OPINION: HARASSMENT OF NEW MEDIA ADVERTISING

This article may look so long but very informative....

Websites, blogs (we logs), vlog (video logs), visual and audio newscast, social networking, computer games, e.t.c are all forms of new media, and adverts done through any of these means are referred to as new media advertising.

New media advertising employs new technology to reach customers, especially on the internet. People of all ages and races all over the world use the internet, which has made it imperative for any type of business to include new media advertising in its marketing plan. While prints, radio and television ads still persist, traditional advertising’s influence has decreased, forcing the marketing industries to consider the new media avenues.

Adverts on new media reach a very large number of people and they are very fast. According to an article on wisegeek.com, with new media come conundrums. Statistics show that consumers are now learning about products via trusted peers online. Consumers are increasingly on the internet to communicate, receive news and purchase products. A computer screen maybe the next most efficient and effective way to reach these technologically savvy consumers. Adverts done through these means get people talking and messaging, users communicate and spread information far and instantly like the speed of light.

New media advertising is the way of the future; it has an interactive medium where people talk about the product and services of companies. These can make or break such products and services.

As important, useful, beneficial, essential, inexpensive and good as new media is, it has its disadvantages. One evening I was doing a research online and during the course of this research, all of a sudden it appeared on my screen, a pop-up, you can imagine the resentment i felt. Even though the intent was to call my attention to a promo, it was quit annoying. Imagine trying to download music and then an overlay appears on the screen advertising something and if you don’t click on it, it won’t leave your screen and if you then click on it, it redirects you to another page. Imagine the irritation you’ll feel at that moment. And sometimes these pop-ups redirect one to a dating site or a porn site which can be very exasperating. Sometimes it’s the intruder that’s across the monitor in order to enrage the living hell out of you.

Another form of new media advertising is the use of telephone. Advertising by this means can be very fast and effective; they are in the form of text messaging, at times prompt automated phone call. But that can also be annoying. Imagine you are waiting for a very important call, then your phone starts ringing, and after you pick, it is your service provider telling you about new product or service. It is not a crime if it is done once a week but imagine that occurring every day. The same applies to text messages; you can receive an average of 10 messages from your service provider, in one hour! That can absolutely annoy. Some companies send unsolicited and unwelcome messages as well. They are not advertising anymore but pure harassment.

Everybody has at least one form of social network account, be it twitter, facebook, instagram, bbm, etc. Social network is another form of new media and it is the most interactive form. Advertising through this means is very effective; it travels to everyone very fast and inexpensive. Advertising through twitter and facebook is actually not a problem, it doesn't affect anyone, it is your feed, you can write what pleases you, it is no one’s business but most times when you check your newsfeed, expecting to read a news of see stuffs about your friend to catch up on things, your feeds are flooded with adverts of various sorts which sometimes can Piss one off. Receiving adverts through bbm in form of broadcast message (bc) can be very annoying and can be categorised as harassment sometimes. You can imagine receiving bc’s from more than half of your contacts advertising stuffs, quite alright you’ll notice what is been advertise but at the same time angry because as a Nigerian, with our lack of trust in the stability of light from PHCN we try to conserve our battery and minimize what we do with our phones but no, that is when the bc’s flood in and before yo know it, your phone is dead. Or when you are waiting for an important message and your phone beeps and you check, voila!! It’s a bc, annoying. You will even notice now that people put it up on their personal message that no one should send them bc’s again, some even go as far as pleading.

Computer gaming is one thing that people of this generation are addicted to, they can sit with the game from morning to night even without eating, so since people already knows this, companies and advert agencies have decided to capitalize on this. So during the course of playing games, adverts appear on your screen, imagine the anger you will feel when you are already in your last level and then this advert appears and destabilizes you and then you lose the game. That’s very annoying right? You know there are ways they can advertise that won’t disrupt your game, it can be done before or after the game, that way nobody will complain but no it has to be during the game.

Traditional adverts, that is, adverts done through Prints, Radio and Television can be said to be acceptable by most people because before this ads are released, they have been edited, vetted by a body of some sort. These bodies are what we call the gatekeepers in media. But the major disadvantage to new media is that it has no form of gatekeeper. Every Tom, Dick and Harry post whatever they feel like, when they feel like and how they feel like online. The gatekeepers are to maintain the stability of the media but for new media, it isn’t so. Sometimes what is been advertise may be porn videos or some form of hook-up site and a young kid under 18 also use the internet so imagine what he/she will stumble across.

As annoying as new media advertising is, it is as important as traditional adverts and even more effective. New media advertising is a very good form of adverting because it is an efficient form of advertising; it provides information to customers faster allowing them to make informed judgement  about companies and product reputation on a worldwide basis and also provides customer with more choices that leads to greater competition and hence increased productivity and falling prices which increases customers’ ability to purchase which will eventually lead to mass production, mass consumption and an overall increase economic activities.

Written by: Awe Ibidun