6.4.10

Always On - Mutiny In Media

In today’s market there is such a high number of options and variety of products available that many company’s need to rethink and re position their marketing and communication strategies, in order to have a competitive edge.
The following are a few communication elements crucial to a company/brand’s survival. ¨

THE INTERNET

It does not take much to realise the importance that the internet has in communication. Consumers no longer concentrate on just a few media sources, they use the opportunity to interact through new media platforms such as the internet. The powerful media of Internet has filled marketer’s jobs with both challenges and opportunities. Online marketing is splitting up the audience in smaller groups, which gives the marketers an opportunity through the ad networks to place their ads where the audience wants it.

With already established media platforms together with all the new channels, media companies should work on both; to make sure their existing ones are increasing, and that they invest in new channels such as social networks, blogs, online videos, mobile devices, gaming etc.

There are many media companies that already have taken a step into this strategy. ESPN is selling multiplatform deals to follow targets through their different medias, MTV Networks have invested in the virtual world Second Life, Scripps is adopting profitable media platforms in growth, and NBC and Fox have seen the opportunity in online videos and created Hulu.com.

IN STORE MEDIA COMMUNICATION

When it comes to speaking of stores, they must think of all the details about who will come to their stores: groups of fashion victim teenagers? Or sophisticated middle aged woman? And what will they want to hear and see? Loud house music, or soft gentle tunes playing in the background? These questions can make or break the deal of whether the customer will stay in the store long enough to make a purchase or increase the number of purchases. For major department stores or multi brand stores it becomes a bit trickier when having to divide the sections of the store to apply specifically for each store personality. Hence different sections must be well divided to ensure that different Tv screens with the appropriate music/ videos may be played, the in store staff must be suited to the different brand in each section and so on.

Traditionally, above the line media is newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Below the line media refers to any other promotion activity such as word of mouth- and direct marketing, PR, sponsorships, websites and event marketing. As technology develops, many companies nowadays direct more money to below the line services (like the ones mentioned above) as a sign of marketing mix catching up with consumer behavior. Smart media companies are now shifting their focus from analyzing their viewers to actually knowing them.

The high ROI from digital investments within the below the line advertising field is a fact in companies where consumer pattern of media usage has been tracked. One important trend for marketers and ad networks within these digital investments is to make the advertisement interactive and offer new forms of targeting and customization to clients.

In order to reach the maximal effect of these often social interactive platforms, it is indispensable to include online video, social networking, digital content environment, video gaming, mobile devices, relationship marketing and e-commerce. The idea is to surround the consumers with media in a below the line way, and having advertisement to follow this model. This way of communicating through virtual worlds and product relational video games on websites, has further shown to be the most appropriate way to attract consumers and further keep them interested in the site by staying over 30 minutes to review the content, something that previously wasn’t possible.

As an example Vogue Studio is mentioned as previous above the line media becoming below the line and offering both types of media services to clients. Companies can ask to expand their advertisement into new segments and through Vogue Studio´s marketing channels they will be able to reach customers via prints, events, online video, internet and mobile.

Today almost every internet user is part of a social online community or participates in some kind of interactive site leading them to a final purchase, meaning that online advertisement has become a key driver to offline purchases. This is an example on how the spending between above the line- and below the line media disappears, and how companies and ad networks will have to re-arrange their concepts in order to fit in this new model created by the customer himself.

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