[Week15]Conclusion about ADV4930: Emerging Media in ADV

This subject is something that can never be harnessed, controlled or truly understand, especially in this day and age. Consider how so much has changed in terms of media and technology since the class started. The key to studying this subject is simply staying open. You cannot structure it.

I think a lot of professionals and people in the industry struggle with this. They aren't open to the new or what the trends are. I know you shouldn't jump on anything that comes out but you should always consider it. I will always remember how Yahoo! never took to Google initially. Imagine if they did. There would be no Google and Yahoo! would probably run the (Internet) world.

So my conclusion walking away, and this isn't just for advertising, stay open minded, learn about everything, and never not consider anything. That is the key to success in the future. Be receptive because you never know who or what is walking out of your office when you say no. There's no way to predict tomorrow so be an optimist.

Good class Chunsik! =)

Media Use Diary Conclusions

According to the study of my media use, I came up with several things:

-Most of my TV usage is based around sports

-Most of my Web usage only focuses on no more than 6 sites

-I check facebook whether Web or mobile entirely too much

-I check my e-mail too much

-Online banking is important to me

-Mobility, apps and convenience is important

-I text a lot =)

I also got to study my facebook patterns. If I don't have notifications or messages to reply to, I will browse to kill time. It's not even a wonder of my friends, I'm just interested in what everyone is sharing, discussing and doing with their lives.

In terms of my Web usage, the fact that I check these same blogs everyday throughout the day says something to me. These blogs are what's important to me right now so that's all I check. I'm sure this will evolve and change over time. Considering the idea of the app that we discussed, I could easily see more informational blogs like this moving towards apps...like gossip sites and such. I think the only hinderance with it right now is the mobile Web speeds.

[Day7] Media Use Diary

Saturdays are honestly my days to relax and unwind. In terms of media use, I always start my day by turning on the TV in the living room to watch college football games all day on my couch while getting on my laptop every now and then.

On this Saturday, I had to handle some bills though. I checked my accounts online, rearranged funding throughout my accounts, and set out to pay rent and my phone bill. Since a client recently sent me a Paypal payment, that money was sitting in my business account and needed to be transferred over.

I mentioned in an earlier post that a friend was intrigued by my cologne. I forgot to send her the info on it so she contacted me through text. We spoke for a while then I sent her a link from the site I use to purchase it.

I downloaded music soon after, using "share" links from friends and sites that compile "share" links from all over the Web. I think its interesting on how this happens. It's like a web site version of P2P software, only the content is available for a limited time in most instances.

Later on that day, my mom contacted me about a mailer she got stating that our family restaurant has a facebook page that needed to be "claimed". The web URL didn't even seem facebook related so I was skeptical, but then when I inputed it, it directed me to a facebook page for the restaurant. I claimed it, uploaded the business card and menu since I designed them, updated information and shared the content with my friends. I think this is a good step going forward.

I went out with friends that night as well. Throughout the night, since I wasn't having that much fun, I texted several friends and checked facebook every now and then until my phone died late that night. Soon after, I was home and went to bed.

[Day6] Media Use Diary

Friday was extremely boring. No class, so I woke later than usual and went to work. During work, I did my usual deal: blog checks and email.

Later on that day, I heard about a party at a place that I didn't know so I used the map app on my phone to find it. I also saw a post from my brother about his usage of an app (Tap Tap Revenge) and a song in it. The song, which I recently got from extracting the audio from a YouTube video since I couldn't get it anywhere else, is one of my favorites right now. I downloaded the app before but I deleted it but now re-downloaded it, just for the song. I immediately played 2 levels of it and explored the app a little.

On my way home from the mall, I ran into some traffic. It was so odd to me and frustrating that I decided to make a facbook post to see what my friends had to say. A few liked it and then others commented voicing their opinions while some explained what was happening.

After I got home, I had a headache. I texted a few friends, including one that was going to the party but fell asleep after taking medicine and did not go.

[Day5] Media Use Diary

Ok, I haven't posted the past two days because I've been extremely busy but you didn't miss much. This is my post for Thursday.

I had a presentation due but I good amount of it was left to be done the morning of. Even though I was pressed for time, I still did email and facebook checks while I worked. I rushed to school, completed my presentation, then enjoyed breakfast with a friend. During this times, I spoke with a few friends, one taking time to show me a picture message that she sent to a mutual friend. Another one of my friends mentioned that she liked my cologne so I said I was going to send her a picture and the name later, significant for a future post.

