Digital Media Convergence - Advertising and New Media

The phenomenon of digital media convergence influences the changes in the media industries including Advertising and New Media.  Dwyer (2010, pp: 2) defines Digital Media Convergence as “the process whereby new technologies are accommodated by existing media and communication, industries and cultures.” As a result of the transition and merge of the old and new technology, there is a complex and multi-layered confrontation of change in the old and new technology. This will be explored throughout the different aspects of digital media convergence including the Co-evolution of Old and New media.

An implication of digital media convergence is the Co-evolution of Old and New media, as Finnemann (2006) refers. Digital media convergence refers that the new media entails a sweep of various digital communication technologies in variables of mobile, multimedia and or network. Khamis (2012) state that the impact of this is that it ‘shakes’ dominant practices that have been well known, recognized and practiced by the people. This affects both consumers and distributors of advertising and new media for decades before the emergence of digital media convergence. The question of this implication is “will old media practices become obsolete or will they remain in place in parallel to or with the new digital world?” This is the root of the Co-evolution of Old and New media. ‘Fig1.1 Co-evolution of Old and New Media’ below captures an overview of this Co-evolution.

Fig1.1 Co-evolution of Old and New Media

On one hand, some people are reluctant to change to adapt to new media technology as they are already stable, experienced and have developed soft knowledge with traditional media technology. Moreover, there is an underlying fear of the inability to adapt to change will lead to their unemployment. For instance, as researched by Kiehl (2009), almost 16,000 jobs were lost at U.S. newspapers in 2008 as a result of advertisers and readers migrating online. Though some readers and advertisers are reluctant to change, in the fear of inability to adapt and become unemployed, change is needed as it implies old media practices becoming obsolete. Nevertheless, some people are reluctant to change simply because they don’t like the nature of change in general. An example includes journalists who are inextricably connected to advertisers. In the journal paper “The world-wide spread of journalism convergence” collated by Quin and Quinn-Allan (2005), it was quoted by Horrocks (2002), an editor-in-chief of the Manchester Evening News that “Journalists, by their nature, don’t like change. We have to convince them that we have to serve the customer to retain our jobs” (Horrocks, 2002). Therefore, as audience migrate to the online platform of advertising and new media, namely the Internet, there is a need for the distributors to migrate to adapt to the change of digital media convergence and to make money. Horrocks (2005) asserted that convergence was about survival. This inclines that the change into new media technology is an obligation to survive in the changes of digital media convergence in reference to advertising and new media.

On the other hand, in spite of the implications of old media becoming obsolete, old media forms are not necessarily becoming superseded. They are being incorporated into new forms or surviving as a niche market (Dwyer, 2010).  This is also supported by Jenkins (2006) as he claimed that ‘old media may never die.’ Jenkins explained that what become obsolete are the delivery technologies or forms like the floppy disk, cassette tapes and analogue Television but the media develops and opens up new media including the Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage device,  Blue-ray discs, and Digital Television. In reference to advertising and new media, the delivery form of Yellow Pages is becoming obsolete as users migrate to the new delivery technology of online services. This was supported by Gates (2007) statement that:

“The traditional Yellow Pages are doomed as voice-activated Internet searches combined with on-screen interfaces on smart mobile devices get better and proliferate” (Gates, 2007)

An example of a new delivery technology of online services that incorporates the old advertisement and media of Yellow Pages includes the product of Talk Fusion (2007-2012). This product of Talk Fusion offers marketing opportunity like the original functionality of Yellow Pages but with advanced procedures. It enables businesses direct selling and network marketing beyond the text and space limitations of the Yellow Pages. Businesses are able to advertise through videos, images and custom templates. An overview of this product can be seen in ‘Fig1.2 – Talk Fusion Youtube Clip’  below:

'Fig 1.2: Talk Fusion Youtube Clip'

Talk Fusion 2007, Talk Fusion, Sydney, online video, accessed 31 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-SGzDizL2k>

In reference to Dwyer’s (2010) statement of old media surviving as a market niche, an example of this includes print journalism. It was observed by Trosclair (2009), that a niche of consumers still feel more comfortable reading a physical newspaper or magazine than staring at a computer screen. This may be because of its non-volatile nature and as Mackenzie (2008) highlights that “There is no pure experience of wirelessness” when reading newspaper or magazine online. This niche of consumers as Trosclair (2009) expands, may perhaps be less tech-oriented and reluctant to change than the younger population born and introduced into the new digital media.

Therefore, there are discussable aspects of the of old media becoming obsolete as new media emerges.  However, it is evidential that old media remains vital to the emergence of new digital media in convergence as Jenkins quotes:

“Old media are not being displaced. Rather, their functions and status are being shifted by the introduction of new technologies” (Jenkins, 2006, pp: 14)

Thus, the underlying significance of digital media convergence in relation to advertising and new media is the process of change surrounding the Co-evolution of Old and New Media.

The phenomenon of digital media convergence influences the changes in the media industries including Advertising and New Media. As established by Pool (1983) in writing about convergence:

“Convergence does not mean ultimate stability of unity. It operates a constant force for unification but always in dynamic tension with change” (Pool, 1983)

Convergence does not mean the complete stability of unification of the old and new media, the consumer and the advertiser. It drives a constant force for unification of the old and new media, but always in dynamic and shifting tension with change. The significance of convergence is the process of change and its impact in the different aspects of Co-evolution of Old and New Media.

References:

[1]    Dwyer, T. (2010) Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berksire, pp 1-23

[2]    Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture, New York, New York University Press, pp 1-24.

[3]    Khamis, S, (2012) Week 4 Lecture - Advertising & New Media, Sydney, Macquarie University

[4]    Quinn S., Quinn-Allan D. (2005) The world-wide spread of journalism convergence –
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4xsFl0nHmC8J:live-wirez.gu.edu.au/jea.papers/Quinn.rtf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au>

[5]    Romano, B., J. 2007, Gates sees accelerated decline of traditional media's ad model, The Seattle Times Company, viewed 30 August, 2012,
<http://www.webtrafficpartners.com/yellow-pages-decline.html>

[6]    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>

[7]    Talk Fusion, 2012, viewed 30 August, 2012, <http://1258425.talkfusion.com/product/>

[8]    Talk Fusion 2007, Talk Fusion, Sydney, online video, accessed 31 August 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-SGzDizL2k>

[9]    Trosclair, C. 2009, Niche Advertising in Traditional Media, Advertising Suite 101, May 24, viewed 30 August, 2012,
<http://suite101.com/article/niche-advertising-in-traditional-media-a120013>