Photo Essay - Isobel Littler and Rachael Bradley

Urban Resting Places
By Isobel Littler & Rachael Bradley

Rationale:

The theme of our photo essay is “urban resting places”. The concept behind this reflects Murray’s idea of the every aesthetic as we often overlook or fail to notice these resting places whilst we go about our day to day lives. As amateur photographers we encapsulated new, unique and different ways of perceiving these resting places through our sub-theme of lines and angles. By composing the photos with a black and white effect, the viewer is able to focus on the lines and angles of the resting place, without the distraction of colour. By overlapping two sound tracks throughout the photo essay we have captured the embodiment of what it is to utilise a resting place within an urban environment. Ultimately, we have taken these mundane objects and through photographing them with a focus on their lines and angles we have depicted Murray’s concept of how something can get lost through a photograph, yet we have demonstrated how one can perceive it in a new and innovative respect.

Georgia Farrell- 42874963

Convergence culture and new media has significantly risen in a new wave capturing contemporary methods, ideas and practices. Marketing is an example where modern techniques have been employed to ultimately engross and capture target audiences. Advertising campaigns heavily rely on consumer culture and in this notion, marketing strategies must employ tactics to create appeal, thus have a positive outcome from the campaign. Advertisers must embrace a new world and thus engage with those who embrace and seek to participate in a cyber world. Today the Internet provides mediums for marketing and advertising that engages and seeks to change public discourse about a product. Social media sites such as Facebook capture media convergence in terms of technological and marketing convergence.

In an innovative and rapidly changing world, marketing is required to comprehend and appreciate a new, more creative style to create appeal. Today advertising campaigns have heavily shifted from the norms of a product simply highlighting the ‘needs, wants, and functions’ and delves into an arena of entertainment. A modern audience is somewhat compelled by an increasing movement into entertainment rather than information. In this notion, there has been a shift from forwardly providing information about the product and its value to an entertaining, thus more intriguing advertisement where the product is only known at the end of the advertisement. Entertainment value in advertisements provides a challenge to converge music, script and scenery and is consequently a result in a increasing artistic campaigns not only  to engage a target audience but to interact. Hence, this add replicates an entertainment value for a mobile phone brand, captures the audience with music and voice over, and the audience can interact using their iPhones  and app ‘Shazam’ to enter a competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETUS0LIWqFU

 In this particular add, it is clear that they have encompassed forms of new media and attempted to reach into the public sphere of participatory culture. The advertisement itself is about the convergence of video and camera on a cellular phone and in this analysis media convergence becomes relative. The advertising techniques demonstrate how companies manipulate new media, aim to involve viewers with other forms of media and thus, the sales of a product become successful.

            Participatory culture is now embedded in our lifestyle and marketing in effect, adheres to address audiences and consumers in their campaigns. The demand for hearsay and interaction whether it be verbal or social networking calls for advertisers to form new techniques where audiences can enact on a process of watching, understand, comprehending, involving and sharing.  Additionally advertising is vastly stepping away from the straight just information of a product and persuasiveness of why one should purchase it, but in contrast looks to broaden an indirect involvement with responders through all types of new media outlets. (Sheenhan,2009).

            Marketing has always involved brands, slogans and logos that acts as representation for a certain brand. Branding acts as a safety net for consumers to know that what they purchase will be the same, providing the satisfactory element. In a new media world, logos need to work harder to engage, entertain and satisfy a consumer audience. One could question as to how do brands resonate with customers before they even try the product. This is an area where marketing and convergence of new media combined to engage prior to trying a product. Attempting to resonate a brand is highly prevalent in food for example where consumers need assertion about a brand before they attempt it. The following clip is an example of where an advertisement has attempted to establish themselves as a reliable brand of bread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9yR1TonI-o

In this add, ‘Tip top’ attempts to establish their brand through the use of jingle. Jingles highly resonate with audiences and interact with audiences of a different platform. The jingle becomes a form of logo and appears In most other Tip Top adds. The jingle not only is catchy but aims to entertain and promote the brand subconsciously to the consumer. The branding is also portrayed in the add and is a logo reminder of  the bread.

