MAS110 Sem 2 2012 - Lab 02

Advertising, New Media and Convergence; What do they all mean when put together?

Mas110 Essay
Isobel Littler
428 707 55 

 

Technology is constantly changing and adapting to the needs of our lives. Now, in a period of New Media, we are able to understand the changes taking place, particularly that of convergence. As we consume the media that is immersed around us, it is likely to see the need for convergence and how it essentially, impacts the way we consume new media. As a consequence of new media platforms and media channels, specific sectors such as advertising and marketing have had to alter their previous techniques and familiarize themselves with the new technology in order to remain successful. As a result of this, there is an increasing amount of innovative advertising material being created that utilizes the convergence of new media and its multiple fields.

New media and the concept of convergence are inextricably linked with one another and have provided the general consumer with an overwhelming myriad of outlets from which they can access mass media. However, previous to new media, old media existed. As the digitization and circulation of content became more advanced and more focused on uncovering new economic values, old media became somewhat less prevalent, although Stafford and Faber comment; “the old does not disappear but melds into the new”(Faber and Stafford 2005).  With this they explain the Media Cycle represented in their studies, of Transference, Exclusivity and Recurrence suggesting that nothing is replaced, and instead suit different audiences. As well as opening up new sources and access to information; “Media development is dynamic and the changing nature of technology provides new opportunities as well as new challenges” (Faber & Stafford 2005 pp24). As a unique piece of new media personal technology the mobile phone represents  these advertising challenges as, trying to harness; “the next generation conduit between consumers and advertisers” (Sinclair &Wilkins 2009) has required the implementation of methods which have yet been adopted, hence the ongoing difficulties marketers are faced with when adjusting to the quandary of a new medium.

The Internet as a new medium has captivated multiple audiences with different needs and wants making it an ideal, modern, arena for advertisers. However; “Along with the growth of new media channels comes the need to understand new advertising opportunities and how they can be used to communicate effectively with customers.” (Faber & Stafford 2005). As convergence has multiplied the opportunities for production and consumption of content, they too, have multiplied the opportunities for product marketing and advertising. As a result of this, advertising agencies have had to become more inventive in how they market products hence the establishment of three main types of online advertising; display advertising, search advertising and classified advertising (Spurgeon 2008). However Search engines are increasingly becoming the main way to advertise online, both beneficial and valuable to advertisers, as; “Search advertisers target search terms rather than consumers.” (Spurgeon 2008 pp25) Here advertisers or their agents aim to purchase key words that in turn relate to their product and will appear when searched for; maximizing the chance to reach interested future customers. Forced to adapt to the changes of a new medium, advertising companies have successfully managed to assert their influence over new media, as the three techniques, specifically search media have helped lessen the gap between advertisers and reaching consumers.

Through the internet, consumers are bombarded with varying marketing content, due to this, there was the need to create contemporary, exciting advertisements that would funnel through new media and attract consumers. Branded Content was the invention and has proven successful since its introduction as it has stood out from the usual clutter of advertising. “Branded entertainment aims to contextualize brand images in ways that are so appealing that consumers will seek them out for inclusion in their personalized media and entertainment flows.” (Spurgeon 2008 pp. 40) Through this explanation Spurgeon suggests that through branded content consumers are recognizing the product, enjoying the marketing campaign and then actively displaying it through converging media channels, essentially promoting and marketing it themselves. The concept, from which branded entertainment became established, is Madison & Vine where there is an intersection of movie or Hollywood content and advertising content. The aim is therefore to embed this content throughout the advertisement somewhat stealthily and seductively; “often blurring the lines between commerce and art and popular culture and public culture.”(Spurgeon 2008) in order to provoke the audience to buy the product and furthermore, advertise it through their own media channels e.g. Social media websites, blogs.

  Creatively Nike used branded entertainment in order to market their new FuelBand an athletic performance tracking band with the slogan “Make it count”. Hiring director Casey Neistat and editor Max Joseph and aiming to produce a successful campaign Nike were intrigued and excited with the final result. Rather than spend the budget on creating an advertisement, the pair used the money to travel around the world in ten days, embodying the ethos of “Make it count” which resulted in a four minute video displaying their travels and varied inspirational quotes throughout, that expressed exactly what Nike wanted. Convergence played a role in the success of the campaign as the new media outlet twitter brought it to the eyes of consumers and interactively created the hash tag “Make it Count” where consumers tweet and incorporate the slogan with their experiences, generating interest and circulating the product. In utilizing the concept of convergence and new media, Nike have broken out of the traditional old media advertising schemes and adopted a contemporary way to reach modern consumers.

 

Convergence and New media have greatly impacted the way advertising has had to change overtime. Appreciating new media and the ways it crosses multiple platforms, advertising agencies have excelled by producing new, innovative and contemporary campaigns that relate to a new audience adapting to new media forms. Hence media companies are grasping on to the idea of convergence and learning how to accelerate media flows and media content across new delivery channels in order to reach more customers, and produce successful campaigns. (Jenkins 2006) Therefore although the prospect of new media and convergence first challenged advertisers it has since provided them new pathways for even better success.

References


Faber. R & Stafford. M (2005) Advertising, promotion and New media, published M.E. Sharpe Inc, New York, pp 3-29

Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture, New York, New York University Press, pp 1-24.

Li, Zoe, April 2012, “A million views and counting: The making of 'Make It Count', CNNGO, Accessed 25 August 2012
< http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/make-it-count-casey-neistat-108841>

Make it Count, 2012, online video, accessed 25 August 2012
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxfZkMm3wcg>

Sinclair, John and Wilken, Rowan (2009) 'Waiting for the kiss of life : mobile media and advertising' Convergence: the journal of research into new media, vol 15 no 5 pp 427 - 445

Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media, Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45.