.
Digital convergence has become a rapidly growing phenomenon in recent years, leading to the development of new media platforms and opportunities for media industries, such as advertisers. While initially struggling in the convergent culture, businesses that have been able to grasp new media are able to successfully make use of advertising strategies, particularly online.
References
- DBA Designs, Social Media Vs. Traditional Media, viewed 27th August, <http://www.dbadesigns.com/ads/social-media-vs-traditional-media/>
- Dreze, X & Hussherr F 2003, ‘Internet Advertising: Is Anybody Watching’, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 8-23
- Dwyer, T 2010, Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp. 1-23
- Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture, New York University Press
- Jenkins, Henry (2004), 'The cultural logic of media convergence', International Journal of Cultural Studies v1, pp. 33–43
- Sheehan, K and Morrison, D (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
- Spurgeon, CL 2005 Losers and lovers : mobile phone services advertising and the new media consumer/producer. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 5(2).
No comments:
Post a Comment