They are watching you. Still feeling lucky?
One of the most highly used tools in our modern society is digital media convergence, and how its concept has become a global phenomenon. Defined as “the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and cultures” (Dwyer 2010: 2), this text will discuss Google’s fast growing expansion towards digital media convergence, their exceptional approaches and some of the implications that they bring along.
Google is considered one
of the major players in the field of digital media convergence, where their
products and services are practically consumed universally. Mainly
known by their infamous search engine, Google’s expansion since the introduction
of Web 2.0 has undergone radical breakthroughs towards their stride of
convergence in the digital world.
These include, but weren’t limited to
the implementation of Google Maps, the purchase of YouTube and more recently,
the release of Android, a mobile operating system used in our currently
marketed smartphones and tablets. Their
new media operations can be described as one big ‘technoscape’ (Appudurai 1990:
325), where Google’s technological configurations, both in an informational and
mechanical sense are able to surpass boundaries previously perceived to be unconquerable.
Android’s operating
system is a good example that showcases one of Google’s methods of establishing
digital media convergence. From there, the end user is capable of purchasing
and using applications, searching and viewing maps, browsing the Web, viewing YouTube
videos and much more, all performed proficiently under the registration of a single
Gmail account.
This type of hybrid
interactivity also applies on personal computers, where consumers can simply log
in via their Gmail address, and be able to remain logged in autonomously upon numerous
Google-owned websites in a simultaneous manner, thus eliminating the need to constantly
sign in as they visit each respective website.
This form of media convergence in turn allows end users to interact with
Google’s wide range of commodities through their synchronised media interface,
and enhances the Web 2.0 experience, whilst contributing towards one of their
own philosophies stating that “Fast is better than slow” (Google n.d.)
In terms of advertising,
Google during its early years attempted to achieve their company’s goals
without the aid of advertisers by licensing themselves out to third parties,
which didn’t work in their favour. (Spurgeon 2008: 30).
Their reluctance towards commercial interests
was a response to another internal philosophy that “You can make money without
doing evil” (Google n.d.). However, like
most media companies, commercial advertising was pretty much the only
sufficient and reliable method of generating revenue.
“Advertising is the commercial backbone for most media. It sustains and shapes most of the media that
we consume”. (Khamis 2012)
Evidently, if Google
wanted to expand and grow into the profitable new media industry, they would
first have to follow suit and accept commercial advertising in order to fund
their goals and visions. Former
president and CEO of Viacom, Frank Biondi concedes that “Sometimes you have to
grit your teeth and treat your enemy as your friend” (McChesney 2001). Since the acquisition of YouTube in 2006, the
video streaming site has served as the ultimate digital media convergence platform
for commercial advertisers.
One such case is the Roller Babies ads by Evian, where
several versions of the ad managed to gain over 80 million views combined
(YouTube 2009), whilst generating over 600,000 likes on their Facebook page
(Facebook 2009). Digital media
convergence has also changed the way advertisers perform their roles. Instead of gambling on their ads’ debut, hoping to
receive positive reception via prime television, a lot of advertisers have switched
to YouTube as a testing ground for gauging consumer response, before making the
final decision on whether or not the advertisement should go to air. This is because “the cost of posting and advertising
a video online are significantly lower than paying for prime television airtime”
(Khamis 2012).
One of the biggest challenges that digital media convergence is currently going through are the concerns of individual privacy. It is an issue that Google constantly faces, especially on how they collect and manage personal information. There were several cases where the ‘Street view’ feature of Google Maps has managed to capture a variety of awkward moments, featuring individuals performing conduct that would normally be considered embarrassing when viewed by the online public, and in some cases the imagery is forcibly removed (The Herald, 2007). Google has also been known to obtain and archive individual information from their consumers’ searches, so that they’re able to provide advertisements that will specifically cater towards their lifestyle choices, sparking fears and rumours that Google sells their consumers’ personal information to other third parties (Greengard 2012: 19), although this has yet to be confirmed.
