The concept of convergence comes from the word 'converge', meaning to come together from different directions so as eventually to meet (Oxford 2012). In the area of digital media this refers to the ongoing process of separate media technologies combining into one platform. An example of digital convergence in action is the availability of television shows on the internet. Formally only available in the on the television, and on restrictive material playback devices (such as a DVD), clips from films and television are now commonly played on the computer. Whilst this makes the video more accessible for consumers, illegal file sharing over the internet has lessened the value of such videos for a very simple reason - why would someone bother to sit through hours of ads on free-to-air prime time television when the same product is readily available on their laptop? (They often wouldn't.)
Advertising and Convergence
When consumers are no longer reliant on the television for their shows, advertisers face a significant disadvantage. Advertising used to be very limited to print media, radio or television. Thirty-second ads on TV were extremely common and tied to the tv set. Once consumers started branching out and accessing the same media from different locations, advertisers had to adapt to the changes. Nowadays advertisers and media distributers will be found online themselves - actually providing the video content on a new platform for consumers because they know that consumers will either watch the clip as provided by the official , or on a third-party's channel - another fan's, for instance. Advertisers have realised that it is more effective to provide the consumers with what they want and promote their brand in the process, than restrict access and have the consumers locate the content elsewhere, advertising-free (Splurgeon 2008).
Case Study: Television
Television shows were once available exclusively on the television. This is no longer the case. Digital convergence has resulted in shows being available online – through illegal copying and sharing. Youtube, a video sharing website, is a common place to find clips of episodes, either uploaded by a fan or by an official TV network. One such example is United States network CBS, which broadcasts the popular US sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. CBS will upload clips of shows to their Youtube channel for the purpose of attracting fans back to the television. Additionally, advertising can be added to a Youtube video so that CBS can maintain its advertising revenue whilst providing free, legal online video. Youtube often quickly removes clips uploaded by fans for breach of copyright laws, but this may not be the only reason -
Rights owners request to have streaming YouTube videos disabled not necessarily because they are competing with owners' own residual marketing but because they want to maintain some kind of control over what is publicly accessible and how it is distributed. (Hilderbrand 2007)
This suggests that some networks may not be comfortable with the shift towards online video because it takes away their control and gives it back to the consumer.
Example of a clip from The Big Bang Theory, uploaded by CBS
In addition to content available through Youtube, most television networks now provide a service for streaming past episodes and watching them online. These services tend to lessen the need for illegal file sharing as consumers who have missed an episode can easily catch up through the online service. However it should be noted that these services can never completely eliminate the need for file sharing because many fans like to keep a copy of the episode on their hard drive, for re-watching and sometimes editing for recreational purposes. CBS offers a service to view full episodes of the Big Bang Theory via their Video section. These episodes are limited by location and time. Channel Nine, broadcaster of the same show in Australia offers a similar service called Catch Up for Australian fans.
Recently announced was the decision to allow Australian viewers online access to episodes of the popular british television show, Doctor Who, very soon after the episode airs in the United Kingdom. In the past fans have had to choose between waiting a week for the episode to be shown on the ABC, the weekend after originally airing in the UK, or illegally download the episode from UK sources early on a Sunday morning. However the ABC has caught onto the trend, and is allowing enthusiastic fans access to the episode from just after 5am on a Sunday morning on iView, the ABC's version of Nine's "Catchup". Unfortunately, giving consumers access to this content won't actually stop illegal file sharing, as many viewers like to have a copy of the episode saved on their computer to watch later, but it may slow the trend. Entertainment blog 'mUmBRELLA' says:
The move is the first time an Australian television network has broadcast content within such a short time of its international release (mUmBRELLA 2012).
New Advertising
As a result of the movement from television set to World Wide Web, advertisers have had to adapt to the changes and come up with new ways to advertise. One such advancement is the viral revolution. This term refers to when a piece of media quickly spreads through mainstream internet sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Tumblr, quite similar to a virus (hence the name). The viral effect works because the content is entertaining enough to send on, and consumers and audiences propel the content themselves. Advertisers use this effect because they simply have to provide a short advertisement and hope that the consumers will spread it for them. Spending money on a short, simple advertisement in one place is much more effective than buying multiple prime time television ad spots, however the advertisement needs to feel much more like a piece of entertainment than a piece of advertising. That way, consumers will want to share it. As convergence continues, so should this trend but historically, advertising as art is not a new concept.
Advertisers have viewed advertising as an art form since the 1960s, when the field underwent a creative revolution. Ads became more entertaining and intriguing as the rigid hard-sell conventions of the 1950s were relaxed. As cultural theorist Thomas Frank has argued, advertising began in the 1960's to appropriate the language of the counterculture, and to aim to attach to products the signification of being hip. This trend has only increased since that time and today many products are sold through associations with youth culture and the idea of being cool. (Sturken and Cartwright 2001).
Advertisement for Cadbury, successfully 'went viral'
The advertisement above was so successful because it is disguised as entertainment. This is the Australian version of the ad - featuring John Farnham's vocals, a local Australian artist. The ad itself is more of a 'feel-good' celebration rather than a typical persuasive advertisement, but the iconic purple colour primarily makes up the background, so Cadbury is never far from the mind.
In the future...
As digital media convergence continues and new platforms of entertainment are established while old platforms become irrelevant, we should expect to see advertising become more of a part of entertainment media. We are already seeing advertisements disguised as entertainment and this trend should continue.
References
Definition of converge, Oxford Dictionaries, accessed 31st August 2012, <http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/converge?q=converge>
ABC to premiere new Doctor Who series online within an hour of international release - mUmBRELLA, accessed 29th August 2012, <http://mumbrella.com.au/abc-to-premiere-new-doctor-who-series-online-within-an-hour-of-international-release-112411>
Hilderbrand L, 2007, Film Quarterly, Vol 61, pp 55
Sturken M & Cartwright L, 2001, The Manufacturing of Desire, pp 199
Spurgeon, C. (2008) Advertising and New Media, Oxon, Routledge, pp 24-45.
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