An essay on the digital space

We all know what advertising campaigns used to be like. You would see an ad in a magazine, on a billboard, or on TV, and then if you so choose, you would go and buy whatever product or service was being advertised that caught your attention. All of that is changing. Over the last decade or so, a new beast had reared its head. Digital and interactive media have changed the advertising landscape dramatically. Not only can the consumer now follow a brand on various social media websites, but they can also interact with the brand, whether it be commenting on a blog post on a brand’s website, or creating content about that particular brand. Consumers can also get their content instantly.

PVRs have allowed consumers to skip commercials that they feel are intruding on their TV time, but now that advertisers post their ads on YouTube for all to see, many consumers flock there to see the spots. Digital and interactive advertising have allowed consumers to determine what content they are exposed to and when.

Digital and interactive have made this an on-demand society. This can be seen not only in advertising, but in the entertainment industry as well. Now you can watch television shows on your TV whenever you want, not just online. Everything is available 24-7 for consumers to enjoy when and where they want it. This empowerment has given consumers a voice for themselves; they don’t have to listen to what the advertisers and ad agencies have to say anymore in the same way.

The consumers’ perception of a brand has changed because of digital and interactive as well. Digital and interactive have completely changed PR. Brands can now be assaulted online by consumers if word gets out that they are doing something that is ethically questionable.

Digital and interactive really has changed the face of advertising. Advertising is no longer a broadcast, it is a discussion between the brand and the consumer. The interactions will only get deeper as technology continues to evolve. We have only scratched the surface in what kinds of advertising can be done online.