           

Branding and new media work in cohesion with consumers, as they are able to share and create a public sphere around a certain product. Consumers, particularly in Australia have sought to take on humorous campaigns and products that a somewhat of a novelty to purchase. In this analogy, branding becomes important alongside convergence media as a traditional form of advertising is incorporated with new form of entertainment and humor. Snuggie is a brand for example that Australians have embraced. The product is evidently almost absurd, however the brand has rather echoed in consumers ears making the brand successful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZp-GLMMJ0

Consumers have then attempted to reincarnate and add the comical and outrageous commentary to the brand. It is this technological advance of voice over that new media can change the whole prospect of a brand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48ypbqa-H1Q

             

Advertisers have launched at the enormous online participation of the Internet and new media and as a result, have attempted to engage a target market of those who are apart of a cyber culture.  The internet provides and new dimension where users are subjected to advertising as a apart of their online social interaction with the world. Facebook is an outlet that resembles the trend of advertising infiltrating our networking. Online advertising plays a whole new role in that more power is put on the consumer. A consumer is able to read an advertisement but they themselves have the power to click and enact about more information. Tools such as, music and film suddenly become alienated but and traditional billboard advertising is reinstated. Instead the a visual image, or short questions of rhetoric and other traditional marketing methods are employed. However is it different in the fact that it is displayed on the new wave media screen with the involvement of social networking?

What the public sphere doesn’t know is that there is a degree of personalization where consumers are specifically target marketed in terms of gender and age. For example women may have clothes add campaigns where as men may have sporting activities tickets or men’s apparel.

  

Marketing today is a challenge that is continuous and searches for creative, new and innovative techniques to portray a product. Advertisers must allow for the consumer to interact and engage with a product on another level and new media convergence is the ultimate medium where one can participate. New media has allowed branding to become personal to a degree for consumers and intrigues and invites rather than inform. Advertsing will be forever changing along new media and convergence, industries should embrace and deliver a product for a successful outcome.

References:

Deuze, M. (2007). Convergence Culture in the Creative Industries. International Journal of Cultural Studies 10(2) pp. 243 – 263

Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: NY University Press

Sheehan, K. and Morrison, D. (2008) Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world. First Monday 34(3-2). Available at: http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121

Taylor, C. and Neuborne, E. (2002) Getting Personal. MediaWeek 12(40) pp. 101-105

HTC,2012 Mobile Phone,Youtube, Shazam

Spurgeon, Christina L. (2008) Advertising and New Media. New York: Routledge

Introduction: Isabelle

Hi, my name's Isabelle.

I'm eighteen and this is my first year and second semester at uni. I'm doing a bachelor of arts in media and trying to end up in public relations after my degree. I used to go to Pymble Ladies College. I currently have a part time job at Coles but I'm in the process of trying to find a different job.

Ashish Sachdev 42307112

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

Music Video Online 

Digital media convergence is the integration of all forms of traditional, technological, industrial, cultural practices and old media. It has changed the very definition of media from tangible film negatives, vinyl records and tenth generation videocassettes to intangible, perfectly duplicate-able, wireless air sharing and downloadable music, text and video. Convergence is top-down and bottom-up. People are no longer passive media spectators but participate at three levels: production, selection, and distribution.( Jenkins’s 2006) Digital media has converged from different states of specialised technology into single  products with a combination of inbuilt funtions. My phone is not only my phone but my video sharing device my television, my ipod, my calender , my addressbook, my gps and my gaming device.

Till the end of the 1970s prior to the founding of Music television, the radio was still the primary source of music.  Most music was now being produced by companies on side-to-side music cassettes. This method was proving to be a much more profitable and efficient way to help distribute and promote music making it more accessible to the public. With the introduction of the personal computer in the early 1970s and the even more significant invention of the Internet, music and music video has been most readily available than ever before.

The new era of digital music and mp3 came to first emerge from the introduction of Napster in 1991. It brought about the emergence of a new peer-to-peer sharing of music over the Internet an evolution from analogue to digital media. In 2001 at its peak more that 1.5 million people were sharing and downloading music online via the Internet embedding in the minds of consumers the idea of bypassing the purchase of established distribution forums such as records, tapes and compact discs (CD’s). 

Naptser shut down later that year after a successful 3-year run but left behind the quick catching trend of music which could now be downloaded, shared and stored on personal computers.  Following this, the demands for online music and music video downloads were left souring. The first and most famous information technology company to grab advantage of this demand was apple with its iTunes in 2003 to sell songs on the online store and later music videos onto their iPod portable digital media music player. By 2006 apple had sold over 100 million iPods’ and more that 2.5 billion songs with royalties offered to artists and record companies. The iPod's creation capitalized on the expression of privately consumed music (Dwyer, 2010: p. 8). This paradigm shift within the media industry is nothing new and that during the 1990s the prediction of a digital revolution was met with the assumption that old media would be pushed aside and the Internet would replace traditional broadcasting (Jenkins 2006).

