Task 1. Convergent Media Short Online Essay. Jacqueline Gibson.

Digital Media Convergence and its Effects on Advertising with New Media

Introduction

Digital media convergence is the process whereby the content of media previously restricted to one or two mediums is now able to transcend many platforms and be accessed by more consumers than ever before. However, the potential of media providers to attract a large audience base is challenged by the rise of the sovereign consumer. In accordance with the need to attract demanding consumers and their new methods of consumption, there has been a transformation in the production of media. Advertising provides an excellent example of this phenomenon. New media is manipulated to form internet search advertising, viral campaigns and branded content. These are prominent features of the digitally converged advertising industry. Evidently the integration of various media technologies has culminated in a substantial change in the relationship between producer and consumer and in the advertising industry this has posed questions of advertising ethics. 

Sovereign Consumers and the Movement to Internet Search Advertising

Reference: Burton, G. (2009) Old Media is a Monologue

Sovereign consumers have been derived from the movement of individuals from passive spectators to an interactive audience, as an outcome of digital media convergence. Media providers aim to convert this interactive aspect into a participatory one (Jenkins, 2006: 18) increasing the likelihood of their profits benefiting from the release of new media content. The problem lies in the creation, due to digital media convergence, of an array of choices for media consumption. Choices are equal to freedom and within this freedom audiences hold an authority over the advertiser. Effectively, the consumer has become nomadic in nature (Jenkins, 2006: 18). As a result, advertisers have had to revolutionise the methods by which they  disseminate their product's information and appeal. An example is search terms advertising. This is a form of internet advertising which has proved effective in its simplicity of offering a consumer who plugs a certain term into a search engine, advertising results which are at least somewhat related. Small and local businesses have particularly benefited from this development as well as large corporations. Google is a popular search engine for search term marketing becoming 'the powerhouse in advertising' (Dwyer, 2010: 18).  From 2008 to 2009 Google's brand value increased by 25% (O'Guinn, Allen and Semenik, 2012; 25) revealing the extremity of this industry's boom due to the consumers movement to digitalised and converged media.

The Rise of the Viral Advertisement and Multi-platform Campaigns

Conversely, viral advertisement has become more popular for larger companies looking to promote their product or service to a large audience in the world of new media convergence. Admittedly, the art of the viral advertisement is difficult to accomplish. Nonetheless, many agencies have attempted to employ this technique, and in doing so they have morphed the world of advertising development as it was previously known. Production has become the main sector of a budget and distribution is now only a small portion. For example BMW Films spent 90% on production and only 10% on distribution (Spurgeon, 2008: 40) Distribution now requires tactical and strategic decisions to be made by the advertisers to ensure their creative content becomes a viral success. Social networking sites are the form of new media at the heart of this transformation, as they are a poignant convergence media.

Regularly, a viral advertisement doesn't only occur on the social media platform but is marketed through a multi-platform campaign. M&M's -Find Red is an example of a successful multi-platform campaign run in Canada in 2010. Multiple platforms were integrated with mediums such as Google Street view, Youtube, QR codes, posters, a dedicated advertising website, and twitter used collaboratively. Campaign results revealed 15,600,000 impressions were made by the marketing strategy and despite being a national campaign it reached a global audience. Multi-platform is an initiative which when skilfully constructed can be successful in the world of digital media convergence. Ethics in advertising are evident in this area though, as there are hesitations to introduce the mass mobile advertising platform. As Wilken and Sinclair (2009) state, 'Given the degree to which concern over users’ resistance appears to be responsible for the evident reluctance in the nascent industry to fully exploit its new commercial technology, there seems to be a certain shift in the balance of power between producers and consumers, at least in comparison to traditional mass media.'. This ties in with the challenged presented by the sovereign consumer as well as regulations, such as the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) in Australia which legislates the need for consumer consent, imposed on mobile advertising. Ultimately, convergence is still a process though, and advertising through new media is also in the process of developing. Hence, many new practices are expected to arise and the 'kiss of life' (Wilken and Sinclair, 2009: 427) for mobile platform advertising is just one of these.

 Reference: proximityworldwide. (2010) M&M's - Find Red

Branded Content within Entertainment Media

Reference: Svadilfari, S. (2008) Coca-Cola

Branded content has become a new element in entertainment media due to digital media convergence, rather than just a placement of a product within the frame. (Hudson and Hudson, 2006: 489). Ethical issues concerning the fabrication of advertisement as pure entertainment need to be addressed as this becomes a dominate trend. Digital media convergence has been the force behind this shift. The consumer's disinterest in blatant advertising is combated by the merging of a product seamlessly into the content of a  media such as a television show, movie, webisode or magazine. A more positive reaction can be established by associating the advertised product with the entertainment the consumer enjoys. This removes the hassle of needing to lure the consumer into actively engaging with an advertisement. Simple product placement has been modernised so that it is almost unrecognisable in its current form, of almost flawless sensationalism of products, woven into the storyline. An example of branded content in entertainment is Coca-Cola which according to Nielson Media Research managed 2,260 product placements or mentions in the first season of their monitoring of branded content effectiveness. (Hudson and Hudson, 2006: 498) Apparent in this statistic is the value of branded content within  digitally converged media, as dictated by the sovereign consumer.

Principles of advertising are unmapped in the territory of branded content advertising in entertainment media. Whilst there are often still some indicators of where the two media types converge, such as a manifold of close up shots of the product and an unrealistic gleam added visually or conceptually, the integrity of passing off an advertisement as part of leisure media is questionable. Hudson and Hudson (2006), briefly explore the ethics which are inextricably linked to this new form of media cross over. Debated areas include, subliminal messages, branded content in media aimed at children and the inclusion of controversial products such as tobacco and guns. In accordance with concern over subliminal messages, the music industry is under fire for allowing brands to be interlaced within traditional lyrics. Further development of branded content will demand greater regulation, so that a balance is met between advertising objectives and social interests in the new integrated media industry.

Conclusion


Digital media convergence is the shift of media once restricted to certain mediums being able to be shared across a range of platforms. The sovereign consumer has been born in this era of emerging technologies and merging media. Consequently, advertisers have suffered. To contest this internet search term advertising has been introduced targeting the consumer's requirements and desires. Viral advertising and multi-platform campaigns are also being increasingly employed. Ethical issues can be considered in relation to these marketing strategies as well as branded content in entertainment media. As there is constant evolution and advertising exploitation of this new media, due to convergence, there needs to be a simultaneous revision of the principles that are acceptable. Overall, as long as there are points of reflection and subsequent amendments, many new and exciting opportunities will arise from digital convergence for consumers and producers.


Bibliography

Burton, G. (2009) Old Media is a Monologue, Flickr (Creative Commons). Available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wakingtiger/3157621862/. [Accessed 30 March 2012]

Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp 1-23

Hudson, S. and Hudson, D. (2006) Branded Entertainment: A New Advertising Technique or Product Placement in Disguise, Journal of Marketing and Management, 22: 5-6, pp 489-504

Jenkins, H. (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, New York University Press, pp 1-24

O'Guinn, T., Allen, C., Semenik, R (2010) Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion in Business and Society.  In: Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion, 6e, South Western Cengage Learning, pp 4-158

proximityworldwide. (2010) M&M's -find Red,  Youtube. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pXX277TKzw. [ Accessed 29 March 2012]

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

Svadilfari, S. (2008) Coca-Cola, Flickr (Creative Commons). Available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/22280677@N07/2510532872/. [Accessed 30 March 2012]

Wilken, R & Sinclair, J. (2009) 'Waiting for the Kiss of Life': Mobile Media and Advertising, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Vol 15. No. 4, pp 427-445