LO1: Task 3 Technological Convergence, Advertising and Distribution
Social Media Advertising
Elden Ring was developed by Fromsoftware and published by Bandai Namco with a heavy presence within social media advertising; an example of this being the official Elden Ring account on social media sites like Instagram and Twitter. The effect of this allowed anyone with a blackbox device (i.e any device with a connection to the internet) to follow and receive immediate updates on the game before and after its release in February 2022.
However, the extent of social media advertising for Elden Ring went further than just its social media accounts due to its developer and publisher; evident in Branson and Stafford's theory (1999) that with the reputation and pre-existing status of these companies, synergy could be created between them and Elden Ring. This evident in cross-promotion of the game on Fromsoftware and Bandai Namco's social media accounts meaning anyone who was already following their accounts would be informed about the game's status through trailers, screenshots and posters without needing to follow the dedicated Elden Ring social media account. This would positively affect the producers as they can reach their target audience (16-25) easily through advertising on an app that they are likely to use as digital natives via instant advertising. This therefore, benefits the audience as they can naturally be informed about the state of the game without having to actively look for updates, vicariously through Elden Ring's Instagram (or Twitter) posts on their feed.
This would further benefit the audience as they don't need to follow one social media account (that they may never have found) to be informed about the game and they aren't limited to one social platform with updates across sites like Instagram, Twitter and YouTube (that each appeal to different audiences i.e. YouTube with in-depth trailers and short-form-content in Instagram with simple screenshots and posters). This combined with the ease of access to this promotional material via blackbox devices makes it as accessible to an audience as possible (primarily digital natives due to the social media presence). In addition, the different forms of promotional content specific to their respective sites allows each psychographic (e.g. people who have more or less time than others to consume/be informed about Elden Ring) to be appealed to and understand through instant/viral advertising that comes via social media marketing. This would also allow them to quickly understand what they're being advertised; through targeted advertising (that is in most social media platforms) that audience can understand if it's something that appeals to them (i.e. Fantasy, 3rd Person RPG). This is evident in Patrick Philips 1996 theory that genres (and their iconography/conventions being conveyed) reassure audiences to what they can expect of a product.
Advantages of Video on Demand Distribution
An example of a current video on demand/streaming would be Amazon Prime which allows anyone with a blackbox device to stream or download content to watch any time on any device with an internet connection. This would stand as a benefit for a prosumer, accessing content whenever, wherever on whatever however, Sonia Livingstone's 1999 theory, 'The Death of The Schedule' audiences have become more disconnected from each other because of the ease of access to audio/visual media. Before Web 2.0, audiences would rely on programmed, televised content which required for the viewer to be watching at the time of broadcast; any subsequent viewing would be done either through physical copies of films and series via DVD and VHS or via a Sunday Omnibus which some PSB's like the BBC offered. However, whilst this made accessing or watching a certain piece of media difficult, it encouraged social groups to watch together and subsequently made watching TV a social event; now with the ease of access to content through streaming services like Amazon Prime and blackbox devices such as phones, audiences are no longer required to watch content at a specific time on one television. This would therefore, also stand against Blumler and Katz's theory that as a gratification, audiences can socialise and discuss the content they've just watched together due to the schedule.
However, this same theory is also proved as the gratification of social interaction is now also possible online via social media services available on blackbox devices such as Instagram and Snapchat. Unfortunately the ease of access to media now in comparison to its difficulty before Web 2.0 has made the regulation of media more difficult. An example on Amazon Prime would be its mature series (intended for 18+ audiences by the BBFC) The Boys. This series contains several scenes of graphic violence and depictions of mature themes. This is as theorized by Tim O'Sullivan 1998 (any theme or ideology can appear in any media) with the portrayal of themes like racism or sexism; that also convey Alvarado's theory of misrepresentation of cultures in media. This would be evident in a plot point in which a fictional (in universe) film is created to depict the life of a person of colour and uses the stereotype of this character coming from a dangerous, poor neighbourhood as a stereotype. In this example is where a disadvantage of VOD comes from in the negative effects these representations of stereotypes and visceral imagery can have on an unintended, passive audience. Gerbner and Gross' 1979 theory is evidence that audiences will believe the representations they see in media products to be real life; the effect of this being to believe this misrepresented stereotype regarding a person of colour is an accurate representation. Likewise, Craig Anderson theorized in 2007 that audiences have become desensitized to violence; seeing such an extent of it (like Homelander incinerating a crowd of protesters) would have that effect. Effects like these are attributed to streaming services as without parental locks (that do exist to filter and adapt content - Gauntlett 1995) anyone with an internet connection can access these scenes.
