Lucie Ozanne, University of Canterbury The media environment is much more According to recent research conducted by complex today than it was just 10 years ago, Nielsen, Australians are increasingly accessing as the Internet and other technologies have the Internet via mobile devices, multi-screen dramatically changed the manner and form behaviour is now a daily habit for many, and a in which most consumers in the Asia-Pacific key area of growth is interacting with brands region consume media. Consumers now have on social media platforms, including 'liking' the ability to control what, when and how they brands. In addition, the research shows that access media, and new devices, such as tablets consumers draw on a variety of sources when and mobile phones, give consumers the ability to making decisions online, including reading be connected wherever and whenever they want. other consumers' opinions and discussions of Consumers can avoid product advertisements brands, and watching online product videos. through on-demand services, but they can also seek out tremendous amounts of product The New Zealand media environment information online, from both commercial According to the Internet World Stats, 91 per sources and social media sources. Consumers cent of the population of New Zealand use the can even purchase online and avoid ever going Internet, with 88 per cent using the Internet into a physical store. Or they can go in-store and on a weekly basis. However, the amount of use a mobile app to assist their decision making. business that New Zealanders conduct over These changing technologies and media habits the Internet is static, with concerns about will provide both opportunities and threats for data security and protection of commercially marketers to determine the most effective way to sensitive information leading to hesitancy reach their target audiences. among online shoppers to enter credit card details, constraining online business.* In The Australian media environment addition, according to the Ministry of Economic In Australia, the media environment is Development (MED), broadband users in being driven in part by the National Digital New Zealand are paying significantly more for Economy Strategy, which aims to provide access than those in other Organisation for high-speed broadband to 100 per cent of Economic and Cooperation and Development Australian homes and businesses and position (OECD) countries. However, significantly Australia as a leading digital economy by for New Zealand the Ultra-Fast Broadband/ 2020. The Australian government believes that Rural Broadband Initiative is scheduled maximising the full potential of Australia's to be completed by 2020. This substantial digital economy will help to deliver improved infrastructure development will provide the wellbeing in the form of better economic, necessary network capabilities to propel education, health, social and environmental the country's digital economy and digital outcomes for all Australians.' media sector, enabling key segments such as Meanwhile, Australian consumers are changing e-commerce to be more widely adopted.5 their media habits dramatically. According to the Although online business may not be Internet World Stats, 25 per cent of Australians flourishing, New Zealanders are increasingly subscribe to a broadband service but over 93 per interacting via social networking sites. cent are using the Internet." According to findings from Nielsen's 2016Social Media Trends, 2.8 million Kiwis are Asian countries, Nielsen found that consumers participating in social media. These users in Singapore spend 25 hours online per week, share and post photos online, read wikis, followed by Malaysians and Filipinos at 21.5 update and create social network profiles hours per week. In the Philippines, nearly two- (with Facebook and YouTube dominating this thirds (65 per cent) of respondents said they space), and look at others' social networking interacted with brands, products or companies profiles. Also, 24 per cent of Kiwis subscribe via social media, while 60 per cent of Malaysians to digital content, such as Netflix or Spotify. and 56 per cent of Singaporeans did the same. In addition, 42 per cent are interacting with Consumers in these countries also indicated companies via social networking sites, 44 per that they read online product reviews and post cent are posting product opinions, and 73 per their own reviews. Online advertising is in its cent are reading other consumers' product infancy in the region, with Singapore leading opinions online. Twitter has also begun to the way in terms of proportion of total ad spend take off in New Zealand with close to one- in the channel at 6.9 per cent; in Malaysia and third of marketers saying their business has Thailand, the figure is less than 1 per cent." established an account on Twitter, and 27 per cent of consumers having visited the site. Other trends in the communications In addition, Nielsen research suggests that environment Kiwis' engagement with online word-of-mouth Along with the changing media consumption communication is going to increase in coming habits, the media landscape is also changing. years as social media plays an increasingly Media audiences are becoming increasingly important role in consumer decision making." fragmented, making it more difficult for advertisers to reach a mass audience. The Asian region media environment Advertisers will have to find more targeted The Internet penetration rate in the Asian communications tools to reach these region is 50.2 per cent compared to a world fragmented audiences. In addition, the balance average of 49.8 per cent. In terms of user of control has changed from organisations to numbers, China, India, Japan and Indonesia consumers. In the past, media organisations are leading the region. In terms of mobile and advertisers were much more in control Internet subscribers' usage, some 18 countries of the flow of entertainment and information in the region have penetration of 100 per cent, to consumers. Now consumers search for and two countries, Macau and Hong Kong, information and entertainment when they need have mobile penetration of 200 per cent; and want it. Consumers, especially younger however, there is still room for growth in India consumers, are more dubious of marketing and China.' According to Evans and Budde, information and want greater control and two- the rate of adoption of mobile broadband way, interactive forms of communication with started increasing rapidly across Asia with marketers and advertisers. the overall increase in mobile penetration Consumers increasingly want to be combined with networks being progressively entertained by advertisers and marketers. This upgraded to next generation platforms." has led marketers to develop what has been According to Nielsen, given increasing referred to as content marketing, or the idea of smartphone uptake and access to broadband telling a story to your target audience, rather networks, it is not surprising that many than using a traditional advertisement, in the consumers throughout Asian are going online. hope they will find value in it and share the However, it may be more surprising that story with their friends. Some experts believe Internet usage is surpassing more traditional that more promotional dollars will move from media usage, such as television, radio and print. traditional above-the-line advertising into Based on a study of consumers in six South-East creating the kind of content that consumerswill want to share with their friends. Good UK was the first publication to insert a video examples of content marketing are Body Form's advertisement within a print magazine. The "Witty Retort' campaign, Bud Light's 'Whatever 45-second advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana USA' party, and Carlton Draught beer's 'Big ran in a few thousand copies of the October Ad: Consumers also want to be involved in 2012 issue and played automatically when the development of advertisements and other readers opened the page. Nestle recently promotions. For example, Dorito's 'Crash the put GPS tracking devices in six Kit Kat Super Bowl' campaign has been extremely wrappers in the UK so it could track down effective in getting consumers to participate in the purchasers and award them E10000 in its this user-generated campaign where consumers "We Will Find You' campaign. Digital Signage both create the advertisements for the contest is a high growth advertising category with and vote on their favourite ad, which is then screens appearing at point of sale and other featured during the Super Bowl. populated locations, such as near ATMs or Advertisers are also being challenged by store entrances. Additionally, advertisers the availability of all sorts of innovative ways are increasingly seeing the importance of to reach and communicate with consumers. integrating television advertising with social For instance, Marie Claire magazine in the media campaigns." Questions 1 How has the Internet changed your in order to interact and connect with shopping behaviour? List a few examples to consumers in the Asia-Pacific region, based illustrate your answer. on the information provided in the case? 2 What challenges and opportunities are 4 How can marketers use omnichannel posed to marketers by this changing media marketing to take advantage of consumers' environment? over-reliance on mobile devices? Use 3 How should existing marketing an example of a company you know to communications strategies be modified. illustrate your