Week 4 Discussion Question 1
Due Week 4 Day 3 (Thursday) Read your class materials for Week 4 (Class Notes, Articles, eBook) on your eResources page for Week 4. Post your response to the following discussion questions by clicking on Reply.

Electronic media is everywhere. What are trends in marketing that result from the convergence of entertainment, communications, and technology?

When I think of the convergence of entertainment, communications, and technology, I automatically think of the internet. If ever there was a medium for these three entities to come together, the internet is certainly it. Marketers will try to place advertisements anywhere possible, but they will especially try to saturate mediums that they know will have the most potential viewers.
The popularity of entertainment sites, like Hulu.com, on the internet makes it an ideal location for advertising. This is apparent to anyone who has ever watched a t.v. program, movie, or music videos online because before you get to view the program that you want, you are forced to endure advertisements that can last up to 90 seconds and then your program will start.
Also, one of the biggest new trends in advertising is “viral marketing” which encourages the passing on of a marketing message and creates rapid and explosive exposure and influence to the message. Social networking is probably the newest marketing trend where entertainment, communications and technology converge. Anyone who uses Facebook or MySpace is familiar with not only the advertising that is visible right on their home page, but also the fan pages that businesses have created for users to add to their friend list.