I continued my day at work, doing my usual Web checks. There was a discussion of how we should use the department facebook page to drive traffic. Since the Miami Heat was playing LeBron James, their recent offseason acquisition, I decided we should have a question focusing on that. My day continued without much development, other than a text argument with an ex.

I went to my room mate's job, Applebee's, to watch the game and eat dinner after going home and checking my 6 o'clock Sneaker News on one of my blogs. After dinner, I came home and fell asleep during the rest of the game.

[Day4] Media Use Diary

On this day, I was extremely busy for most of the morning. I barely looked at my phone or opened a computer until about 11 AM, a good 3 hours since I had been up. That's very uncharacteristic of me. When I did finally use it, it was to contact friends for several different reasons.

When I got to work later that day, I did my blog rounds before I started working. Throughout the day, I took "breaks" for my brain, handling some internship issues through email, checking advertising news, and doing something I haven't done in AGES!

Apparently, myspace has totally revamped its site, making it more like facebook but focusing on the many services it offers. I barely remembered my password but I got into my old account. I explored for a bit but there really was nothing interesting being offered to me, other than seeing the aesthetic differences.

When I left work, I went to the Reitz to do some more client work. I chatted with friends and realized that my phone was on the verge of dying. In my SG meeting of this night, my phone died. Luckily, I invested in a car charge and the meeting was ending soon. I immediately charged it on my way home. The interesting thing about this charger is that is doubles as an FM transmitter which I use heavily in my car instead of listening to the radio or CD's. IT extremely convenient and I take full advantage.

The ended really typical: me doing work and taking breaks to check things on the Web.

[Day3] Media Use Diary

On this day in particular, now Tuesday if you're paying attention, I have to write a paper for my only class of the day at 3 p.m. I didn't write it the night before for various reasons but I am faced with the challenge today.

I wake up early, get ready, and start my day. I check my email, texts, and facebook before leaving the house. I conduct some research on my laptop over breakfast then proceed to write my paper once I'm done. During the process, I check all my blogs and facebook periodically to take mental breaks. I skip out on work because of this paper as well.

When I get to class, to pass time in class, I do my usual checks, but now that I'm extremely bored, I turn to "Angry Birds" to kill some down time.

After class, I go to the Reitz to do some work before my SG meeting starts. I finish designing two flyers in the time in Photoshop. I email these flyers off to my director to be sent off to the directors that requested them. We mainly only communicate through email. In the meeting, I find myself not paying attention at times to be in my phone.

When I get home, I do some work for my clients out of my "To-Do" folder in my email and then send it off to them. They reply with a text to notify changes will be forwarded in the morning. I continue a text conversation with a friend and set up a meeting time for later that night. During my time there, I discussed my knowledge of sneakers while sorting through some of the blog content that I follow. I end my night not to long after.

[Day2] Media Use Diary

When I woke up yesterday, I was in Tampa at a friend's house still so I had to get on the road back to Gainesville. I prepared to shower and checked my e-mail and facebook on my phone while I waited for the water to warm up. After I got ready, it was about 8:30 AM and I already received my first text.

I got on the road, checking my e-mail periodically throughout the drive to see if a client had emailed me back yet. They finally did so I scanned the e-mail while I was on the highway.

When I got to school, I checked facebook, my mail and played the "Angry Birds" app on my phone. I also checked my banking statement, which is probably the only thing I use my browser on my phone for since Wachovia does not have an app.

When I got to work, I did my usual check of blogs that I mentioned before as well as facebook. I then proceeded to check my work e-mail. Throughout the day, I take a break from work by checking on my sneaker blogs for news and facebook for updates from my friends. I also listened to a live stream of a radio station back home and texted a request for a song in. My coworker did as well.

When I left work, I went home to watch my daily shows: "Around the Horn", "Pardon the Interruption", and "SportsCenter", all on ESPN, for my daily update on sports. When 6 PM rolls around, I check my one of my sneaker blogs for the "6 o'clock News" daily feature. For the rest of the night, I periodically checked facebook and my personal e-mail while doing my work until I fell asleep.

One thing I forgot to mention for the Day 1 post was my use of the ESPN "ScoreCenter" app. I follow my favorite teams and main events and gets up-to-the-minute scores. Since I missed the Miami Dolphins game Sunday while being on the road, when I finally got off the road I checked the final score of that game. They won to my delight, unlike UF the previous day =(.

[Day1] Media Use Diary

Today was an interesting day. I was preparing to leave home in Miami to come back towards school. The Internet was out so I was on my phone as soon as I woke up. I checked my email on my work and personal accounts, checked facebook and then watched ESPN. Since it's NFL football all day, I watched much of the programming for a better part of the morning. To be honest, I don't think I can remember any commercials I saw...

