The
convergence of digital media has helped instigate the methods with which people
are able to interact with one another, socially, culturally and industrially. This
convergence developed a new age, or ‘pop’ culture, infused with the bombardment
of advertisements with the release of constant new media. Media convergence is expressed
as a transfusion and 'harmonization' of multiple media commodities, where
consumers are able to “obtain multiple services on a single platform or device”
(Dwyer, 2010). The thought of modern
society being able to function without technological conversion between
consumers and businesses could now be deemed as undesirable for most marketers.
It is due to digital media convergence that the advertising industry could make
the shift from the analogue to digital broadcasting. New media has influenced
new social movements in social marketing like Facebook pages, viral campaigns
and sponsored online search engines, making it easier to reach a wider audience,
especially after the release of smart phones and tablets. It is due to these
modern technologies that online advertising now surpasses previous methods of broadcasting
and businesses now are able to instigate stronger relationships with their
consumers (Spurgeon, 2008). The consistency
of such marketing campaigns now exposed to the public could be deemed as un-orthodox
since no one is ever really able to disconnect themselves from new media and
the digital age.
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| The home page of the Australian Yahoo site. Visable advertisements along both sides and near logo. |
The
phenomenon of online advertising developed through new media and now surpasses mediums
like the cinema, newspapers and magazines; its only proper rival being the
radio (Spurgeon, 2008). Before the
digital age and converge, companies relied on major events to interest
consumers, events like the Olympics and the American super bowl. The product placements were expensive
and the advertisements usually memorable, though waiting for major events is no
longer necessary. The releases of smart phones, tablets and wireless web in the
new media could now be witnessed as a new culture that “betrays a prejudice that’s
favors print culture” (Spurgeon, 2008). Search engines such as ‘Google’ and ‘Yahoo!’
aid the mass circulation of new media advertising for they are “conceptualized
as primary competitors in the market place” (Croteau, 2005). On
Yahoo, the search bar is predominantly occupied by product placements, pop
ups and television product placements that all aim to attract the searcher.
A beneficial aspect to new media and advertising in the digital age is that it aids smaller businesses, in the sense that they can advertise themselves for a fraction of the coast broadcasting would usually obtain (Spurgeon, 2008). New media’s such as Facebook help smaller businesses advertise to millions for a small fee if not for free. All one would have to do is create a ‘Page’ about their business and use word of mouth.
This
could be annoying to some for it is understood that due to new media, consumers
are continually bombarded with different advertisements or current affairs in
which they do not concentrate enough on. This continuous of short
advertisements in all converged media is believed to have shortened societies’
average attention span and concentration, as theorists begin to ask “What is the internet doing to our brains?” (Carr, 2011)
 |
| Companies usually add hyper-links to their Facebook page to stay in touch with customers. |
 |
| Smart Phones & tablets help businesses reach consumers |
Marketers
are now able harvest the abilities of videos games, films, mobile services,
virtual apps and any digital medium and share them through the wireless web in hope to create and ‘ecosystem’ of
marketing and media. (Chester, 2012).
Most adds online seem to have target modern societies, like the 'youthful', through hip and
young product placements by sponsoring applications for smart phones and tablets. This usually involves major celebrities or incorporates
catchy tunes that a teenager would listen to. The “distinctions between
commerce and art, and popular culture and public sphere” (Spurgeon, 2008) are
then able to be blurred and combined, creating ‘branded entertainment’. Machesney states that this sense of digital
liberation that is witnessed in society today could lead to “dominate media
firms increasingly view themselves as global entities” (Mchesny, 2001)
Coca
Cola has been known in using Branded entertainment, previously involving its
logo and theme in modern songs that could be played full on the radio and
television, involving an array of well known artists. Its
2009 campaign “Open Happiness” was released with a song with the same name encouraging
listeners to “Open up some Happiness”, the song involved modern singers and
Cokes catchy theme throughout. (Mayes, 2011) It was released as a proper music
single so not only was it heard during their adds, but was be able to be heard
on the radio and downloaded for personal listening. (Mayes, 2011) The song was sung by different artists for
each country to strengthen public appeal to the brand and logo, topping charts
in most countries, like America and Australia and was streamed 600,000 times on
MySpace alone. (Coca-Cola, 2009)
The 'Open Happiness' Campaign Music Video
The
digital age of new media has lead to marketers attempting to ‘stand out’ by
creating viral advertisements that are easily accessible, so they are able to
be shared and be watched as much as possible. In theory, if the video was to become viral,
the company name would be remembered (Hilderbrand, 2007). The chip brand
Doritos also funded and composed a song with pop singer Rhianna in hope that
their marketing campaign would go ‘viral’ with the song, if successful. The dance track “Who’s that chick?” had two
video clips, each one representing a style of chip for their “Late Night”
campaign. Customers were then able to join the campaigns website to create their
own clips for the song as well as watch both clips. The song seemed successful internationally,
although peaked at fifty one on the US Billboard charts during 2011. (Billboard,
2011)
Both versions of Doritos "Who's That Chick?" Videos clips side to side.
