[ 15. The HSBC Website | Marketing ]

[ The HSBC Website www.hsbc.com ]

Bluetooth is a wireless short range communications technology intended to replace the wires connecting portable and fixed devices, while still maintaining high levels of security. Because Bluetooth is a very widely accepted technology, almost every Bluetooth enabled device can instantly connect to another Bluetooth enabled device within range, anywhere in the world. These ad hoc networks can also be called piconets and use short range radio frequency signals to interact and communicate and Bluetooth communication has a very small power usage, around 2.5mW, and this allows even the smallest devices to be connected, although Bluetooth powers can vary, increasing and decreasing the range as well. Some industrial piconets can range to more than 300metres. One of the most common uses of Bluetooth technology is in mobile phones.

[ In Detail ]
HSBC has trialled a new form of marketing. The large branches at Canary Wharf and on Regent Street spam passers-by with Bluetooth adverts directly to their phones. The practice, often known as 'proximity marketing' [ proximity marketing ] uses a server to detect Bluetooth capable mobile phones in the area. HSBC uses the server to send phones with the facility activated a message asking users to accept a download. If the user accepts, a marketing message is displayed. The branch remembers the phone’s information in an effort not to target the same phone more than is necessary. This is a step forward in technology and a good example of putting the newest technology into a practical application, although if this technique of proximity advertising becomes too proliferant, then users could find themselves walking down any high street with dozens of messages literally spamming their phone with unwanted adverts. HSBC is also up against security concerns about the safety of Bluetooth, where “driveby hackers” can exploit flaws in the signal to steal personal information and make free calls. In addition, users could in the future also be hoarded by the branch and contacted even when not in range of the branch. There is, however a simple solution. Turn off the Bluetooth function on your phone. Another application of Bluetooth in advertising is the possibility of a Bluetooth Billboard, where anyone interested in the contents of the poster advert can hold their phones close to the billboard and choose to receive more information, rather than have it forced down their throats. Even the slight possibility of having competitions or newsletter sign-ups available by simply sending a message to a node in a shop or a billboard is possible for the future. Having the audience choose whether to initiate information would be better accepted than having them bombarded with unsolicited and the majority unwanted adverts.

This is a good example of a non-linear advertising opportunity, immediacy, portability, miniaturisation, proliferation, convenience, democratisation, vertical integration, reach, surveillance and convergence. It is true exploitation of new media technology.

[ 14. The Blu-ray Disk Website | Format ]

[ The Blu-ray Disk Website www.blu-raydisc.com ]

Blu-ray Disk is a next-gen optical disk format that allows for the storage of data, high-def and standard definition digital media and Playstation 3 games. The Blu-ray Disk and player exploits the shorter wavelength of the blue/violet reading laser used to read the “1’s and 0’s”, the grooves on the disk. The much shorter wavelength of Blu-ray reading lasers [ ~ 405nanometres ] allows the “bumps” to be packed more compactly and more densely on the disk itself and this enables a lot more information [ 25GB per layer ] to be stored, just over 5 times the amount stored per layer on a regular red-laser DVD. A 200GB Blu-ray Disk has been manufactured using six 33GB layers, although this disk would almost certainly not work on today’s regular BD Players, which incidentally are also backwards compatible to play DVDs too.

[ In Detail ]
Blu-ray Disk is not aimed at any particular demographic, although the older generation may not be so inclined to convert to the newer technology. To whoever does convert to Blu-ray technology, greater quality of video and audio are granted and much more data can be stored on BD, possibly where DVD had 2 or maybe 3 disk compilations or trilogies, now can all be stored on one disk, eg. the entire Matrix Trilogy could be stored on one disk with space to spare for extra features and other extras. This increases the quality of experience for the audience as it creates less hassle for them. Many institutions have shown their support for Blu-ray Disk, including big names such as Sony, Apple and Fox Entertainment, although the Blu-ray Disk Association including the 9 founders of Blu-ray technology has overall power over the development. BD is in a close format war with HD DVD [ HD DVD ], supported by Microsoft and Intel, as these two essentially identical technologies are mutually incompatible. There are currently over 250 member institutions supporting BD. This convergence of institutions is rather like the consortium including Nokia, Microsoft and Intel for Bluetooth technology begun in 1994.