Later that day, I was busy so I didn't check my phone much but I was texting on occasion. I'd say I must average about 500 texts, outgoing and incoming per day.

While I was driving, I was texting and also checked facebook and even my e-mail a few times. Not that I finally have Internet again on my laptop, I do my routine Website checks. I follow 3 blogs in particular: 1 gossip and two sneaker-based. I'm pretty much done for the day so that's about it.

{Week 14] The New Normal

John Battelle, as I have just come to find out, is a major name in many things that will be relevant in the future. In this HP Input|Output interview, he briefly discusses what very well could be our world in the next few years. Based on search and mobile devices, he presents a world where social media, consumerism, marketing and technology come together and create a cyclical relationship based on each individual consumer. The Gap example, which could be applied to almost any store, is interesting. I began to think about the stores I frequent and actually would willingly participate in such an occurrence. With the way e-mail marketing is these days, I could easily see this being an extension of that.

I'm sure many consumers would embrace this new wired world but I do see some difficulty with widespread adoption. As I've come to realize, not all consumers want to live in this techy world that we are moving towards. With privacy issues and simple fear from consumers, I could see this New Normal giving some trouble for some to embrace. Although I would love it, some definitely would not. Not only the issues mentioned already but other boundaries: customer not having a smartphone or social media presence, issues with salespeople targeting them, or even not having a purchasing history or missing links that were discussed by Battelle. In the long run, I could see this working out and truly becoming the New Normal. With the young consumers growing up in this highly technological age, it is inevitable. Just consider this: my 18 month old niece is an iPhone user already. She knows how to wake it up, unlock it and even play games. Imagine when she's 20. I'll leave it at that.

[Week 13] Web Metrics

I never was really interested in Web metrics or anything related to it but this is a good article for the basics. The chart that breaks down what metrics relates to each objective is really helpful too. There is a lot more to this that I never considered before. The basis for this all goes into usability as I understand it. Web advertisers and webmasters must work together to create a products that people want to see and visit. The most important thing is having a useful product that us easily used and understood.

In the future, I feel like more and more of this information pertaining to metrics will become widely understood in the industry. Everyday, more and more content is getting pushed to the web. There are some consumers and even some people in the industry that may be against this for one reason or another but I do feel it is inevitable. Web advertising is the future. I honestly believe at some point, it will overtake the traditional forms as the primary media in the marketing mix. Consider the generation that will be the main consumers in the next few years. They are more advanced than us in terms of media and technology. Reaching them through traditional media will not be as effective or even adequate. In turn, us as advertisers need to understand this material--web metrics and related amterial. In the marketing department I work for, we recently relaunched our website (check it out here). In the office, I have heard these words thrown around between our coordinator, the marketing assistants and the webmasters. The designers don't work as much with this material so we are less involved but I definitely have a better understanding of what is being discussed. I will definitely share this article with others in the future.

(I was sick the entire weekend-Friday up until this morning. I ran a fever, had headaches, nasal congestion and fatigue. I'm sorry for the delay.)

[Week12] The Future of Advertising....?

Today, technology is growing exponentially EVERYDAY. Tomorrow is already here with many of the software and hardware that is out there. It's almost scary. As discussed in this Ad Age article (1), people in the advertising industry are worried. Why? Because of the uncertainty. I credit this to a few things: a unwillingness to "change" and an unwillingness to embrace the "new". I do believe it all comes to dollars and sense. I feel that many people in the industry, especially the high ups, are not of this generation. The people that this new stuff is being made for isn't their market. It's not even for MY generation. This stuff is going to be BIG with the 3rd graders with iPhones and laptops and the toddlers that play the Wii. They are ridiculously advanced in comparison to generations before them. So my advice, EMBRACE it. It is the future. You don't have to be an early adopter but slowly incorporate this stuff. Don't be afraid to invest. Don't be afraid to spend. Don't be afraid to try it out. The future is now and I'm sure these people do not want to be on the outside looking in on the cash cow.

I do think more research needs to be done. Look at the recent information provided about online advertising (2). The general consensus on it before was that consumers were against it. This was probably true in the beginning but consumers change. They are getting free content in a sense. Advertising to them will be accepted. Advertisers and content providers have let the consumers control that market way too much. Hopefully this new information will change this. There are plenty to be made from this. It should be treated like traditional TV spots at this point. As we can see with new technology, the line of online content and TV content is being blurred...heavily!

