Can You Hear Me Now?

Thanks for joining me on my adventures in blogging – I am new to this so bare with me!

I am currently studying Integrated Marketing Communications at West Virginia University and this semester we are exploring Emerging Media & the Market. Over the semester, I will be writing about various forms of Emerging Media (or Collaborative Media, as I have nicknamed it) and how it affects us as marketers.

So what is Emerging Media you ask? Emerging Media is new technology that allows us to reach our consumers online in new and innovative ways. Examples of Emerging Media are social marketing, banner ads, blogs, pop-ups, podcasts, Webcasts, email and video. This dramatic media shift over the past ten years has empowered consumers to engage in a two-way conversation with companies. As a result consumers have played an important roll in shaping the marketing message and in some cases even the product.

“A recent study from IBM media research found that we’re moving from ‘traditional devices’ to ‘connected experiences,’ that media consumers from all generations, but especially the younger ones, are moving from passive to ‘involved’ consumption of media, and from limited to open access. Consumers around the world, it finds, increasingly expect to control and participate in their media.” – PBS.com/MediaShift

Today’s consumers are media junkies – many of whom have 24/7 access to the web via their computers, tablets or mobile phones. Consumers are now watching tv, shopping, reading, interacting with friends, catching up on news, gossip and accessing a wealth of information online; which presents marketers with the opportunity to reach its consumers in innovative ways and build real relationships.

Consumers have made it loud and clear – they want to be heard! Are you listening?