MAS110 Sem 2 2012 - Lab 02: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Digital Media Convergence MAS110 Marion Dayao 43039618

Digital Media Convergence :

The Advertising and New Media Revolution

Digital media convergence is the evolutionary answer to the one-way media streams and outdated, constricted ‘traditional media’. (Spurgeon, 2010) In digitisation, we found the “fountain of life”, for media that once had an expiry date due to the nature of analogue technology. No longer will we have to listen to a bad third copy of a recording. ‘Digital replicatability’ can be achieved perfectly from one medium/computer, to another. (Keith , 2012).

Medias’ creation, distribution and consumptions convergence was brought together through the rise of the personal computer and digitisation of media. Through digitisation, the tools for the production of content are now readily accessible to the consumer. Content can be easily distributed and accessed more easily, through a whole range of devices, due to the advancement of internet connectivity and infrastructures. Companies have exploited digital medias’ unrestricted movement through cyber space. These new spaces and opportunities provided through new media technologies have multiplied the production, distribution and consumption of all media content. Khamis (2012) states this effect had,”shaken practices that had been dormant.” This is why marketers try to establish an ‘ online presence’. (Khamis, 2012). Companies cannot just make something digital for it to become successful. History has shown us innovation, creativity, understanding of the culture and timing play a big part in a promotional success. Companies use online surveys to understand current mobile phone ‘ sociodemographic data’ usage in Australia. (Elliot,Rundle-Thiele, Waller, 2011.) The mobile phone’s change from just a gadget that could only make calls as a main function, is now a smart phone. Actually as Jenkins found out after he tried to purchase a single function phone, that nobody makes them anymore as ‘nobody wants them’. (Jenkins, 2006).

The consumer landscape has also changed. Media providers’ scheduling no longer confines when, how and what a consumer views as Dwyer cites,“readers and advertisers are migrating online.”This ‘new era of consumer sovereignty’ brought about the ‘rise of the viral ad marketing campaign’ (Khamis, 2012). It’s the marketers hope that their ad posted online, will be propelled through a consumers ‘ own personal networks such as Facebook or Youtube. The success of an ad is based upon the amount of views or hits the ad generates.

Digital media convergence has revolutionised advertising and media, but this is just the beginning. What will be created tomorrow is anyones guess. It’s been said that ‘convergence refers to a process’, and not an end point. (Jenkins, 2004)

Resource List

Unit Readings:

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. pp. 1-24.
Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media. Oxon: Routledge. pp.24-45.

Hannah Farrell 42467187

Traditional modes of advertising are experiencing a structural adaptation to compete in the new media era of digital media convergence. The converging of media technologies has created a new ways in which audiences consume information. A consumer’s ability to time shift television and thus skip television advertisement breaks has presented a huge challenge for brands relying on this form of mass media marketing. The top down model of traditional advertising is no longer a feasible method of grasping a consumer’s attention and loyalty to a brand as consumers have smartened to such advertising techniques resulting in their ability to subconsciously block such messages. Hence there has been a cultural shift to what Jenkins calls convergence culture (2006). Many international brands have now begun to understand this shift and therefore creating advertisements “consumers actively participate in negotiating the symbolic and use values of goods and services”(Spurgeon 2008 p. 25). Two brands that have attempted this in their advertising campaigns include Virgin Mobile’s “Fair go bro” Doug Pitt endorsed 2012 campaign and Tiger Beer’s “stand out in life” 2009 campaign.

Jenkins’ (2006) idea of cultural convergence addresses the need for the collaboration traditional media’s push model of advertising where advertisers send a specific message to consumers, and the bottom-down model where consumers determine the message and seek out the advertisement. Convergence occurs when advertisers utilise ‘new media’ to allow for greater flow of content across media platforms.

Virgin Mobile has created a campaign in which they hoped would become viral. The idea of this campaign is to play on Australia’s “fair go” policy and give the non-celebrity Doug Pitt, brother of internationally acclaimed actor Brad Pitt, a ‘fair go’ and thus a chance to become famous. The campaign revolves around a interactive website that allows consumers to vote their opinion of Doug’s celebrity status, participate in a photo competition, follow Doug on his Australian tour and finally view telephone deals fit for a celebrities brother. The focus is to entice consumers to share their interactions through social networks with their friends. The brand’s alliance with Nova FM radio station has assisted in promoting the concept across a traditional mass media platform, interviewing Doug Pitt. Thus Virgin Mobile has uterlised Jenkin’s theory of cultural convergence in the creation of this campaign.

