Digital Media Convergence in relation to ‘Advertising and New Media’
The rapid and constant development of digital media in modern times has led to the breaking of industrial, technological and social barriers, leading to the current phenomenon of digital media convergence. Businesses are taking advantage of these emerging forms of convergence and new media and are utilising them for advertising purposes, giving businesses the opportunity to reach audiences in different and more modern ways. New media including social and participatory media has created a world of more effective communication and allows for advertisers to take a more subtle yet direct approach when marketing their products to their key demographic, filtering their advertisements into the everyday lives of consumers.
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The convergence, and coming together of new forms of digital media has completely changed the advertising landscape. Advertisers are now becoming increasingly uncertain of the power that old media once had over an audience, and have recently turned to new media in an aim to seamlessly include their advertisements in the media flow (Spurgeon, 2008). Late night talk show host, Conan O’Brien (Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan) is a wonderful example of the importance and power the phenomenon of digital media convergence has over the media today. O’Brien has transcended the title of mere comedian and over time has solidified himself as not only an image, but a brand. His current logo is a silhouette of his instantly recognisable signature orange hair swayed to the side (See Figure 1). In 2010, O’Brien was replaced on ‘The Tonight Show’, forced off the network he had been faithful to for 17 years and separated from the television medium, on which he created and maintained his career. Having lost all he had worked so hard for, O’Brien decided to explore new media forms, in which he could explore and display his comedy. (O’Brien, 2011) O’Brien’s twitter account description read, “First I had a show, then I had another show, now I have a twitter account.” (Murphey, 2011). When O’Brien finally made his return to television, the effect of his experiences with the internet were evident, as examples of digital media convergence could be found through his show and website. (Team Coco, 2012). O’Brien understood the importance and value in having a website for a television show, Murphey argues “the Internet is now also able to provide something resembling historical context, especially when it comes to television shows where watching, recapping, building episode guides, and reviewing have become part of the television culture itself”.
New and developing social and participatory media plays a major role in the current phenomenon of digital media convergence, and their shaping of a new advertising landscape. Sheehan (2009) argues that in this new technological age, where social and participatory media are basics for any internet user, consumers are not content with simply viewing online content, but must be involved in the production, and be able to interact with them. ‘Conan’ (2012) advertises their website after most segments, even showing the URL on screen for the audience to find out more and even contribute to the show. This advertising of its own website is in attempt to create a full-circle effect, where browsing the webpage will remind users to watch the show, while watching the show will remind users to check the website. When one critically analyses ‘teamcoco.com’, based off a nickname inspired by the internet community, the websites value upon social and technological convergence is apparent as they bring together various social networking sites, allowing consumers to share, embed, like and comment on videos, pictures and articles with a click of a button. This social networking accessibility seems like an essential element in this new advertising landscape, even though other late night talk show websites still seem years away from this type of technology (cbs.com/lateshow 2012). The ultimate benefit to social and participatory media is it’s free and powerful advertising, which subtly makes itself part of a users everyday internet routine. Converging several different types of media, ‘teamcoco.com’ even allows fans to upload their own artworks of Conan. Most of these again rely on Conan’s signature and instantly recognisable traits which always loyally accompany his image and brand.
Digital media convergence presents a more effective way of advertising, utilising new media forms in order for businesses to project their product into the consumers media flow. Reflecting the popular trends on the new media on the internet, O’Brien offers consumers the ‘Conan Shop’ where O’Brien relies on his own image and brand in order to sell clothes and other products. Purchasing of objects and clothes over the internet is a still relatively new idea, though much like the sharing of social networking, a person wearing a ‘Conan’ t-shirt is effective advertising which gives businesses a direct an informal contact with society. Technological convergence has lead us to create products which allow us to perform several tasks on one device. O’Brien and many other brands seeking to widely advertise their product, directly to the consumer’s everyday life through the development of new media. The people at ‘Conan’ created and developed their own mobile application for smart phones and tablets to as the campaign says “take coco on the go” (teamcoco.com/togo 2012) A prime example of digital media convergence, utilising a new media to create an interactive experience for consumers which overall makes the product feel more local and familiar to the user, therefore advertising successfully in this technological landscape.
In conclusion, the career of Conan O’Brien well reflects and represents the phenomenon of digital media convergence, especially in his use of new media and advertising together to subtly advertise directly to the audience in mediums they are more comfortable with.
References
Conan 2010, television program, Turner Broadcasting System, United States.
Late Show 2012, accessed 29/8/2012, cbs.com/lateshow
Murphy, S 2011, How television invented new media, Rutgers University Press.
O’Brien, C 2011, ‘Honorary Degree Recipient Conan O'Brien's Commencement Address to Dartmouth College Graduates’, transcript, Dartmouth College, 12 June, accessed 7/6/2012, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~commence/news/speeches/2011/obrien-speech.html
Sheehan, K and Morrison, D 2009; ‘Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world’, First Monday, March 2009, vol 14, no 3.
Spurgeon, C; 2008, Advertising and New Media, 1st Edition, Routledge, Oxon
Team Coco 2012, accessed 28/8/2012, teamcoco.com
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