In the 21^st century the idea of music video is no longer about money and money alone. Music video television has been overtaken by online delivery platforms. The music video industry once entirely run by MTV has now become the hub of reality television and celebrity gossip. With lack of industry funds due to the loss of huge audience base Mtv is no longer a commercial music-selling tool. In relation to digital media convergence there has been a drastic shift “from the industry made music video to hand made music videos” (sibilla, 2010:227).  New artists are being born on the Internet everyday, making song covers and parodies over video sharing sites like YouTube. The Internet is now the driving fuel behind music video generation through out social media platforms.But as stated by jenkins "Old media never truly dies as it is always evolving, rather it is the delivery technologies that become obsolete and get replaced" (jenkins 2006). Mtv has taken advantage of the shift of primary source of entertainment and information from television to the internet and has created a collaberation youtube channel with vevo generating atleast 50 million views a month.

One real world example of the emerging YouTube culture is the song “ here it goes again” by Ok Go, a home made music video by a local band, with a video camera in a single continues take of a synchronized sequence on  hired treadmills that gained over 15 million views and went on to chart on the billboard hot 100. Ray William Johnson another example of stardom through views and likes,  an average american who comically with a basic editing software reviewed three viral vides every week and posted on youtube gained popularity and now has his own line of music videos, regular vlog updates, merchandise store and even hires guest celebrities.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNKfYcRpCEI) One of the most significant and revolutionary artist Michael Jackson’s phenomenal “thriller” music video was a perfect combination of music and movie like video which reshaped the music industry to what it its today. His music is more than three decades later not only the base for all pop music but also demonstrates the power of visual music media. Till date 'thriller' is one of the most viewed videos with over 100 million viwes on youtube and countless home remakes and parodies.

The power to make successful music videos has evolved from that of record company massive funding to these empowered consumers views, likes and shares on social media platforms. The convergence of internet with music videos have developed a close relation between the following fan base and artists and are continually opening new spots for local bands and artists towards mainstream music success . Digital media has congverged to form a integrated, collaberated, more widely accessable and freely generated enabling  mass audiences to become the hub of generating, selling and consuming its own media resources facilitating a progressive evolution of digital media technology.

References

Unit readings:

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

Dwyer, T (2010), Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, p. 8   

Hilderbrand, L. (2007) 'Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright

Converge', Film Quarterly, Vol 61, pp 48-57 

Guest Lecture Dr. Liz Giuffre August 15 Macquaire Univeristy North ryde X5b t1

Dr Sarah Keith Digital Convergence August 8 Macquaire Univeristy North ryde X5b t1


 

 

 

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.

Recommended Readings:

Jenkins, H. (2004) The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence

Lecture Content:

Keith, S. (2012) Digital Convergence, MAS110. Macquarie University, August 8 3:03pm

Khamis, S. (2012) Is Media Sustained by or for Advertising, MAS110. Macquarie University, August 22, 3:03pm

Additional Research:

Elliot,Rundle-Thiele, Waller, 2011, Marketing 2^nd edn, Wiley, Australia

Assignment 1, Convergence Online Music Video

Matthew McAnally, 42850614

Tutor name: Dr. Sarah Keith

Convergence is not only accountable for the morphing of the Western music video but is directly responsible for the changing of the music industry over such a short period of time. The juggernaut video sharing website known as Youtube has changed the foundations of the music video industry to the point where the effects can no longer be reversed. Not only did the migration of the music video unshackle the music market from producer driven formulas but allowed a competitive market to exist between music icons and amateurs alike. Lastly, the very conventions of the online music video changed as a result of the media convergence. The results of convergence are perhaps best demonstrated through the evolution of music within the past 20 years to the present day.