The
convergence of different mediums through digital media has ensured that
marketers get their stories across as consumers are transported across multiple
media platforms (Jenkins, 2006, pp.3). The contemporary understanding of media
convergence and the act of consuming media has become synonymous with the act
of producing media. (Deuze, cited by Sheehan, 2009). This revolution of converging media platforms
in new media and marketing could ultimately benefit the industries in profit,
but depending on whether it could benefit consumers is left to self perception.
Reference List:
Carr, Nicholas (2011)The Shallows, WW Norton & Co
Readings:
Hilderbrand, L. (2007) 'Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge', Film Quarterly, Vol 61, pp 48-57.
McChesney, Robert W (2001) “Global Media , Neoliberalism and Imperialism” in Monthly Review, March 2001
Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media, Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45.
Recommended readings:
Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide, New York University Press.
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> [viewed 27th August 2012]
Online Books
Dwyer, Tim (2010) Media Convergence, McGraw-Hill International, 1st January, accessed at <http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rbovMF7_Ft8C&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=Dwyer.T.+(2010).+Media+Convergence.+Berkshire:+McGraw+Hill.&ots=MmHuJMJEL8&sig=hWUIQQQjroiLr11bquxttXIuarU#v=onepage&q&f=false> [viewed 29th August 2012]
Journal Articles:
Anon, (2009) Open Happiness’ Music Viedo Debuts on MTV [online],The Coca-Cola Company, 17th July, available at <http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/news_openhappiness.html> [viewed 24th August 2012]
Jenkins, Henry, (2006) “Welcome to Convergence Culture”, The confessions of an Ace Fan: The official Weblog of Henry Jenkins [online weblog], 19 June, available at < http://henryjenkins.org/2006/06/welcome_to_convergence_culture.html> [viewed 22nd August 2012)
Kennedy, Gerrick D. (2010) “Rhianna teams with Doritos to offer interactive video for ‘Who’s that Chick?’” [online],
Los Angeles Times, 19th October, Available at<http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/10/rihanna-to-offer-augmented-reality-clip-for-doritos-single-whos-that-chick-1.html> [Viewed 24th of August 2012]
Mayes, Laura (2011) “Effectivley incorporating social media: A case study on Coca Cola” [online], Washington: School of Communication (undated), accessed at <http://www.american.edu/soc/communication/upload/laura-mayes.pdf> [viewed 27th August]
Montgomery, KC, Chester, J, Grier, SA and Dorfman, L (2012) “The new threat of digital marketing.”, American University, 15th June, accessed at <http://digitalads.org/documents/Chester&Montgomery-Consumer-Policy-Review.pdf> [viewed 26th August 2012]
Websites:
Doritoes (2012) Late Night [online] Avaliable at: http://doritoslatenight.com/#/ctsb [viewed 27th August 2012]
Anon (2011) Who’s that chick? Song Information [online], available at <http://www.billboard.com/artist/david-guetta/chart-history/527799#/song/david-guetta-featuring-rihanna/who-s-that-chick/23383562> [Accessed 24th August 2012]
Wiese, Mike (2011) "The Evolution of Branded Entertainment", Forbes, 22nd August, available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2011/08/22/the-evolution-of-branded-entertainment/ [viewed 14th August 2012]
Videos
The "Open Happiness" Music Video, 2009, video, Openhappiness, July 16th, viewed 24th August 2012 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxfkg3RaRjs
Rihanna - Who's That Chick official music video (day and night versions), 2010, video, OpenAndAirless, November 19, viewed 24th August 2012 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YIgfbn74qk
Pictures:
Anon (2011) Facebook, YAC: Campbelltown City Council [photograph]. Available at: http://www.campbelltown.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1537 [viewed 29th August 2012]
Enderle, Rob (2010) iPhone & iPad, Digital Trends: Upgrade your lifestyle [photograph]. Available at: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-make-steve-jobs-sweat-why-competitors-cant-touch-apple/ [viewed 29th August 2012]
Saad, Jonathan (2012) Self taken, print screen of Yahoo home page[photograph]. Taken 31st August 2012
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