This is a form of branded content. Spurgeon (2008) explains branded entertainment is the process contextualizing a brand’s message in a theatrically entertaining manner that appeals to exceedingly to consumers whom in return share it across their social media platform. Virgin Mobile’s “Meet Doug Pitt” YouTube ad has received close to 1.5 million views and is categorised under the entertainment genre.

Virgin Mobile’s aim was to create a viral campaign. Doug Pitt is discreetly acting as an opinion leader for the virgin mobile products, the product is not explicitly mentioned, nor is the brand during the reality TV style interview YouTube video, this is one concept Professor Teixeira of Harvard Business discovered in his study of viral advertisements to be essential.

Teixeira outlines that there has been a rise in the viral revolution, advertising agencies are launching online advertisements consumers are willing to propel through personal social media channels, these advertisements have the ‘surprise’ affect that entice consumers to share with friends in order for them to gain social capital. Virgin Mobile surprises consumers by endorsing their product by not a celebrity but a celebrity’s brother. This is refreshing to consumers whom in traditional modes of advertising would only see celebrities endorsing products.

Sheehan and Morrison (2009) suggest the term ‘confluence culture’ better describes the contemporary expressions of advertising in convergent media. Confluence culture is derived from Deuze’s (2006) ideas of digital culture and Jenkin’s (2006) convergence culture theory. Confluence culture therefore encapsulates the notion of an engagement of ideas across media platforms, that allows brands to tell a story that consumers build a relationship with thus may result in their own renditions of the advisements or simply their sharing of original among friends. This notion of confluence culture is evident in Tiger Beer’s 2009 “Standout in life” campaign. The brand redesigned a limited edition packaging and partnered with blogs and Facebook establishing a fan base, to which they announced a contest for bloggers to answer why they’re a stand out in life with Tiger Beer. Consumers were then given the ultimate participatory power to create their own advertisements for Tiger Beer.

Deuze (2007) argues that convergent media has enabled advertisers to pin point out consumer segmentations that traditional mass media struggled to find. Concepts like Tiger Beer’s Standout campaign gain interest of those whom hobbies of blogging deter them from interacting with mass forms of media such as television and radio. The competition allows amateurs and professionals to converge ideas and thus resulting in a highly successful "new media" based advertising campaign, that do not resist from as they are intentionally a part of the process.

Hence in a new era of ‘consumer sovereignty’, where by the consumers decide what can be sold to them and at what time, advertisers have had to adapt accordingly to use new media to assist in communicating to digital nomads. Converging old media with new media in creative, inventive, participatory formats is the only way contemporary advertisers can successfully attract consumers. This need is the driver of the phenomenon of digital media convergence.

References

Spurgeon C. (2008), Advertising and New Media, Ozon Routledge, New York, p. 24-45

Jenkins, H. (2006), Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide, New York University Press, New York

Deuze, M. (2007), Convergence Culture in the Creative Industries, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Sage Publications vol 10 no 2

G Elliott, S Rundle-Thiele. D Waller (2010). Marketing, Wiley, Queensland

BUSINESS, HARVARD. 2012. Why Some Ads go Viral, YouTube.

VIRGIN MOBILE AUSTRALIA, 2012, Meet Doug Pitt, the second most famous Pitt in his family, YouTube

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

Digital media convergence - advertising

Discuss the phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to advertising and new media.

Digital media convergence, which is the merging of formerly separate media and technological devices, has meant that centralised and location-based media forms, such as television, newspaper and billboards, are no longer the only platforms for advertising; new media has inspired access to advertising content anywhere, at any time, using any digital device. The chance for advertisers to take old media content and feed it through many media channels, such as social media sites, may seem like a simple and cost-effective way to reach the online audience, which consists of 2.37 billion user accounts on social media networks combined. But social media and new media has existed on the premise that the “structured break”, which was present in old media forms would be beaten, due to the sharing and participatory culture the new media forms inspire. Advertisers have been forced to adapt to the sharing culture by sharing product information as opposed to telling product information, as they interact with consumers through establishing relationships and creating an online presence.

