Friday, August 31, 2012

A revolutionary product of media convergence: Social Media and Advertising

 The whirlwind of media convergence can be seen to have played a vital role in the evolution of advertising. Originally consisting primarily of non-digitalised media platforms, advertising was an area which existed within the realms of television, radio and print. However as technology evolved, media convergence an area defined by Dwyer (2010) as

"the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and culture",
(2010, p.2) 
presented various highly stylised and revolutionised communication channels. 
Establishing common ground between the past and the future
 
Today "97% of marketers believe that social media marketing benefits their businesses" (2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report). The top three categories for online advertising from a survey of small and mid sized businesses were new digitalised media platforms. However old media, a way of communicating from the broadcaster to the audience only, is still prevalent in a number of forms such as broadcast media and print. The dominance of new media however, an area defined by Manovich (2003) as

“one concerned with cultural objects and paradigms enabled by all forms of computing and not just by networking”
                                                                                                                          (2003, pp.10-11)
has redefined the way in which advertising is approached. 
                        
In a highly competitive and versatile market place, the process of digital media convergence has created various challenges for advertisers and marketers alike but at the same time has opened up a number of new routes to new markets. Companies that have been involved with old and new media have been required to adapt their business models with the prevalence of digital media convergence in order to remain competitive.
Working hand-in-hand




Facebook interactions
Digital media convergence has provided consumers with a better reach of brands and services which enables not only choice but also general market exposure. When considering the individual roles of old and new media it can be seen that both the forms work simultaneously to provide consumers with a comprehensive understanding of the brand as well as its products and services. Television advertising for instance, can lead consumers to other campaigns run by the same brand on the Internet and further to this consumers can socialise these campaigns and brands with their social networks.
This is an effective way for companies to reach their audiences as

 “Consumers are less brand loyal than ever before and pay more attn to the recommendations of friends and family than they do to marketing msgs, thus traditional advertising is failing in its purpose.”
                              (Sheehan and Morrison 2009)


In the real world
 
Two dominant new media platforms, search engine tycoon Google and social media cloud facebook, have over shadowed traditional media platforms as seen in the shift of marketing strategies by businesses. The convergence of digital media has challenged television, radio and print advertising as businesses invest in multimedia advertisements on relevant Google search pages as well as news feeds on facebook.
 
Dwyer (2010) reinforces the above;



"As digital distribution platforms have converged, the traditional packaging strategy for audiovisual content - the advertiser-funded television channel - has come under increasing pressure from the growing popularity of online advertising."
(2010, p.18)
Digital Media Convergence: A restoration in the world of Advertising?
 
 
Old and new media together can be seen to have extended the exposure of businesses and individuals on not just a local level, but more importantly an international level. Prior to the introduction of new media, businesses whose advertisements were produced in particular languages would have not been able to expose themselves outside their cultural boundaries or neighboring countries; new media today provides for global reach. 

 
In the case of popular German liqueur Jägermeister, the below advertisement was shown on television in Germany in the 1980's, a time when new media had not yet made its mark.
The commercial produced in Dutch, could be seen to restrict audiences to German viewership. Moreover at the time, it was found that there were no Jägermeister commercials made or dubbed in English.





 
Soon after however, as the 2012 Jägermeister advertisement below demonstrates, the world was swept into the phenomena of digital media convergence with a very universal approach to the way the brand was presented.


With a wide selection of digital special effects placed into the production of television advertisements, an abundance of focus on social media and target advertising also came into play.

Facebook Official logo

Dwyer (2010) further elaborates on the term 'convergence' stating that it is a transitioning process of adaptation and merging (2010, p. 2). When considering the terms adaptation and merging it could be seen that facebook is a platform which merges old media elements such as written and photo advertisements with new media elements such as the Internet, and more specifically social networking. Keeping to the example of Jägermeister, advertisements for the German liqueur were found on facebook whilst within the confines of a personal account.

The pictures below of Jägermeister AUSTRALIA advertised on a facebook account's news feed can be seen to prompt a radical change in the company's viewership of advertisements.
 
Personal Facebook account news feed


 Reaching audiences from all around the world, facebook collects the personal details of members. Consisting of age and location, the social media site correlates these details to determine which of their ads suit the particular member. Through advertising with facebook it could be said that Jägermeister is aiming to maximise the exposure of their products by branching their advertising to social media sites like facebook where global exposure is guaranteed.
 
Ultimately...
 
The revolutionary convergence of digital media has prompted stark transformations in the way communication as a whole is approached. When considering advertising, the driver of consumerism it can be said that businesses are increasingly persuaded that new media advertising would only provide new ways of engaging with consumers to suit their interests and convenience. As Spurgeon (2008) reiterates;
 
"Many large national and transnational advertisers are dissatisfied with the uncertain performance of 'old' media. They are looking for new ways to reach increasingly distracted, distrustful and disinterested consumers."


(2008, p.24)



Facebook, with over 500 million active users has proven to be an advertiser's delight. Personalising advertisements to consumers based on their details, the forum allows for a more targeted and direct form of advertising. Digital Media Convergence placed great emphasis on businesses to revise their marketing strategies and social media advertising has been a powerhouse contributor in reaching wider audiences.
  
 
 

REFERENCE LIST

MAS110 Readings:
  • Dwyer. T (2010) Media Convergence, Mc Graw Hill, Berkshire. pp. 1-23
  • Spurgeon. C (2008) Advertising and New Media, Ozon Routledge, pp. 24-45

Recommended Readings:
External Research:
 
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