A more recent case that occurred
earlier in 2012 claimed Google had planted third-party cookies (normally
utilised by advertising firms to track consumer behaviour) within Apple’s Safari browser, after researchers discovered the internet giant’s “underhanded tactics”. Although Google and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreed on a $22.5 million settlement (Kravets 2012), many argue that Safari’s inability to block third-party cookies was to blame, leaving those continuing to ponder about Google’s intents. This case had others questioning Google’s “You can make money without evil” philosophy, but it also serves as a reminder that third parties are capable of implementing digital media convergence strategies, through a sly nature to accomplish their own specific interests.
By analysing Google in a
pedagogical manner, digital media convergence can be viewed as a tool that delivers
a rich media experience to consumers, whilst providing vast opportunities for
advertisers. However, it is far from
being a perfect concept, meaning that having too much information can be bad
in an ethical sense. Although most would
label digital media convergence as a phenomenon, others might perceive it as a
mixed blessing.
References
Books & Articles
Appadurai,
Arjun (2000) [1990], Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy,
The Globalization Reader, Frank
Lechner and John Boli (eds.), Blackwell,
Oxford, pp.
322-30.
Dwyer,
Tim (2010), Media
Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp. 1-23.
Greengard, Samuel (2012), Advertising gets personal, Communications of the ACM, vol. 55,
no. 8, August, pp. 18-20.
Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media, Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45.
Websites
Facebook (2009), Evian Babies, 1 July, viewed 29 August 2012.
Google, Ten things we know to be true, viewed 27 August 2012.
Herald, The (2007), Google's Street View site raises alarm over privacy, 4 June, viewed 28
August 2012.
Kravets, David (2012), FTC Dings Google $22.5M in Safari Cookie Flap, Wired, 9 August,
viewed 28 August 2012.
<http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/ftc-google-cookie/>
viewed 28 August 2012.
<http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/ftc-google-cookie/>
McChesney, Robert W (2001), Global Media, Neoliberalism and Imperialism, Monthly
Review, vol. 52, no.10, March, viewed 26 August 2012.
Audio lectures
Khamis, Susie (2012), Advertising and New Media, audio recording of lecture, MAS110:
Introduction to Digital Media Production, Macquarie University, delivered 22 August.
Images
allGeek (2011), Google Services like Blogger and Picasa to be Rebranded, 6 July, viewed 29
August 2012.
<http://www.allgeek.tv/2011/07/06/google-services-like-blogger-and-picasa-to-be-
rebranded/>
Android Tips & Tricks (2011), How to Remove and Change Gmail Account on Android
August 2012.
<http://www.allgeek.tv/2011/07/06/google-services-like-blogger-and-picasa-to-be-
rebranded/>
Android Tips & Tricks (2011), How to Remove and Change Gmail Account on Android
Market without doing Factory Reset from your Android Phone, July, viewed 28 August
2012.
carlosjj (2011), Deviant Art, 24 November, viewed 28 August 2012.
Google Plus (2012), YouTube, viewed 29 August 2012.
<https://plus.google.com/+youtube/posts>
Marketing Land (2012), On Google & Being "Evil", 27 February, viewed 28 August 2012.
<http://marketingland.com/on-google-being-evil-6851>
Meta Picture, The (2011), Delete Cookies, 24 January, viewed 29 August 2012.
<http://themetapicture.com/delete-cookies/>
Scrape TV (2008), Google Chrome to open source privacy, 2 September, viewed 27 August
<https://plus.google.com/+youtube/posts>
Marketing Land (2012), On Google & Being "Evil", 27 February, viewed 28 August 2012.
<http://marketingland.com/on-google-being-evil-6851>
Meta Picture, The (2011), Delete Cookies, 24 January, viewed 29 August 2012.
<http://themetapicture.com/delete-cookies/>
Scrape TV (2008), Google Chrome to open source privacy, 2 September, viewed 27 August
2012.
Sharp-Developer.net, Fun, viewed 27 August 2012.
YouTube
Current (2009), SuperNews!: The Google Toilet: SuperNews!, 11 December, viewed 29
August 2012.
EvianBabies (2009), Evian Roller Babies International Version, 1 July, viewed 29 August
2012.
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