Advertisers must approach digital media convergence creatively in order to effectively make use of the unique experience new media can bring to consumers. An example of the convergence of somewhat of a library, and the technological benefits of searching the internet, is Google, which since its beginnings in 1996, has become one of the largest search engines, used almost daily by all digital consumers, therefore the benefits for advertising cannot be denied; the searched items by the consumer declares the target market they belong to, and advertisers can act accordingly. In 2010, Google released a series of advertisements, most frequently promoted on YouTube, named “Search Stories.” YouTube content is available to consumers almost any time and place, and advertisers are keen to connect with target groups through this digital media form, as not only is the content produced free, but has the ability to be viewed time and time again and shared between online users. (Burgess et al, 2009)

The 53 second clip, entitled ‘Parisian Love’, was a simple yet effective use of new media advertising as it addressed three main marketing benefits. The clip firstly addresses the selling of the brand; Lipsman states, “the effective use of music to convey mood and emotion…the demonstration of product convenience (i.e. the use of the search engine shown throughout the 60-second spot) and the most significant reason behind this ad’s strong score was the existence of certain structural elements, including the prominence and heavy use of the Google logo, and the prominence and demonstration of the actual product.” (Lipsman, 2010) ‘Parisian Love’ clearly conveys itself to the consumer as trusted brand, as important life decisions within individuals lives are made through Google, which addresses the second marketing benefit of the advertisement, which is recognising the competition within the market; Microsoft powered search engine, Bing, holds the logo, “the decision engine.” But it is the combination of these first two marketing strategies used within the advertisement which allows for Google to sell itself to advertisers as a creative, speed efficient and popular way of channelling new media marketing to consumers. By advertising the search engine brand to other advertisers, Google is ensuring revenue, as the benefits of advertising on the search engine become clear; the social and informational elements merge, as the advertisers can not only promote the brand in accordance with what the consumer wants to know, but what the consumer has searched for in the past. (Spurgeon, 2008) While the positives of the product are clear, many people have accused Google of fraud, as accepting money from companies to promote their business as the first relevant article diminishes the consumer’s right to information. In a Wall Street Journal article in 2012, Jeffrey Katz stated, “Most people believe that…they will receive a list of the most relevant sites…the most prominent results are displayed because companies paid Google for that privilege.” (Katz, 2012) Following this, Google released a statement which claimed they did not accept financial benefits for having certain websites appear closer to the top of the list of searched items, although, as recently as 2010, a side bar has appeared on certain searches which are under the heading “Ads related to…”. Amit Singhal, senior vice president of engineering with Google states that “ads and commercial expenses” are clearly labelled on the site, and set apart from the “organic” listings, so not to interfere with consumers rights to the most relevant texts for their needs. (Swenson, 2012)

The 21st century has dramatically changed the significance of the “celebrity.” What was once a distanced and untouchable element, secluded to the entertainment industry, has now entered people’s homes through digital media convergence which has generated social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Spurgeon explains that advertising is seen as a new communication process in public culture, and advertising in social networks “is also growing at extraordinary rates”, so connecting with their consumers through the phenomenon of digital media convergence allows them to send a specific and conceptualised message to as many members of their target audience as possible. (Spurgeon, 2008: pp. 25 - 26) As celebrities increasingly create online presences throughout different social networking mediums, brands recognise the potential of their product to generate to new media forms. For example, on the photo sharing application Instagram, which is available to Android and Apple phones, people share photos with friends, and are encouraged to follow other friends to see their photos, similarly to Twitter. Marketers have valued the power of the celebrity, especially within the Western world, because as Precourt outlines, “star worship leads to value-transfer that can affect brand purchase intent.” (Precourt, 2011) Through celebrity endorsement, the value of the product to the consumer can be issued clearly, as it is usually one or all of the values which the celebrity has promoted in their own image. Advertisers recognise that as celebrities, for example a member of the Kardashian family, gain more followers on Instagram, and continually post photos, they gain access to more consumers within more locations, as the application is specifically on the phone. Advertisers are able to cross the boundaries which were once posed by time and space. By getting celebrities, such as Kendall Jenner, to promote their products, they do not only have access to the millions of followers which the celebrity has, but can specify the target market. Kendall has approximately 2 million followers; advertisers can search through her list of followers and discover that the majority of these followers are females from approximately 14 – 25 years old, who have similar interests to her, and therefore the brand can use Kendall to promote their brand accordingly. In this picture, for instance, Kendall comments on the photo saying “Thanks SOOOOO much Chanel for my new iPhone cover, lovingggg it!” The importance of the relationship between brands and celebrities is not a new development within advertising, but by adopting the new media practices which social networks provide, advertisers can efficiently manipulate which target market is being addressed.

