Advertising & New Media Convergence
Advertising
has been apart of our society for over a century. In the beginning, people
could browse new merchandise and household items in newspapers and posters.
Some more controversial than others, but the product was being brought to
peoples’ attention and they in turn were affected by it. Looking back at old
ads, we can see how different life was back then and how it shaped society. Today,
there are significant amounts of advertizing as well as the ways in which we
view it all.
Advertising
has been reconstructed and reworked over time. Technology has made it easier
for us to view ads and media. Phones may be the most advanced way to view media
in this day and age. In the reader, an article titled “Worship at the Altar of
Convergence: A New Paradigm for Understanding Media Change”, the author
mentions that finding a simple phone just to make calls doesn’t exist anymore, because
“No body wants them.”(Jenkins, 2006) They have apps for music, movies, games,
and many more. Phones have become the must-have device for most people. With
phones today, we can watch TV shows, browse the internet, and connect with our
friends, not only with texting, but also with apps for Facebook and Twitter.
Having
the internet in the palm of our hands has made advertising more noticeable.
Twitter constantly has a “promoted” tweet with announcements for a new show or
an ad for a new soft drink. Facebook has ads all along the side bar as well.
When downloading free games on an iPhone, there are pop up ads all the time.
Even using Youtube on our phones there are mandatory ads we must watch in order
to view the video we selected. However, according to some, the “predictions for
global mobile ‘ad-spend’ in 2011 will still represent only about 2 percent of world-wide
advertising expenditure.” (Wilken and Sinclair, 2009)
The
phone has been a huge media convergence over the last decade. Not only does it
keep us connected to one another, but also it is a big source of entertainment.
Media companies know this. “Convergence requires media companies to rethink old
assumptions about what it means to consume media, assumptions that shape both
the programming and marketing decisions.” (Jenkins, 2006)
Companies are
aware that technology is growing and people want information as soon as they
can get it. In the United States, there was a cell phone commercial about
having the fastest phone. In the commercial, someone was on their phone while
people would come up to them asking if they heard about this or that. The
person would respond saying, “That was so fifteen seconds ago.” This went on
for the duration of the commercial, and many more commercials like that
followed. The cell phone company’s
ad made it appear that they had the fastest services so we’d never be left behind
when it came to getting information.
Advertising
companies know that people use their phones the majority of the time. They want
us, as customers of a mobile company, to know their product. “There is a
growing friction with other interested parties, all of whom want greater direct
access to mobile consumers… Content providers, advertisers, and their agencies…
are all taking steps to better position themselves for a greater share of the
global mobile media market pie.” (Wilkin and Sinclair, 2009) Companies are
redirecting their focus on the mobile video market by making deals with one
another so that their products can be seen while people are on their phones.
In a Forbes
article, “How Google is Driving Mobile Market Growth”, it talks about how
Google is being pushed by advertising customers to bring video to mobile.
Youtube is becoming more profitable and people are uploading million of videos
a day. Advertising companies want Google to “accelerate the development of
video on mobile.” (Columbus, 2012) Even Google is changing the way it works.
With the
constant change in technology, it’s easy to see why companies try to get their
names out their in a better, more efficient way. We might not always notice
these ads, but we subconsciously remember them. It’s safe to assume most people
don’t just use their phones to call one another anymore. It has been a source
of information for us all, and a way advertising companies can bring their
products to the palm of our hands.
References:
Columbus, Louis. "How
Google Is Driving Mobile Video Market Growth." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27
Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Aug. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2012/08/27/h w-google-is driving-mobile-video-market-growth/>.
Wilken, Rowan, and John
Sinclair. "Waiting for the Kiss of Life:
Mobile Media and
Advertising." Convergence (2009):n. pag. Sage. Web. 30 Aug.
2012.
Jenkins, N. (2006) Convergence
Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. NY University Press
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