Question 1
Historically, organizations focused on usage of traditional media outlets, which included newspapers, magazines as well as television as part of their advertisement strategies for their products and services. Traditional marketing, otherwise referred to as offline marketing, created some form of disconnection between consumers and organizations (Puccinelli, Wilcox, & Grewal, 2015). That created higher possibilities of failure in the marketing processes, as consumers believed that the products delivered did not suit their individual expectations. That acted as one of the key disadvantages of using traditional marketing strategies within a given marketing campaign. However, this limited organizational understanding of consumer needs and expectations from the products delivered, which is an aspect that has been incorporated into digital media market. Through digital media marketing, organizations have been at the forefront in understanding what their consumers may expect regarding quality of products offered.
One mode of digital marketing is social media marketing that allows organizations to engage in effective conversations with individual consumers within different markets. These conversations created a platform for better understanding their consumers thereby delivering products and services that suit their individual preferences. Digital media has also transformed advertisement of products and services by introducing an element of having to monitor and measure progress (Puccinelli, Wilcox, & Grewal, 2015). Monitoring and measuring of progress when undertaking any form of marketing is an important tool that defines success, as it enhances the capacity for the company involved to weigh in on the possibilities of success. However, usage of traditional media marketing did not provide organizations with this element, as it limited their abilities to monitor progress. The only aspect that defined progress in some of these marketing campaigns was the consumption of particular products or services depending on the marketing campaigns undertaken.
Through digital media platforms, companies find themselves at a better avenue allowing them to gather views and reactions presented from different consumer markets as a way of monitoring and measuring progress. In addition, digital media marketing and advertisement of products acts as a guarantee that companies and organizations would reach a higher number of consumers. Companies in the United States have embraced digital media marketing as part of their marketing strategies attributed to the idea that approximately 62.8% of the population in the country uses one form of the digital platform (Puccinelli, Wilcox, & Grewal, 2015). That is different in countries such as China and South Africa where digital platform usage is approximately 46.2% and 41.3% respectively. However, this means that the companies and organizations involved in the marketing processes would experience higher levels of response towards their products when using digital media marketing platforms.
Lastly, digital media has also transformed the marketing and advertisement of products by creating better avenues for target marketing focused on advertising specific products for specific consumers. Traditional marketing creates some form of limitation on the abilities for companies to undertake target marketing attributed to the costs (Puccinelli, Wilcox, & Grewal, 2015). However, through digital marketing platforms, it is evident that companies and organizations have been able to target their advertisements towards particular consumers depending on their demographics. Digital media marketing has created a platform for positive change in the marketing structure not only for consumers but also for the companies and organizations involved. Through some of these platforms, consumers have a higher ability to input their individual reactions towards particular products or services, which would be of importance towards ensuring that organizations deliver the best quality of products and services at all times.
Question 2
Advancements in technology have not only had a major impact on the everyday life but have also brought about significant changes in particular fields including education. Digital media has also had several impacts on the field of education especially towards improving the capacity for delivery of quality education for every student regardless of location. Traditional platforms for education required students to attend classes or lectures physically, which created a major challenge especially for students that do not have the capacity to move to that particular location (Nowell, 2014). In addition, traditional modes of education also require students to access physical books within libraries with an aim of ensuring that they had the capacity to study effectively. However, these are both aspects that digital media has transformed within the field of education with an aim of creating convenience, as well as, streamlining traditional media with the advancements in technology.
Through digital media, colleges and universities have introduced a new mode of learning referred to as e-learning, which allows students to learn through the internet without having to attend classes or lectures physically. E-learning creates a provision where students can access their classes and lectures through any particular point in the world, which is one of the lacking aspects of the traditional model of education (Nowell, 2014). In the United States, the level of embrace for digital learning has acted as one of the platforms allowing colleges and universities to stretch their capacities towards e-learning with the focus being on ensuring that more students can access their courses and programs. That has created some form of advantage for colleges and universities, as they find themselves having a higher capacity to accommodate more students, as students focused on e-learning do not attend classes and lectures physically.
Although the capacity to embrace digital learning has been lower in some of the other countries, it is evident that some of the developed countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom have also encouraged more of digital learning. In Germany, the government has come up with a digital framework guideline for colleges and universities with the focus being towards ensuring that these educational institutions understand the importance of having to shift with technological advancements (Nowell, 2014). Another key transformation associated with digital media on the educational field relates to the idea of introduction of internet libraries where students have the capacity of accessing digital learning materials. As highlighted earlier, traditional learning required students to access physical resources through libraries, which was somewhat bulky for the students involved.
However, through digital media, students can only use the Internet as the key tool allowing them to access a wide range of materials focused on improving their learning experiences. That highlights the effectiveness of having to shift towards e-learning as the key mode of learning within educational institutions, as it not only guarantees quality education but also improves capacities for improved learning experiences for students (Nowell, 2014). When weighing in on whether the change experienced due to the introduction of e-learning has been positive or negative, it is important to undertake a comparison of both modes of learning. A comparison of the two indicates that educational institutions focused on digital learning have a higher capacity of enhancing delivery of the highest quality of education. That comes about due to convenience accorded to students in the learning process with an aim of ensuring that more students can attend or undertake classes and lectures offered by these institutions. That acts as an indication that the idea of having to use digital media has had positive impacts on the field of education.