Advertisers must recognise that the rise of new media forms have not been established upon the premise that old media forms can just be produced online. The 21^st century has dramtically altered the relationship which once existed between the transmitter and receiver within former advertising types, but the digital age has allowed the consumer sovereignty over decisions made within digital forms. The phenomenon of digital media convergence has provided companies with the opportunity to explore new and creative ways of sharing product information within new age digital mediums, and therefore consumers are given an equal amount of power within the market as advertisers.

References

Burgess, J, and Green, J, 2009, YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture, Polity Press, UK

Jenkins, H, 2006, ‘Introduction: worship at the altar of convergence – a new paradigm for understanding media change,’ Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, pp. 1-24

Lipsman, A, 2011, ComScore, USA, accessed 30/08/2012, < http://blog.comscore.com/2011/02/scoring_super_bowl_ads.html>

Precourt, G, 2011, ‘Engaging with digital China’, Journal of Advertising and Research, December, pp. 553 – 554

Spurgeon, C, 2008, ‘From the long tail to Madison and vine – trends in advertising and new media’, Advertising and New Media, Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45

Swenson, L, 2012, Chron, USA, accessed 30/08/2012, < http://smallbusiness.chron.com/companies-pay-google-first-result-48392.html>

Assignment 1: Isabelle MILLER

Discuss the phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to one of the following: Advertising & New Media or Music Video Online

The phenomenon of digital media convergence, along with the emergence of new digital media in the twenty-first century has presented a number of challenges for advertising and their ability to engage with mass audiences. The introduction of the internet and its significantly increasing popularity, has posed large consequences for advertisers, as the fragmentation of audiences have occurred across the large range of new media that exists. Mass audiences no longer rely solely on the television, newspapers or on radio broadcasting to access information and entertainment content. Rather, consumers today are able to access this content from multiple technological media nodes, and additionally choose what and where they access media. This along with the introduction of multi-channelled subscription television challenges the traditional media methods, of scheduling what information and entertainment is distributed and when. Consequently, advertisers have had to adopt a number of new marketing methods and techniques to reach these audiences, through developing new creative advertising schemes, brand advertising, advertising through online media and harnessing the popularity of social media networks in hope of creating a ‘viral video’ campaign. This essay will additionally investigate these various new advertising techniques through an exploration into the ‘Nike +’ campaign and their use of new advertising methods.

The traditional media model of advertising to mass audiences through scheduled times and specific media have had to transform to respond to the converging nature of media in the twenty-first century. Advertisers must now embrace the ‘convergence culture’ of the contemporary era (Jenkins, 2006) and change marketing strategies to address the interactive nature of new media and target the diversified users of the internet. Jenkins (2006) defines this convergence culture as, “media convergence, participatory culture and collective intelligence”. Effectively, as consumers expand to the use of new media such as the internet and multi-channel subscription (Spurgeon, 2008) advertisers can no longer take advantage of the scheduling and organised content of traditional media. Consumers today are less confined than ever before, and consequently advertisers have had to adapt their techniques to apply to online media. This fragmentation of audiences is one of the most significant challenges advertisers face, and has led to the adoption of range of online marketing methods. Advertisers utilise search engines, such as ‘Google’ and ‘Yahoo!’ to market their product, through attaching advertisements to keyword searches on Google, in hope of reaching mass audiences (Spurgeon, 2008). Additionally, advertisers are able to trace the behaviour of users and identify the websites that do attract mass audiences. Methods such as ‘pay-per click’ (Spurgeon, 2008) have also utilised this marketing information, attaching advertisements to popular websites such as social-media networks. These adaptions in response to new media have been vital to the survival of advertising in the contemporary era, in order for them to continue to reach the number of consumers they desire.

