The Phenomenon of Digital media Convergence in Relation to Advertising & New Media

The Phenomenon of Digital media Convergence in Relation to Advertising & New Media

Advertising has been a communicative mechanism that has been utilised thousands of years ago by ancient civilisations as a means to create awareness and drive consumer behaviour and consumption. A comparison between an ancient ad written on a papyrus scroll in Egypt to a capturing a QR code on a contemporary smart phone device, marks the transition and evolution of not only advertising, but the convergence of digital media. The phenomenon of digital media convergence in relation to new media and advertising comprises of two main aspects which pertain to the relationship that all three exhibit and their potential to give rise to new and innovative ideas and concepts.

The relationship that exists between digital media convergence, advertising and new media is based on reciprocity and can be defined as mutually beneficial and interdependent. In order to fully apprehend the relationship of the three, it is essential to explore each concept in order to identify and draw links between them. The foundation of this relationship begins with new media, a concept that came to prominence towards the end of the 20th century as a result of high levels of demand exhibited from consumers, for constant access to content at any time, place and on any electronic device. As such, it promotes a participatory culture that allows consumers to interact and contribute to the media formation process in a creative way (Jenkins, 2006). This demand for interactive and participatory new media and the need to fulfill it, has been made possible through the development of technologies that introduce new media platforms through which content can be transmitted and shared as opposed to the linear communication flow and rigidity of old media. 

Additionally, digital media convergence is also a result of new media and technological advancements and it '...is the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication industries and cultures...[and this is based on]...adaptation, merging together and transitioning...' (Dwyer, (2010), pg 2). It promotes fluidity across multiple media platforms and the cooperation of different media industries in order to provide content to users who are constantly on the move (Jenkins, (2006).  As a result, digital media convergence has created a collaboration between technology, media and consumers whereby the creation and innovation of media devices such as e-readers, mobile phones and wireless internet has provided media companies with the opportunity to take advantage of these devices to disperse information more freely and to a range of audiences. For the consumer, digital media convergence provides individuals with convenience and unlimited access to information that is of value to them and furthermore, improving their quality of life

Fig 1. interlinked and interdependent relationship of new
media, media convergence and advertising.

In conjunction, advertising is a communicative tool based on persuasion which involves the dissemination of information to the public through a variety of media platforms and assumes the role of a catalyst to incite change or maintain the status quo (Hutton in Heath (ed.), 2010). It is a strategic management function (Hutton in Heath (ed.), 2010) based on the promotion of a product/service through paid advertisements deliberately placed in different channels of media. As such, the interdependent and reciprocal relationship between digital media convergence, advertising and new media is a three step process that involves creating and collaborating, adoption and adaptation. This is demonstrated through the fact that digital media convergence is only possible through the improvement and creation of technology. Inititally, the technology must be created, for example, the mobile phone. Afterwards, new concepts and technology collaborate through digital media convergence to create an object that is multi-functional, as demonstrated by a contemporary mobile that no longer just makes and receives calls, but has a variety of functions such as a camera, video-recorder, internet or email system. As these new digital devices are formed, they are adopted by society and change the way individuals interact with information and improves their quality of life. Continuing with this example, the mobile phone exposes consumers to wider range of media platforms such as email, internet, search and browse or SMS and provides them with convenience. Lastly, advertising companies must adapt to these changes in order to survive as usage in one particular form of media decreases and usage in another increases. As such, advertising firms must continue with their goal to create awareness and sales by adapting to these changes and placing advertisements on downloaded applications, or creating QR codes on ads that can be registered by mobile phones. Thus, it is evident that there is a seemingly domino-effect concept to the interrelated, interdependent and reciprocal relationship that exists between digital media convergence, new media advertising, whereby a change in one of these aspects requires an adaptation to this change in all three of them.

