The Impact of Technology

Chapter 18

The WWW is a media form that significantly alters the competencies that were possible with the traditional broadcast media. Over the years the traditional broadcast media has gone through a period of "info-reduction." This due to shortening attention spans, higher levels of clutter, soaring media costs, and emergence of technologies that allowed zipping and zapping. The WWW is an alternative media that reverses this trend. It allows the marketer to provide detailed information, at a relatively low cost, and above all it possesses the ability to create an interactive environment in which the customer can be an active participant in the communication process. Another significant alteration has been the closing of the gap between the consumer and the primary sources of news. The impact/significance of this closing in of this gap was brought to the forefront with Intel's run in with irate Internet consumers over its flawed Pentium chip. No amount of spin control by Intel could stem the tide of disapproval generated over the flawed product.

In a nutshell the WWW changes the advertising dynamic significantly. It provides marketers the unique competencies of:

• Info-expansion rather than info-reduction
  
  
• Ability to provide multimedia messages just as possible in broadcast media
  
  
• Interactive message forms allowing the recipient the option of providing feedback
  
  
• The recipient seeking out the message and extent of content to be processed
  
  
• Current studies indicate a more upscale Web audience
  
  
• Web advertising is both: relatively more inexpensive and easier to up-date/disseminate