Contemporary marketing strategies must now dedicate a significant amount of attention to what consumers respond too, and techniques must be adapted to engage and attract the attention of these mass audiences. An innovative technique that has been adopted is the aim to construct a creative video that will have a viral response amongst social networks, essentially to achieve a ‘viral campaign’. This was developed following the shift of power from industries to the consumer (Spurgeon, 2008) as consumers today play a significant role in defining what campaign will be successful and what will not. Marketing strategies rely on the contemporary nature of the consumer to, as Deuze (2006) refers to “bricolage”. That is, the distribution, “remixing” and recreating of media messages among their own personalised networks. Essentially, through this consumers take on the job of distribution through social Medias such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and are able to reach the large mass audiences that traditional methods of advertising are not able too. This method has proven to be an extremely efficient campaigning strategy, as well as highly cost effective in terms of marketing schemes and in relation to traditional schemes. However, despite the effectiveness of these campaigns, they also present challenges, and the success of a viral video cannot be predetermined. Advertisers must thus, harness the behaviour of consumers and aim to recreate the techniques of advertisements that have previously been successful. Contemporary examples of these techniques include the use of parody, such as the 'Durex Condom Commercial advertisement from 1997 which gained over a million hits on YouTube, and became an extremely successful campaign. Another technique that has proven successful is the use of modern digital and visual effects used within advertisments such as 'The Evian' commerical, that digitalised dancing babies. Product placement and brand also plays a significant role in advertisement today, as advertisers utilise films, television programs and music videos to indirectly promote their product. This shift of power from industries to consumers has evidently, caused significant developments from traditional forms of advertisement in response to new media.

A crucial contemporary advertising example of a campaign that has utilised the various facets of attracting a mass modern audience is encapsulated within the ‘Nike +’ Campaign .This is an example of product branding and entertainment alliance. It is the merging of two extremely popular brands in the marketing of a product. Essentially the combined product is a combination of the Apple IPod Nano and Nike Runners, to combin two individually successful products and create an innovative product that appeals to the new media environment. The product is created to “enhance the running experience”, a wireless device that records “exercise efforts, including running duration, distance and energy consumption” (Spurgeon 2008). However additionally, a website is created to support the production and essentially to create a social network and community surrounding the new product. This technique significantly encourages, the uses of new media as it incorporates marketing techniques of utilising social media, the power of the consumer creating a network around the product and encourages consumers to purchase other products associated with these two brands. Additionally it includes the incorporation of Google maps, allowing consumers to map their running routes (Spurgeon, 2008). This campaign provides a particularly significant example of how new advertising techniques have adapted in a new environment to continue to reach a mass audience in this contemporary areas

It is thus, highly evident that with the emergence and convergence of media today, marketing and advertisement techniques have had to be highly developed in order to survive. Following the fragmentation of audiences, across multiple nodes of new media, creative techniques of production and distribution had to be incorporated into marketing strategies in order to continue to reach the mass audiences. Additionally with the increasingly reducing constraints on consumers, advertisers had to adapt to marketing through online media in order to remain successful. The Nike and Apple campaign illustrates both the new adaptive techniques as well as the potential success of this technique in reaching a mass audience.

References

Deuze, M. (2006) “Participation, remediation, bricolage: Considering principal components of a digital culture,” Information Society, volume 22, number 2, pp. 63–75.

Jenkins, H. (2006) ‘Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide’, New York, New York University Press, pp. 1-24

Sheehan, K & 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

Online Essay 42860431

Digital Convergence in regards to Music Videos

By Victoria Nessis

Digital convergence has come a long way from the original television set in the home. Evidence of this can be seen through the invention of the MythTv, the You Tube channel and the phenomenon It has reached within only 7 years of being active and providing it to audiences around the world. An example of a video that YouTube made viral through its advanced and reachable platform is Numa Numa by Gary Brolsma. Digital convergence has now provided many platforms in which media can be accessed and studied. These platforms enable audiences all over the world to feel connected and to have easy access to media platforms which originally were difficult to access immediately.

Jenkins definition of convergence is the free flow of media across many platforms and the participation of multiple media industries as well as audiences going almost any where to seek the entertainment they want. (Jenkins 2006).

Through convergence it has provided individuals with more power in what they want to watch and share. This power was unseen in the 1930’s as familys would get together around the tv set and watch whatever was made available through the television set.

