In the view
of many, one dimensional media is finished, media though through technology and
in particular, digital media convergence has re-invented itself and evolved to
create this new multi-faceted medium. Digital media convergence is a main component
of this growth with Jenkins (2006: p.2) defining digital convergence as the “flow of content across multiple media
platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory
behaviour of audiences”. This demonstrates how different media industries have
combined to engage their consumers in line with their evolving technology
habits. Advertising and new media have been applying digital media convergence
to create a new experience and market their products in a unique way. Jenkins
mentions five categories that digital convergence can be put into,
technological, social, cultural, global and industrial and economic
convergence. In particular, social, cultural and industrial and economic
convergence can be discussed in relation with a one real-world example of the
Cadbury Picnic campaign, ‘It’s no picnic’.
Spurgeon (2008: p.27) believed that industries are trying to find new ways to keep their
‘distracted, distrustful and disinterested consumers’ interested. He said that
advertisers are using creative and unique ways to send their message across
through using new media and making consumers seek out instead of forcing it on
them. A case in point is the Cadbury Picnic campaign, ‘It’s no picnic’ which
was the first time on Australian television that an advertising agency made a
completely interactive campaign.
The campaign started
with a pre-launch with Cadburys and the advertising agency people having
already prepared subjects from the website so that they could be shown in the first advertisement that went
to air, so that it generated interest in social media as well as the initial
campaign. Once the first ad was aired people wanted
to be part of it as it allowed them to be on TV. This was a way for people to
have their 30 seconds of fame. What people had to do was film themselves eating
a picnic in the 30 seconds the ad went for, to see if they could eat it that
quickly and at the end say the words “picnic, its no picnic” (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Once they
created their ad and uploaded on the campaign website (Figure 2), the individual was
notified when and where their ad would be shown which again created more
interest as this person would encourage their friends and family to watch their
ad. During this ad campaign over 12,000 individuals uploaded their ads on the
website. So not only were they encouraging product interest they were
encouraging consumption of the product.
This links with social convergence with how the campaign was promoted,
not just using the TV commercials but also the website.
Figure 2
Social
convergence relates to the new ways in which individuals are able to
communicate, interact, and share with each other. The Cadbury campaign allowed
individuals to share their own personal videos with friends and family and
later the whole country once it was aired. This had a ripple effect and provided major consumer
interest at the time. Some of these videos have also been uploaded onto YouTube,
which is one of the main global phenomenons
in today’s evolving technology, as it allows individuals
to stream videos of anything from personal blogs to anything of interest. This
allows social convergence connect with globalization as individuals are able to
share with not just their friends but anyone who watches YouTube.
Cultural
convergence relates to the blurring of different cultural groups and formations
such as the producer and the consumer. In the Cadbury Picnic ad, the
advertising agency George Pattersons Y&R Melbourne did this really well as they created
an interactive campaign which allowed the consumers to create their own
personal ads. This category has been discussed in detail on the online journal
article Beyond Convergence by Kim Sheehan and Deborah Morison, which
believes that the difference between the professional and the amateur are
becoming blurred due to the convergence of traditional and new media. As now
agencies are able to let the consumer be part of the creation of an ad and not
just the audience.
Industries
often involve different forms of media. Media companies produce, distribute and
combine multiple media formats as part of the audience/consumer brand
experience. This is industrial and economic convergence. In regards to the
Cadbury picnic campaign, the company has combined a normal television
commercial and has created an interactive website that allows consumers to
create their own ad and use the concept of viral marketing to help the campaign.
Ho (2012: p.1000) describes viral marketing as creating some form of electronic
content such as a video or a website, the aim of which is usually
brand-building. Using both traditional television commercial combined with
viral marketing, they are able to follow the continuous change in media. This also illustrates how young people
with technology now have many opportunities and ways of filming themselves, not
only with a video camera but with their mobile phones, computers web cam etc.
Media
through the ages has always evolved and kept pace with technology of the times, digital media convergence is clear evidence that this is the media of
today. As we have seen from the
Cadbury campaign this illustrates Jenkin’s view of present day media as Cadbury
very effectively combined a traditional ad campaign with an interactive website
and social media to make the campaign go viral. It also played on the need of the young to be on Television,
to have over 12,000 posted videos of themselves online. This all clearly depicts
a media which cannot solely be one dimensional anymore but look to multiple
forms of technology with consumer engagement to ensure success in today’s very
competitive market.
Referencing:
Ho, J., 2010. Viral Marketing: Motivations to
forward online content. Journal of
Business Research, 63(9-10), pp.1000-1006.
Jenkins, H., 2006. Convergence Culture, New
York, New York University Press, pp. 1-24.
Spurgeon, C., 2008. Advertising and New Media,
Oxon, Routledge, pp. 24-45
Sheehan, K. and Morrison, D., 2009. Beyond
convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a
changing world, First Monday, [online] 14(3) Available at: <http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121> [Accessed 28 August 2012]
Figure 1: CadburyPicnic, 2009. It's no picnic - Chris [online video]. Available at:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKzEaI4Ms5Q> [Accessed 29 August 2012]
Figure 2: GPY&R, 2010. Picnic - It's no picnic. [Image online]. Available at:<http://www.gpyr.com.au/work/picnic-its-no-picnic/#!prettyPhoto> [Accessed 29 August 2012]
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