The convergence of  television music videos to video sharing sites, the biggest known as YouTube, has in turn changed the formulaic industrial success of producer driven labels. Many music media producers are, if not have been, overrun by willing en masse users who demand a higher expectation of personalised watching than the mainstream producers once controlled (Jenkins, 2004: p. 37). While MTV once had a fixed control over the consumer of what was considered 'good music' of the 1980s, which amounted from the excessive hair metal bands to the pop idolisation of Michael Jackson and Madonna, the repetitive exposure of these formulaic creations resulted in a push away into more alternative music. This was the first time the music video producers had experienced rejection from a new audience who sought private terminal access to music. Though Grunge was eventually picked up by MTV and was formulised once again, MTV had paradoxically formulised itself in the process. Contrastingly, the iPod's creation (at the end of 2001) capitalized on the expression of privately consumed music (Dwyer, 2010: p. 8). As music grew within the collection of the individual (Sodergard, 2003: p. 34-35), so did the market. Eventually, the market converged to personal portals which include desktops and laptops. The evolution of music videos which converged to personal Medias is the reason why the majority of the market has become individualised to personal tastes.

The Merging of music videos to the realm of Youtube has resultantly created a competitive market. Convergence of both access to music replication and the internet allowed a form of short portable television in the form of music video to cross mediums (Orgad, 2009: p. 200-205). Based upon the duality of watching as well as creating, the struggles for views between the reputable pop star and an average nobody have converged on the same platform. While the neo-liberalistic market allowed adaptations to occur as a result of video access (Appadurai, 1990: p. 323-324), many stars have evolved out of the websites on principle alone. The most viewed video on Youtube, 'Baby,' is in fact a music video created by a teenager artist known as Justin Bieber. Ironically, Bieber was discovered by a music label which had watched his original Youtube videos he had put up as an amateur. Clearly, this example expresses that "it(s) about creating a community around the video" in more ways than one (Hilderbrand, 2007: p. 54); Bieber not only capitalised on the individualised market of the next worshipped girl teen idol but also used a convergent media form in an attempt to get noticed. Jutin Bieber now sells out entire arenas and is considered a mainstream performer of pop music.

Lastly, the convergence of media has changed the form of competitive in the online music videos.  What is even more interesting is the discovery of an entire music genre found by use of the internet originally challenged the need of a music video. The emerging music genre known as Dubstep became popular by the postings of an artist known as Skrillex. The music video 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites'

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw) was posted on Youtube with literally a poster instead of a video in 2010. By time of writing, this had reached over 100 million views. Evidently, this had occurred far from how music producers had once thought the internet would be used (Jenkins, 2006: p.9). Consequently, a famous electronic artist known as Deadma5 signed Skrillex to his record label after viewing these videos (which account to more like hearings). A symbolic reference in the video 'Skrillex Interview 2011' ironically has Skrillex stating "but I'm not mainstream because I'm not on MTV," oblivious that the interviewer was actually from MTV,

  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3dxEiHFzsI).

 Skrillex can therefore be seen as an artist that reflects the trend of a knowledgeable and underground core audience creating the next mainstream idol based upon the views of a privately accessed but collectively followed videos on Youtube. Both Justin Bieber and Skrillex have become main line acts around the world and their videos are played now by the remaining music channels on television.

Convergence is having an incredible influence in how we view the world today as much as we view an online music video. Not only was it a determining factor in the decline of MTV but it destroyed the producer-controlled market of music. Consequently, this allowed for a greater freedom to be expressed by the individuals to watch whatever music video at any time they wanted. With the market driven by the neo-liberalistic user, it wasn't long before consumers began to experiment within the new framework, Justin Bieber becoming an outcome of the new system built upon convergence. the fusion of convergence with the online video clip also produced new forms of mass appeal, Skrillex's early 'blank' music videos being the perfect example. Based upon the investigated assumptions in relation to convergence, it is safe to assume that the expectation of the music video has changed permanently in the online public sphere.

Bibliography

Jenkins, H (2004), The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Massachusetts, p.37

Dwyer, T (2010), Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, p. 8

Sodergard, C (2003), Mobile Television: Technology and User Experiences, VTT Publications 506, Helsinki, p. 34-35

Orgad, S (2009), Mobile TV: Old and New in the Construction of an Emergent Technology, Sage, UK, p. 200-205

Appadurai, A (2000) [1990] Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy, in Frank Lechner and John Boli (eds), The Globalisation Reader, Blackwell, Oxford, p.323-324

Hilderbrand, L (2007),  Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge, Film Quarterly, Vol. 61, p. 54

Jenkins, H (2006), Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, NY University Press, New York, p. 9

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>