Question 3
Digital media has also brought about several impacts on the political structure with the focus being on election campaigning, presentation of public opinion, as well as, passing of laws and policies. Politics remains as one of the key aspects of consideration within any given social structure, as it defines the level social development achieved as part of the expectations for the leaders. When using traditional media during election campaigns, candidates for different elective positions focused on usage of campaign strategies targeted that did not have that element of convenience for voters. That is the same case for presentation of public opinion, which was limited to traditional media. Usage of this type of media did not provide the public the platform that would allow them to present their opinion on different issues affecting the society.
However, digital media has worked towards transforming the political environment by introducing new methods of having to undertake election campaigns. Through digital media, candidates for the different elective posts have the ability to interact with voters on a one-on-one basis. That acts as a guarantee that the voters would present their individual petitions towards their preferred candidates with the focus being on having to weigh their perception on leadership. For the campaign teams, usage of digital media presents a cost-efficient mode of election campaigning, as it allows the teams involved to create posters and videos that they would upload within different platforms on the internet (Kim, Atkin, & Lin, 2016). Consequently, this increases the overall number of people that have access to such material thereby acting as a rather effective advertisement strategy when compared to the usage of traditional media as part of the campaign strategies.
The 2016 presidential campaign in the United States has seen a significant increase in usage of digital media platforms as part of the campaign process with the focus being on ensuring that more people have access to campaign message. However, China tends to limit usage of digital media for the campaign through banning of social media platforms, which impacts on the campaign teams significantly (Kim, Atkin, & Lin, 2016). In other countries such as the United Kingdom, digital media acts as a significant part of election campaigning, as it improves interaction between candidates and voters. On the public opinion front, some of the key social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook have provided Internet users with avenues that would allow them to present their views on a wide range of issues affecting the society. Social media has acted as one of the key platforms where any individual can share his or her views on the political environment.
On the issue of passing laws, usage of digital media allows lawmakers to collect views from different quotas with the focus being on ensuring that the laws implemented do not affect interests from specific parties involved (Kim, Atkin, & Lin, 2016). Regarding the impact on this particular change, it is evident that usage of digital media as part of the political structure has had both positive and negative impacts. The positive aspect comes about due to the ability for digital media to provide better avenues allowing candidates to structure their campaign messages based on voter demands. However, digital media also presents a platform where individual users tend to spread negative information that would affect the abilities to maintain peace and unity as part of a country’s expectation. Digital media provides every individual with the ability to present his or her views on different issues without having to weigh the impacts of such information, which may create hatred and disunity among individuals.
Question 4
The United States, through Congress and Senate, has implemented a wide range of laws and policies focused on streamlining usage of digital media platforms especially on matters associated with protecting users of this particular media mode. In addition, the government has also emphasized the need for having to create structures that would improve privacy, which is one of the rights and freedoms highlighted within the constitution. However, a big number of internet users find themselves exposed to increased cases of identity theft, which would infringe on their privacy. The majority of the companies providing internet services argue that infringement in privacy comes about due to increased cases of sharing of private information through internet platforms that do not have any form of encryptions. That, in turn, exposes these individuals to an environment where the level of identity theft is on the rise regardless of the legal measures set up by the government.
On the issue of copyright, companies using digital media as part of their marketing or advertisement platforms find themselves at a higher risk of copyright infringement when compared to companies focused on using traditional media. China, which is one of the leading manufacturing countries in the world, has not implemented laws that would protect their companies from copyrights (Dienlin & Trepte, 2015). That does not only expose companies operating within this particular country but also expose companies from other countries around the world from copyright infringements. On the other hand, South Africa also faces a major hurdle in dealing with privacy and copyright infringement attributed to lack of prospective understanding among law enforcement officials on such issues. Consequently, this means that internet users operating within this country have a higher possibility of experiencing privacy infringement when compared to an internet user in countries such as the United States.
Lastly, the aspect of fair use also creates that legal hurdle in dealing with digital media, as companies tend to find themselves experiencing an uneven platform that creates an unfair competitive advantage. Although governments have been on the forefront in the implementation of laws supporting the idea of having to create a fair platform for competition within companies, this has not been applied when dealing with digital media platforms (Dienlin & Trepte, 2015). Companies with higher capacities tend to experience that competitive advantage in dealing with the digital media platform, as they find themselves having added advantages in introducing or marketing their products through such platforms. Largely, digital media has brought about negative impacts from a legal perspective focused on issues of privacy and copyright infringements, as well as, the creation of an unfair competitive environment.
References
Dienlin, T., & Trepte, S. (2015). Is the privacy paradox a relic of the past? An in‐depth analysis of privacy attitudes and privacy behaviors. European Journal of Social Psychology, 45(3), 285-297.
Kim, T., Atkin, D. J., & Lin, C. A. (2016). The Influence of Social Networking Sites on Political Behavior: Modeling Political Involvement via Online and Offline Activity. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(1), 23-39.
Nowell, S. D. (2014). Using disruptive technologies to make digital connections: stories of media use and digital literacy in secondary classrooms. Educational Media International, 51(2), 109-123.
Puccinelli, N. M., Wilcox, K., & Grewal, D. (2015). Consumers' Response to Commercials: When the Energy Level in the Commercial Conflicts with the Media Context. Journal of Marketing, 79(2), 1-18.