The MythTV Is a converged made system that has integrated all the media platforms that are available into one free flowing system that can be operated with one remote control. This system operates on the tv which offers functions such as video recording, dvd player, cd player and burning, mp3 player and library. As well as offering these audio and music functions it also offers a social platform which audiences can access news feeds, telephone, weather information, security camera recording and videoing and games. This product has also evidently shown how far technology has come and how easy and accessible multiple media platforms are to use. “Consumers are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under their control and to interact with other consumers. (Myth TV remote)

Consumers are able to acknowledge that there is a digital divide amongst consumers and through using technology more and more consumers are becoming computer literate and are acknowledging that even turning on the tv has other features associated with it. With the constant developments with technology there will always be a gap within communities. “Transmedia story telling refers to a new aesthetic that has emerged in response to media convergence- one that places new demands on consumers and depends on the active participation of knowledge communities”(Jenkins 2006) Jenkins believes that through convergence it has also altered the relationships between existing technology as well as industries, markets , genres and audiences.(Jenkins 2006) In approval of this statement it is evident that the relationship of previous technologies and modern day technology’s have caused competiveness amongst relationships in the media and technological industries. Not only has it caused this competitiveness amongst technology but also socially with who has the latest and most advanced technology amongst social circles.

The You Tube sensation Numa Numa by Gary Brolsma

is a primary example of the enormous influence that You Tube has within the media platforms and industry. Before YouTube Gary Brolsma’s Numa Numa video was shared through emails, once YouTube emerged on the world wide web it was the largest break through in digital convergence as it is said that Brolsma’s video has now be seen by over 700,000,000 viewers around the world. This video went viral and to date it has been the most successful video for YouTube in its first few years of being launched. “viewers and academics have quickly come to treat the site as an informal archive of television texts”(Hilderbrand 2007). In regards to this quote it is seen that YouTube is now a new form of online tv as viewers are accessing this program as their form of television. This form of media is more personalised for viewers to be able to select what suits them best for their needs and wants. Through using YouTube it enables audiences to experience a user-friendly program without having to log in.www.youtube.com Simply by opening the page the browser loads immediately which all the user then has to do is click play. Amongst these features it also offers play back controls, user comments, related and featured clips. Having YouTube, an individual is able to access live broadcasts in their own time and with having the options to stop, rewind and fast forward all contributes to the simplicity of accessing this programme is what also makes it such a popular choice.(Hilderbrand 2007). Hilderbrand acknowledges that even though YouTube was a massive and world known hit, it was a long expected prospect that television and computer would converge. The coming together of what once used to be separate technologies are all now able to be accessed in one place.

The 2012 society are fortunate to have the advancement in everyday technology and this is due to digital technology being widely adopted, invested in, marketed and researched. (Jenkins 2006). Convergence has defiantly come a long way from the individual tv, the individual computer and the individual CD Walkman. Through convergence the world has changed in many forms and industries which allows multiple media’s to be accessed within one destination.

References:

Hilderbrand, L 2007, Film Quarterly, vol 61, University of California

Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence culture where old and new media collide, New York University press

Mann, Bernsteins 2007, Digital television personal video recorders and convergence in the Australian Home, viewed 30^th August 2012

Bradley Owens 42853281

Discuss the phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to one of the following: Advertising & New Media or Music Video Online.

Music Video Online

It's safe to say the world has come a long way since the vinyl record, black and white television with only a handful of channels and people's main source of music being the radio. In fact, music video in itself was still a fair way off during the time of the 1950's. Thanks to digital media convergence, today in the 21st century, we have access to countless pieces of information on a number of interactive media platforms. Media convergence can be defined as the phenomenon involving the interlocking of computing and information technology companies, telecommunications networks, and content providers from the publishing worlds of newspapers, magazines, music, radio, television, films, and entertainment software. Media convergence brings together the “three Cs”—computing, communications, and content.

Before the birth of the music video, bands, singers and entertainers would appear on TV shows such as 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in the US. While the show wasn't typically musically orientated, performers would frequently be booked to increase ratings. The performer(s) would usually be the 'hit' or most popular acts of the time. Depending on the popularity of the musician, one or a number of songs would be mimed against a backing track or played live in the studio for the audience in the theatre as well as the people watching at home. An example of this can be seen with Elvis performing on the 'Ed Sullivan Show' on the 9th of September 1956.

