Discuss the phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to one of the following: Advertising & New Media or Music Video Online.
As technology has developed, digital media convergence has
altered social expectations and cultural behaviour in the aspect of how and why
we access media. The internet accessed by millions of people each day is the
new media outlet for advertising in particular pages such as YouTube and
Facebook . This is a direct result of digital media convergence.
Digital Media convergence is the manipulation of media types
into similar systems that express information in a more efficient way according
to ever changing social expectations. Dwyer describes the technology using
digital media convergences as “the gateway to a multiplicity of services”
(Dwyer, 2010. P-4). This allows society to ‘replace’ many single facet devices
for one multimedia device. What these multimedia devices can accomplish is
dependent on technological development and consumer expectations which are
vastly different from the past. “Convergence involves both a change in the way
media is produced and a change in the way media is consumed” (Jenkins, 2006).
Media convergence did not just happen overnight. With
current videos we can see the product of music and film merged together but
this merge was only brought to life in the 1920’s. Before this we could see the
clear, distinct media of radio and silent movies. Separate they were as they
often were not used to convey similar information to the consumer. With technological
advancement the phenomenon of media convergence occurred and gave us the
building blocks of all forms of video today. (TV, online videos). Cleary the
television was the first device to utilise this new form of media and it has
greatly shaped society today as it used to forms of technology to convey
different aspects on information you would previously not access in one place (entertainment,
news, education).
With the internet came the freedom to access more and more
videos online. We are at a point in time
where YouTube contains over 800 million videos with millions accessing the site
daily. With high demand this sites is targeted heavily by companies wishing to
advertise. A company using video advertisements rather than newspaper and
billboard ads used in the past are much more effective in today’s society as
the ads can be seen on a large variety of technological devices from all over
the world no matter if they are at home or on the move.
BMW is a car manufacturer that has had success in the online video
advertisement industry. In 1993 they released a commercial advertising the BMW
5 Series on TV. We can see in the advertisement they focus greatly on the cars
abilities and its high performance as a vehicle. The video was effective at what the consumer
cared about: car quality and performance and it was simple and to the point.
With internet advertisement taking over a large part of the market BMW had to
make new ads to hold their share of a more competitive motor market than ever.
Adapting to society is a key reason why BMW have been able to stay one of the
most highly regarded car companies in the world.
 |
| Paper Advertisement from BMW |
This new ad from earlier this year sends a totally different message to the potential consumer. It does not use voice at allbut instead replaces it with music. The focus is not as much on the cars performance or abilities but more so on the lifestyle that comes with the car, and the unforgettable experience you feel when driving one. “Advertisers must recognize confluence culture and consider new techniques that allow consumers to be participants in the creation and distribution of messages.” (Sheehan, 2009.) In today’s society the ad is extremely effective as it gives consumers a feel of what it would be like to own a BMW and the idea of being able to exceed your own expectations of yourself by buying one. In essence the advertisements have made you develop a personal bond with the car, which was not possible without the convergence of media.
Media Convergence has been necessary for the expansion of
advertising and media continues to develop and come together companies will
further adapt in order to stay with the ever changing expectations of society.
Successful companies “recognize the changing demographics and needs of their
audiences and work to use their various business units to optimize content delivery”
( Gracie, 2008) New media in the form of TV and internet has had considerable
effect on how we perceive advertising and what is/is not effective. Media
Convergence is evident all around the world and producers must understand the
ways in which to use new technology and media outlets to best entice consumers.
References
Dwyer, T, 2010, Media Convergence,
McGraw Hill, Berkshire
Jenkins, H, 2006, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media
Collide, NY University Press
Lawson-Borders,
Gracie. Media organisations and
convergence: Case studies of media convergence pioneers. Page 5. -
http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MWXg6SIOUUEC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=media+convergence&ots=4Q7Yf8QTwm&sig=9WVPWNjb892ZHIdQK1cHtLgWW1Y#v=onepage&q=media%20convergence&f=false
Sheehan, Kim and Morrison, Deborah (2009) Beyond
convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a
changing world in First Monday vol 14 no 3 -http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121
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