What is marketing convergence? In
order to connect these two different words, let us define each first. Marketing
is the act of selling and buying products. Also, according to the definition
approved by the American Marketing Association Board of Directors, marketing is
"the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating,
communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for
customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” In short, it is the transaction made between the seller and customer
through communication.
Convergence, on the other hand, means the combination of two or more
elements that are totally unrelated to each other. The convergence of these two
or more elements results in a new form. Nowadays, information technology has
converged with the different, unrelated disciplines that resulted in new disciplines
that include information technology. An example would be the convergence of
information technology with agriculture, information technology with biology,
and many more. They are totally unrelated, and yet they are able to converge.
That’s why all of us now use computers to accomplish what must be painstaking
tasks.
Combine these two words together, and we have the new term “marketing
convergence”. According to NextMark, marketing convergence is “the
orchestration of information technology, marketing and design required to
ensure that companies present an integrated, consistent, clear and interactive
message across all the media they use.” Because of marketing convergence,
businessmen have utilized the power of the computer and different technologies
to design ads, create audio-visual commercials, etc.
This is the trend in today’s world. Due to marketing convergence,
companies took advantage of the current technologies in order for them to
present and offer their services. Before, those who sell their products rely on
door-to-door advertising. Nowadays, they offer services through the Internet.
Before, businessmen have to use whiteboards and pens for presentation purposes.
Now, they are able to utilize the power of PowerPoint to present to the Board.
Before, people have to go to malls to buy products, and their choices are very
limited. Now, people can purchase online in the comfort of their homes, and the
choices are limitless, and they can even customize. Before, people would have
to endure the hassles of cashiers in malls. Now, they are able to pay in the
comfort of their homes, and the transaction is fast.
The emergence of today’s technologies has made marketing easier than
ever. Businessmen and companies created their own websites to market their
products. Marketing has allied itself with information technology and the
advertisers have made use of audio-visual techniques to market the products and
services they are offering. For us technopreneurs, technologies are a big help
to the marketing industries because of the effectiveness and ease in which
businessmen and companies are able to market products. Businessmen have learned
to use software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and CorelDraw to
create product advertisements. They have also learned to use Microsoft
PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel for presentation and accounting purposes
respectively. And lastly, they have utilized the power of video making and
editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Sony Vegas and
Windows Movie Maker to good use in order to create beautiful, informative and
enticing infomercials. They even utilized the power of Flash to create animated
movies for the purpose of advertisement.
On the part of the consumers, marketing convergence has become a part
of their lives. Due to the emerging technologies, consumers are dead and in its
place emerged the prosumers. Now, who are these so-called “prosumers”? Prosumers
are not only consumers but they are active in the creation and design of
products. Before, consumers can only choose from the available products. Now,
consumers can customize the product to fit their own needs and preferences.
People nowadays have been demanding, and prosumers are even more demanding.
There are limitless opportunities for being prosumers.
Marketing convergence has happened because of the growing demand on the
needs of the people nowadays. As technology has become more and more advanced,
the needs of the people also increased. Marketing convergence has also bred
technological convergence, which is the convergence of different unrelated
technologies towards performing similar tasks. An example would be the
convergence of audio and video. Audio refers to the sound and video refers to
the visual representations; combine the two and it became audio-visual, which
became useful in product advertisement through infomercials and testimonies of
customers (also known as testimonials) to prove the effectiveness of the
product being advertised. Before, businessmen and companies have to print
expensive tarpaulins in order to market their products. Now, they are able to
utilize the power of video making software to create informative commercials.
Before, companies are packed with people who want to inquire about their
services. Now, people can search for information about a certain company in the
comfort of their homes. See how technology has made a profound impact on
marketing today.
Online store is another example of marketing convergence. Combining the
traditional store selling with the power of the Internet, the online store came
into prominence. Before, people would have to go to stores to choose their
products. Now, they are able to purchase products from home and they can even
customize them to suit their own preferences. Transactions are faster and more
efficient and at the same time honest.
No wonder nowadays marketing has ever been so easy, so efficient and so
enticing. The technologies of the current time have helped a lot in the
marketing of products. Never has advertisement seemed so enticing and beautiful
and never has accounting seemed so easy and precise. Technology has made the
lives of people easy and bearable. Because of marketing convergence, consumers
have become prosumers. People before have no choice, now they have more than
one choice. The advent of new and advanced technologies is the most wonderful
thing that happened because it made easy every aspect of human living,
including education, marketing, and many more. The advent of technology has
made a profound and significant impact on us.
