Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Media Convergence
The age of media convergence is undoubtedly establishing itself in more ways than one.
Our media landscape is rapidly expanding beyond the traditional forms of media that
include television, radio, and various forms of print media. The digital media convergence
phenomenon encompasses the merging, transitional process whereby "new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and cultures".
(Dwyer 2010: 2)

The proliferation of media delivery modes is a major contributing factor to the convergence
of 'new media' where it was "once imagined that convergence meant that all media would be delivered via the personal computer, it is now recognised that the new media reality is a
multimedia one". (Dwyer 2010: 12) The rapid development and evolvement of media can be accredited to the many new devices that can be used as an access portal to new relationships between advertiser and consumer. "With tablet use becoming more widespread, we're presented with the opportunity to create experiences for a device where advertising becomes as engaging and indistinguishable from content. Advertising here will have TV's impact coupled with the actionable nature of online". (Figueroa, 2011)

In Jenkin's article, 'Worship at the Altar of Convergence, A New Paradigm for Understanding
Media Change', emphasis is placed on the way in which media devices are being modified to the ever changing demands of the advertiser and consumer, using the specific example of shopping for a single function mobile phone but becomes aware that these kinds of devices are no longer in existence due to the enforcement of convergence, "This was a powerful demonstration of how central mobiles have become to the process of media convergence" (Jenkins 2006: 5)

The convergence model adopts the merging of old and new media as mentioned previously, in which the use of a computer for distribution and exhibition is recognised, rather than just a means of production. New media is characterised by variability. Instead of identical copies, a new media object characteristically gives rise to many different versions that are generated and assembled by a computer. (Manovich 2001: 19) In regards to this new media, the electronic book era is upon us, an example of this can be found in the following advertisement for Kindle.

This ad promoting the progressive medium of digital reading epitomises the convergent media culture, surpassing the medium of traditional paperback books. They compare and contrast the advantages of a real book and a Kindle, the latter obviously winning the argument. This advertisement emphasises the advertiser's need to adapt and refine their products for the rising interactive digital media environment.

Another example of converging new media can be found everywhere in the form of 'Quick Response' codes that are used in conjunction with a smart phone and can be found in all forms of print media. After scanning the code, you are connected online to the product from which you scanned. Here we see the functions of an old media device (mobile phone) coexisting with a barcode with a barcode concept of advertising. The old media is not being displaced, but their status is experiencing a shift due to the introduction of new media and technologies. This 'QR Codes' video mentions "grassroot advertising familiarity and comfort level of this grassroots marketing tool is inspiring". This 'grassroots' term has become synonymous with convergence. As Jenkins explains, corporate and grassroots companies reinforce each other and assist in bringing consumer and media producers closer together by specifically, "learning how to accelerate the flow of media content across delivery channels to expand revenue opportunities". (Jenkins 2006: 12)



Consumers are now taking control of the way in which they consume and interact with these new media technologies. These 'QR codes are rapidly penetrating the social media marketing realm due to ease of use and accessibility. Originally developed in Japan in 1994 to promote Toyota, these codes can now be found everywhere and have provided a valuable platform for companies to promote their product to consumers
in a user friendly format.

This need for advertisers to adapt to innovative ways of advertising can be further explored in the fundamental role social media plays in the scheme of advertising as a new media tool. Forbes recently acquired statistics showing that over half of the companies listed in the 'Fortune 500' don't provide their Twitter or Facebook link, further exemplifying their ignorance of the magnitude and power of engagement social media offers in a global age of convergence. "this is a classic example of where consumer behaviour is changing much faster than companies are adapting". (Knapp, 2012)

By now we are able to see a growing trend with advertising...the testing ground for their ads are displayed primarily online using digital platforms such as Google, YouTube and Yahoo! to name a few. These sites are used to gauge consumer response, and are then considered for television audiences. Advertising sustains the way in which we consume media. It harnesses and exploits the explosion on digital media, principally via online resources, as quoted in a UK Guardian article, "The internet now accounts for 23.5% of all advertising money spent in the UK, while TV ad spend accounts for 21.9% of marketing budgets." (Sweney, 2009)

Search media has also extended the availability and accessibility of advertising services. "Advertising in search engines and online directories is the largest, and one of the fastest growing segments of online advertising." (Spurgeon 2008: 24)
The Google Chrome browser has seen the rise of advertising growth since its launch in 2008 through successful and diversified online features including an "accessible address bar which doubles as a search bar, and help increase Google's revenues by positively influencing Google's search market share". (Forbes, 2012)

Through a close examination of the embedment of convergence culture and the way new media and advertising fluctuate, we see that while it may seem advertisers and consumers alike have moved online,
this adaption will continually be modified and reworked. With the introduction of new media devices that are slowly changing the way in which we interact and access media, we can never be certain of the final outcome of convergence, as it is an invariable process, "Convergence does not mean ultimate stability or unity. It operates as a constant force for unification but always in dynamic tension with change....There is no immutable law of growing convergence; the process of change
is more complicated than that". (Jenkins 2006: 9)


Reference List

Pictures & Video
Texts
  • Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide NY University Press.
  • Manovich, L 2001, The Language of New Media, MIT Press.
  • Rheingold, H 2008, 'Using Participatory Media and Public Voice to Encourage Civic Engagement'. Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  • Spurgeon, C 2008, Advertising and New Media, Oxon: Routledge.
Online Articles
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