Alternatively, these negative effects can also be argued against within the same example as the same audiences that have access to this content so easily can also use it for positive gratifications such as social interaction, surveillance or entertainment (Blumler and Katz 1972). The Boys with examples such as Starlight who fights against misogynistic male gaze (Laura Mulvey 1975) provocative beauty standards can create an ideal self for a young female audience (Carl Rogers 1980) of digital natives that are the most likely to stream this content. This would also allow audiences to question stereotypes in media (and subsequently real-life) and therefore, proves that the ease of access toward VOD services like Amazon Prime and their series' like The Boys have more advantages than just their availability to a prosumer. Additionally, The Boys as a series is created with stereotypes in mind and plays on them to satirise the incorrect or offensive stereotypes that people believe and would therefore, necessitate a more active audience that would use technological convergence to learn more about the world via the internet or news.
Video on demand distribution benefits the producer/Amazon as they can maximise memberships through having many prosumer ways that an audience can access the content they're interested in; no longer risking audiences missing their shows due to timed schedules. Therefore, the benefits to a prosumer benefit the producer: the content the audience wants to watch has become more accessible as they can stream it through blackbox devices; they're then more likely to purchase an Amazon Prime subscription which benefits the producer. This would also apply to the subsidiary producer of The Boys (Eric Kripke) as The Boys has become accessible for audiences to watch, increasing its popularity and increasing its income.
With radio, the example of simulcast is evidence of technological convergence as it allows audiences to virtually 'watch radio'. An example of this would be Radio 1's Live Lounge where artists like Fontaine's D.C. (covering their song 'Favourite') play live, playing through BBC Radio 1 and simulcasted to Radio 1 Live Lounge's website where audiences can watch a stream of them playing. This is also evident of time shifting where audiences can watch this broadcast following it's upload to YouTube afterwards. Other examples like LBC achieve a similar goal through uploading 'best moments' or highlights of shows like the 10-1 James O'Brien broadcast which is filmed and later uploaded to the LBC YouTube channel.
How Technological Convergence Has Impacted How Audiences Access Products
Technological convergence has ultimately expanded the ways in which audiences can access media however, this has also forced the industry to remove or limit the other ways they distribute their products for audiences to access. An example of distribution that has impacted moving image accessibility the most is in online streaming services and subscriptions. These would include examples like Netflix or Amazon Prime for TV and film where anyone with a blackbox device can access content that would otherwise be restricted to a TV schedule or cinema; this also proves Sonia Livingstone's 1999 theory regarding the death of the schedule. This subsequently diversified the way audiences access these products, no longer needing to go out and pay for a cinema ticket or watch a single TV at a certain time to watch what they want to; they can now access what they want to anywhere at any time with a mobile blackbox device. This has also decreased the requirement to purchase a DVD or VHS copy of a TV series or film after their initial broadcast as now on streaming sites, this content can be accessed alongside everything else within the service for an overall cheaper cost therefore, being more prosumer. Examples would include The (Marvel) Avengers films which can now all be accessed via Disney + without the need to separately buy DVD copies of the films past their initial premiere in cinemas. Furthermore, TV series or films on streaming sites like Netflix can be downloaded onto a blackbox device so that audiences can watch them anywhere (at any time) even without an internet connection (such as on a long flight).
This diversification in the way audiences can access media is also prevalent within radio. The best example would be BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge which allows its listeners to watch radio via simulcast. The effect of this is that Live Lounge will be playing simultaneously on traditional radio, purely in audio, and can be played online (via blackbox device) on their website or app (BBC Sounds) to watch the live performances visually at the same time. This therefore, diversifies the ways in which audiences can access radio content through giving them multiple platforms and ways to stream/listen to radio.
Technological convergence benefits the producers of Live Lounge (the BBC) as they've created spectacle through simulcast which increases audience engagement and therefore, popularity, increasing income and listeners for Live Lounge. This also benefits BBC as they can reach a wider audience of digital natives (that are the target audience of Live Lounge) therefore, appealing to them. This would subsequently benefit that audience as they have more ways to interact with radio and access it via blackbox device rather than just a radio. Likewise, in the case of TV and Film, audiences are no longer restricted to one device (cinema or TV) or time to watch what content they want to.
Bibliography