In the 1960's radio was still the dominant platform for music. However, most music was now being released as singles with the A side on side one and the B side on the reverse. This was much cheaper for record companies to produce and for the general public to buy, making music more easily accessible than ever before. The music video was also close to what we know today. An early resemblance can be seen by The Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1966. Due to The Beatles heavy touring schedule, the group had no time to appear on the show so instead shot a 'promotional film' for their two singles 'Paperback Writer and Rain'. This was one of the early music videos which are similar to what we know today.

Prior to the well known MTV which was founded in 1981, "Australia was making music video's in the 1970's and were doing it so well that touring bands would use footage from Australian television as their 'promo' or promotional videos'. (Giuffre, 2012.) Television programs like 'Get To Know' as well as 'Countdown' hosted by Richard Wilkins would feature interviews with artists as well as their promotional videos. According to Giuffre (2012) "It was happening here [Australia] in particular because of the large population spread out." Because of the limitations of live coverage from state to state promotional videos could be sent out in to country areas so that material could be shown interstate.

With the introduction of the personal computer and more notably the invention of the internet media has been more accessible than ever before. Sheehan (2009) explains how a user is no longer restricted to a particular time slot when wanting access to new media

"The traditional measurements of time spent with media are outdated since we no longer schedule our lives around our favorite television show or set aside an hour to spend with a beloved magazine. The ubiquity of wireless access makes it possible to never log on or off to the Internet. This allows consumers constant access to information and messages of interest, while grossly understating metrics of media use."

This new idea of 'never having to log on or log off' has been taken to a greater level with websites such as 'Youtube' and 'Vimeo' as Hilderbrand (2007) notes

"Youtube's success has been attributed in large part to its user friendliness. Users do not need to log-in in order to view clips, and videos start streaming as soon as the webpage loads, so there is no need to worry about software compatibility, downloading files or even clicking the 'play' button."

Youtube was founded in February 2005 and since that time has become one of the world's biggest media outlets. According to Youtube's 'About' "YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small." Music video has also made the jump from television to the online spectrum in recent years. With the ability to embed, link and send videos from Youtube to other users on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, record companies and advertisers can take advantage of "free" or "viral" campaigns. Rebecca Black's 'Friday' is the most recent example having been viewed over 160 million times according to 'The Sydney Morning Herald' (2011) Technology and Web Video have evidently played a major part in this online revolution as Hilderbrand (2007) describes Youtube as "viral, revolutionary and a phenomenon".

It's safe to say the world has come a long way since the vinyl record, black and white television with only a handful of channels and people's main source of music being the radio. Since the introduction of 'promotional videos' in the 1960's through to the music video shows such as 'Get To Know', 'Countdown', and music channels such as MTV, to the online world where music videos have shifted to websites such as 'Youtube', Digital media convergence has certainly altered, grown and adapted to the times over the past sixty years.

References

Books / Articles / Sources

Giuffre, E. Lecture on Live Music Video: Convergence before Convergence. Lecture given at Macquarie University, all slides, (2012)Hildebrand, L. (2007) Film Quarterly YouTube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge., vol. 61, pp 48-57.

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, [accessed 31 August 2012] available at: http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121

Sydney Morning Herald. (2011) No more getting down on friday as Rebecca Black brings in lawyers. [accessed 31 August 2012] available at: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/no-more-getting-down-on-friday-as-rebecca-black-brings-in-lawyers-20110620-1gb6h.html

About Youtube. [accessed 31 August 2012] available at: http://www.youtube.com/t/about_youtube

Videos and Photos

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Paperback Writer and Rain (1966) (released April 25 2008) [accessed 31 August 2012] available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS-SKwutP_g Standard Youtube License.

Elvis - Don't Be Cruel/Love Me Tender - Ed Sullivan (Sept 9, 1956) (1956) (released June 6 2012) [accessed 31 August 2012] available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-5OAKHb8LU Standard Youtube License.

Friday - Rebecca Black Official Music Video (2011) (released September 16 2011) [accessed 31 August 2012] available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0 Standard Youtube License.

Youtube Logo Standard Against White [photograph] [accessed 31 August 2012] available from: http://s.ytimg.com/yt/img/logos/youtube_logo_standard_againstwhite-vflKoO81_.png