Ad Auction

The ad auction on the Internet is interesting. I like the fact that it opens up the market to everyone...big and small companies alike. I also like that it keeps your bid right above the highest bid of you competitor. I watched a story on CNBC where a small, custom cowboy boot company garnered success from using AdWords. By simply bringing their self to consumers who actually were searching for content similar to the product offered, they gained success. I think that's the key. Although it is advertising, in a way, consumers generate the content in terms of what is being advertised to them. It isn't intrusive or congested like other ad media. It works and is a very smart way to advertise.

I definitely think this will be how more media will begin to advertise: they will allow users to generate content. I think there are many models that can be created on this premise. For example, many mobile apps are based on very specific and unique content, especially more of the lifestyle apps. If advertising is added, as most are or will be, advertisers can easily target whatever segment they want. It makes a great deal of sense to me. It's almost like cable television. The channels essentially segment the market according to whatever content they provide...and advertisers really take advantage. I know the ads I see on ESPN everyday will not be the same ads that show up on Lifetime, two totally different markets. The future is bright.

[Week 10] Search Engines (Yahoo!)

After reading the history of Yahoo!, I found the similarities to Google. I mean both were born of two Stanford students. I guess we can thank the institution for the web monsters we have today. It is interesting to hear about how something like this gets started. No one understands the web. No one knows exactly what consumers want or what the next big thing will be...or even SHOULD be for that matter. It absolutely crazy. There's no way to forecast or predict these things. I really wonder how they pitched this to all the bigs they met with. I guess numbers don't lie...and investors just care about investing in something that has just the slightest potential to be big.

I remember Yahoo! growing up though...when I was still still on a Windows 95 PC. It was interesting...we didn't say "Yahoo" anything to find it. I still remember using the yellow pages to find numbers and locations around this time. I remember using encyclopedias. I remember using Encarta when that came out since it was on the computer rather than using books. Its just crazy how far we have come in just over ten years. I cannot imagine what childhood will be like for my children. They will probably have NO similarities between theirs and mine. I guess that's what we have to come to terms with living in these days. Amazing stuff =).

[Week8] GOOOOOOOOGLE.

Let’s start by saying I simply LOVE Google. These essential open letters that Larry and Sergey take turns authoring are great for the public. It really allows you to trust the company as they make it seem like they’re laying everything out for you right there—there’s nothing to hide. I also can appreciate each of the presidents taking on the visual aesthetics of the letter and personalizing it for themselves: Larry, the more traditional, cut and dry type and Sergey, the more image oriented, visually interesting approach. I can appreciate that. It is clear that they haven’t lost themselves since they started Google in 1998. They keep it open, giving new meaning to the term open source.

One thing that I really like about all this is how they stay true to what Google was founded on: the search. They work diligently and continue striving to create a better product with that, as that is their most successful and important feature. Without Google search, the world would be a lot different. Accessing information would be a lot different, and they know this. I love how they break down their most important projects for consumers to understand what exactly is going on. You can read the 2007 report and see things discussed in terms of GoogleDocs and Android and see the finish products out today for out use.

The biggest thing that stuck out to me in the 2009 report was the mention of the Chrome OS. That is scary. I’ve heard great things about the Chrome web browser but if Google took over my entire OS, which would be amazing and scary at the same time. I am a traditionalist. I have a Mac. I use Safari. I don’t like Firefox and have no desire to try Chrome. But for others, it’s totally different. It should be interesting to the see how the relationship between Apple and Windows is after an OS is introduced. I know Apple isn’t happy with the Android OS competing against the iPhone so it should be interesting. At the end of the day, I trust Google. They have the consumer’s benefit in mind with everything they do, as they know the impact of their products. We have seen what these first 11 years have done to the Google-lized web. Let’s see what happens with the next ten.

Media Update Presentation Topic(s)

I presently have two things that I'm interested in topic wise. I think both would be beneficial to everyone and present interesting information that is relevant now and will be relevant later.

The first one is based on this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/technology/05google.html?_r=2&ref=media

Google TV (and anything related to the giant) is very important to know and understand for the future. Like I expressed earlier in the semester, staying ahead of the curve and up to date is a must for us coming out of school. You honestly never know what the next game changer will be so considering and understanding everything is the best way to go. I can present the information in this article while also introducing the whole concept of Google TV to the class.