The inter-relatedness of digital media convergence, new media and advertising, also helps promote and encourage the formation of new ideas in regards to all three aspects. It is through the progressive and innovative nature that all three encompass, that allows for the invention of new media platforms. Since the development of new technologies has a direct impact on the way digital media convergences and interacts with one another, along with the fact that there is a demand for 24/7 access to content as well as interactive and participative media, advertising companies have had to create new strategies to implement their messages across these new platforms as it is a necessary process for any contemporary company looking to remain competitive in a saturated market (Morrison & Sheehan, 2009). Since the creation of the internet in the 1950's through the contribution of networks such as APRANET (Kleinrock in Scwhartz (ed.), 2010), the world of advertising has been dramatically changed and opened to new possibilities. This network of computer systems that transmits and exchanges information has has allowed society to move '...from an information culture to a digital...culture...' (Morrison & Sheehan, 2009), whereby the creation and consumption of content is a collective process (Jenkins, 2006) as well as interactive.

A relatively new interactive type of media and advertising that is currently being adopted by organisations is augmented reality. This new media platform was recently implemented in a major campaign by the online fashion store, Net-a-Porter, to introduce a new collection by designer Karl Lagerfeld. Across five cities, Net-a-Porter's advertising team created augmented reality shopping windows  which could be activated by consumers once they downloaded the Net-a-Porter app onto their Apple device. Using the app, consumers could then experience the augmented reality shopping by aiming their cameras at the pieces in the windows and

Fig 2. Net-a-Porter webpage with the related
 links in the blue box and the recommended/
alternative products in the green box
Source: netaporter.com

once the phone registers the image, it takes the consumer to a 360 degree view of the garment, video of a model wearing the garment, product details, pricing, other recommendations and allows the consumer purchase the garment instantly. As such, augmented reality demonstrates the convergence of the mobile phone, camera, barcode scanner and internet that has led to the creation of a brand new media platform. This innovation provides an opportunity for advertising companies to develop new strategies for promoting their product. In the case of Net-a-Porter, advertisers are able to take a more interactive approach to advertising that adopts a recommendation mechanism that analyses the user's context and profile to present alternatives that may be of interest (Koutrika, Molina & Parameswaran, 2011). As such, on a typical webpage which can be viewed online with or without the augmented reality technology, it is evident that there is a utilisation of recommendation mechanisms as the site provides links to related products such as accessories or shoes and links to alternative products. Thus, it is evident that the dynamic and interrelated nature of digital media convergence, advertising and new media has allowed for the development of innovative media platforms whichprovides opportunities for advertisers to promote their product/service to a wider audience.

In conclusion, the phenomenon of digital media convergence and its relationship with advertising and new media is characterised by interdependence, reciprocity and interconnectedness. As change is initiated in one, the latter must follow and adapt in order to keep up with shifts in technology, media platforms and consumerism. Likewise, there is a sense of innovation and creativity that is promoted by each aspect. As such, technological changes drives the creation of new media platforms and converging medias and furthermore, these then allow for advertising companies to devise new ways of promoting their products/services. Digitialised media is dynamic and constantly changing, as such, all players must adapt to these changes in order to remain relevant and in some cases, competitive in their corresponding market.

References:

·         Dwyer, T. (2010), Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire, pp 2

·         Hutton, J., (2010) 'Defining the Relationship Between Public Relations and Marketing', in R. Heath (ed.), The Sage Handbook of Public Relations, SAGE Publications INC.

·         Jenkins, H. (2006), Convergence: Where Old & New Media Collide, NY University Press

·         Kleinrock, L. (2010), 'History of Communication: An Early History of the Internet', in M. Scwartz (ed.), IEEE Communication Magazine, pp 26-36

·         Kourita, G., Molina, H.G. & Parameswaran, A. (2011), 'Virtual Extension Information Seeking: Convergence of Search, Recommendations, and Advertising', Communications of the ACM, vol. 54, no. 11, pp 121-130

·         Morrison, D. & Sheehan, K. (2009), 'Beyond Convergence: Cofluence Cultures and the Role of the Advertising Agency in a Changing World', First Monday, vol. 4, no.3

·         Ross, A. (2010), 'The Evolution of Advertising: From Papyrus to Youtube', web blog, 29 November, viewed 24 August 2012, <http://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept10/2010/11/29/the-evolution-of-advertising-from-papyrus-to-youtube/>

·         'What is a QR Code?', (2011), online video, Youtube, viewed 28 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSIJGNBHjXw>

·         'The Window Shop', (2011) online video, Youtube, viewed 24 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTk_9pmqspE&feature=player_embedded#!>