The rise of Web 2.0 technologies has given new opportunities for advertisers and marketers to reach their audiences. Instead of using traditional mainstream media vehicles to reach a mass audience, the internet allows advertisers to reach highly individualized niche audiences. New media is changing the advertising landscape and companies are moving towards the internet to inform consumers, strengthen brand relationships and reach more of an effective audience (Jenkins, 2006). Messages are being presented through banners, pop-ups, customized emails, viral campaigns, videos, gaming sites, online stores and blogs. The internet has allowed for two-way communication, suggesting that advertisers can interact directly with their audience to receive feedback and thus reach an effective audience (Ouwersloot & Duncan, 2008).Consumers have become more individualized and fragmented and as a result choose the content they wish to see (Trendwatching.com, 2005). Online is a cost-effective medium used to target specific niche groups and underpin traditional mainstream media (Bruns, 2008). The internet has become a diverse space filled with visitors, information-gathers, content creators and bloggers from around the world. Users join multiple virtual online communities to discuss, create and share information related to their specific interests (Flew, 2005; Bruns, 2008). The online environment has become an interactive portal for advertisers and marketers to present new products and build brand image. As a result, brands are now allocating more budgets spending on targeted new media channels (Jenkins 2008; Marketing Week, 2008;).
The movement of consumers from a mass audience to niche audiences has meant that advertisers and marketers have had to find new ways to reach audiences (Trendwatching.com, 2005). In order to reach these highly fragmented audiences, Horvath (2007) suggests that there is a need to produce “highly tuned, customizable and targeted advertising”. This can be done by direct marketing schemes comprising of databases filled with customer interests, online behaviours and personal information (Granick, 2007; Horvath; 2007). Databases consist of information about age, gender, region as well as interests, online activities, purchasing habits and transactions (May, 2007). Granick (2007) suggests that these databases create a “detailed profile of visitors” and allow for ads to be specifically targeted and customized towards them based upon their “individual tastes”, resulting in highly direct personalized advertising. Amazon and Itunes use this direct mail technology by gathering user activity and transactions to present promotions and offers to consumers (May, 2007). Nabers (2001) suggests that “people give a lot of credit to advertising that goes out and finds them in their lives”. Thus, as customers have become more unique, they generally enjoy receiving targeted promotions, since they are personalized and relevant to their interests and thus are more likely to respond to them.
Social media has impacted business strategies and has made brands rethink ways of attracting customers. They have realized that they need to connect and strengthen their relationships with their audiences and to do this, need to become part of their networks (Fichter, 2007; Horvath; 2007). Brands have set out to create their own blogs, forums, MySpaces and Facebooks, posting the latest information about their products. To build greater brand relationships they have decided combine offline media and online media by inserting website links into traditional print ads, directing consumers towards their website as an avenue for information. This type of migration provides an added benefit to the customer as these websites become places to exchange ideas, meet other fans of similar interest and discuss the product (Horvath, 2007). Companies are now aiming to create content rich collaborative, web 2.0 websites, which allow consumers to interact and add value to the website by uploading stories, photos, videos and headlines (Horvath, 2007)
Fitchter (2007) suggests that consumers are becoming future communicators and sellers of products, by using word of mouth, blogs, videos and forums to advertise products. By sharing, producing and manipulating content about goods and services they are spreading the word and initially selling the product to their own online virtual community (May, 2007; Bruns, 2008). They use blogs (eg: adverblog) to post news, opinions or reviews and forums to share product experiences and find solutions. By posting video parodies on YouTube, consumers become producers of content. As result, they create their own DIY communities with their own virtual online audience (Bruns, 2008). An example is the MacBook Paper Parody, where someone created a paper version of the product, filmed it and posted it on their blog, through YouTube. This parody generated huge response and as a result, the producer gave users the opportunity to print out their own paper MacBooks. Thus, they were able to become sellers their product in a unique, individual, interactive way. However, as consumers become sellers of products, not all messages can be controlled. Many viral campaigns which spread the message via word of mouth, have become susceptible to this. Consumers may see a clip on a website and then send it to their friends via email, blogs or myspace and within days get a millions of hits (Horvath, 2007). The Dove Campaign for beauty is an example of this.
Using the means of the internet as an interactive promotion tools allows brands to reach their desired niche audiences. While, not all messages will have a positive response due to the free nature of online communities, they are still more likely to have a larger response rate. I feel that the future of advertising and marketing relies on the internet. As technology convergences and audiences become more niche brands need to move towards the internet to reach these consumers. I think the future of advertising will be interactive, cross promotional, viral and will be prominently featured on the internet and may use mainstream media as support mechanisms.
References
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