This second article presents my second topic:

http://www.realtimeadvertisingweek.com/2010/09/how-consumers-react-to-different-kinds-of-ads-on-their-online-travels.html

This is interesting because we always wonder how consumers react to online advertising. This research, commissioned by AOL, gives us some insight into it. I'm not sure if I can have a full 10-minute presentation on the topic from this one article BUT it is a good starting point. I know this information is interesting to me and fits into the same thinking I have where we need to consume as much information as possible to get ahead.

[Week6] FREE

This is something I've actually been thinking about for a while but I never knew there were actual business models made on it. Earlier in this semester, I posted something about Old Spice and how their amazing efforts and new advertising campaign that everyone has raved about still falls short of free promotion. Consumers, given the choice to have something for free or pay, will always choose free. Nobody wants to willingly spend his or her dollars. That’s just common sense. But I do like the spin on Anderson presents, especially in the digital age.

People love websites where everything is free. I know many peoples’ biggest fair would be a Facebook they would have to pay for. I’ve heard that many would practically abandon it if they had to pay. But how then do sites make money? This is also what I’ve been thinking about. Traditional Internet advertising is probably not the most efficient these days. Amongst all the clutter, it’s hard to get impressions and viewership. This is what advertising guru’s need to focus their efforts on.

My thing with Anderson is there are holes in his free concept. He seems to not back it fully as the book was ONCE free and is no longer. Isn’t that the basis for his argument…make something like a book free and offset costs by other means? My other thing is although it is ideal for one, getting people to be interested in your product, and two, pleasing consumers; it cannot be applied to everything. Web giants like Facebook and YouTube are still struggling to figure out how to increase their bottom line to favorable outcomes. It’s tough. So although I fully agree with the freemium concept, I would say use it sparingly. No matter what, when starting a business, there will always be costs to deal with. Nothing in life is free.

[Week5] The Web is [NOT] Dead

When I think about the Web, my focus is more on e-commerce and usability rather than the open vs. closed debate. The Web is in a very interesting place currently. There is a lot of research, thinking and creativity being invested in it. There is also a lot of doubt and uncertainty. This is NOT at all a bad thing. This is great...we are on the verge of greatness. This coupled with the economic downfall will create a better, more tech savvy and YOUNGER advertising industry.

When current ad majors graduate, our main thing to tackle once we get into the industry is to create a marriage of advertising and the Internet that is beneficial to both sides. This phenomenon is already happening. I side with Tim O'Reilly and his argument. Creating content that is demanded, whatever it may be today drives the Web. It is on advertisers to create content that people want to see. This isn't traditional advertising where you can get by by just creating AN ad--you need to create a creative and efficient ad that people will SEEK out. I think the part of advertising that is lagging is media planning. There needs to be some sort of push towards treating Web advertising as the NEW traditional media. Yes, its still hard and there is a lot to figure out but it's there. People view ads online more and more as they view more of what they want more and more online. Traditional 15 second and 30 spots are begging to be on the Internet. There are plenty avenues to get them there, as they have been up already. I think this can easily be treated as how TV spots are sold in the traditional market. There are dollars to be made; it’s just a matter of figuring it all out. I believe one day it will be and I hope to be at the forefront. Long live the Web!!

[Week3] The AdSense revenue share

This article is extremely intriguing to me. As an Advertising major, understanding every facet of the industry is becoming increasingly important, especially anything that involves Google or emerging advertising media. The transparency exemplified here by Google is interesting. They always seem to be this overarching entity of the Web that no one can get to or into. This is pertinent information for advertisers and Web domain owners alike as both would need to know what they are getting out of teaming with AdSense. The numbers expressed (68% for AdSense for content, and 51% for AdSense for search) are fair in my eyes. This is still a way of advertising that is still in its emergence phases as I'm sure Google has engineers in its offices working daily to create a better product. As the market leader for Advertising online, I would say that the market share that they are giving is worth it compared to its competitors, as was expressed.

I think Advertising is in a tough spot right now. There is a lot of uncertainty about the true future of the industry. With many new WAYS to advertise such as Google products and now Apple with iAd, I feel as though the industry is being taken away from traditional forms. It's tough to call it right now but with the continued increase on consumer use of the Web and the continued decrease of traditional advertising usage (Tivo on TV commercials, less print subscriptions, etc.), the industry has no choice but to turn to these new avenues. I know I won't be naive and stay out of the loop. I foresee many changes to come to the industry within the coming years, following these trends. By the time my graduating class becomes leaders in the the ad world, what we are learning now will be rendered virtually useless. The best thing for us to do is simply follow as much as we can and invest our knowledge in the Web. That's the best advice I can give anyone. That is where ALL new jobs will stem from.