The progression towards BD allows for a better experience for the audience, they make it more interactive and non-linear, allows more proliferation, miniaturisation, a personalised experience, which is more flexible, better converged and presses for vertical integration with this otherwise incompatible technology.

[ 10. The Scrubs Podcast | iTunes ]

[ The Scrubs Podcast www.nbc.com/Scrubs/commentary ]

Scrubs is an American sitcom set in teaching hospital Sacred Heart Hospital, created by Bill Laurence and starring Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke and John McGinley. Each episode is around 23 minutes long, plus advert breaks making a half-hour show. Scrubs is shot with a single camera setup and is strange in terms of the fact that it doesn’t use a laughter track, although in a few episodes the directors have themed the premise of the episode, and sometimes changing the setup of the show, eg. one episode was featured in the style of a traditional sitcom in front of a live audience, and other few were in the style of musicals, featuring multiple camera setups. The podcast is available on iTunes and directly from the NBC website with near instant distribution, enabling a wide reach from the internet, and globalised distribution and proliferation due to the global broadcasting of the Scrubs series.

[ In Detail ]
The podcast is narrowcasted at all Scrubs fans, and generally people who are interested in Scrubs and the production techniques involved behind the scenes. In essence it is replacing possibly an article, and possibly replaces, though does not derive from or outdate a special feature on a DVD. The podcast is set to run alongside the TV episodes, intended to be listened to in parallel, and the commentators, usually the directors and the actors, eg. Sarah Chalke [ Sarah Chalke ] or John McGinley [ John McGinley ] comment on the scenes and jokes as they progress on the episode and say how it was shot or what they thought, allowing a non-linear, interactive and personalised viewing experience. Most of the podcasts are of the main characters’ favourite episode, or just episodes that are out of the norm. The main reason why these podcasts are popular is because firstly that they are easy to use and obtain and can be used at the same time as the TV show, giving a well-illustrated set of accounts by the commentators as they can directly refer to the actions on the screen. It also allows the fans to get closer to the show and the production process, making them feel integrated. It is unstructured and completely improvised. These are possible because of good quality recording equipment and high-speed broadband. Due to the proliferation of TVs and internet enabled computers/portable media devices in the home, watching the episode and listening to the podcast at the same time is made easy and flexible.
The Scrubs podcast is a good example of nearly all of the key terms, from quality to reach to convenience and portability.

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[ The Charlie Brown Christmas Special parodied by the Scrubs cast ]

[ 6. The 300 Site | Homepage ]

[ The 300 Website www.300themovie.com ]

The website for the film 300 is a very entertaining, interactive site, which essentially markets the film entirely, and replaces such other media texts such as posters, whilst playing host to extra information leading on from other media texts such as the television trailers and trailers hosted at other websites, such as in promotional sites like filmschoolrejects.com and ropeofsilicon.com and the Warner Bro’s site, who also have distributed the film, so technology such as streamed video is utilised to its fullest. These sites allow awareness to be raised and interest to be gained surrounding the film, which attracts audiences to the website, and ultimately to watch the film. The film is narrowcasted predominantly to males with few, but feisty female characters, blood and gore, etc., and the website reflects this, using dark colour schemes and frequent blood splatters and the theme of war and violence.
The film itself was created using almost all bluescreen technology and this adds a video-game style to the film. This extensive use of new media technology has added greatly to the film, adding both realism and fantasy, and reducing the liability for continuity errors. Adding to this exploitation of new media technologies, most of the website’s features contain NMT’s and thus increase the reach and quality of the film and its marketing.

[ In Detail ]
The website is very interesting and has many aspects and features. It is created with Adobe Flash and has interactive buttons and rollover buttons and many other new and exciting aspects. Such features within the website are film production notes and other related documents, trailers, TV trailers, wallpapers, MySpace details, merchandise, digital audio clips, concept art, free downloads and more. There are free screensavers for download and these use new media technologies both to download them fast enough, broadband, and to create them, Adobe Photoshop, and other similar products.
300: March to Glory, the game is yet another feature that is set in the website, it is designed for the PSP [ PSP ], a very good example of convergence, and it utilises the newest data-storage technology, namely UMD disks [ UMD ] and Memory Stick Pro: Duo [ Memory Stick Pro: Duo ]. This increases the accessibility of 300, and widens the franchise further than simply the film and action figures, etc. Another technology surrounding 300 that does this is the mobile game, the abundance of ringtones and wallpapers for personalisation. The mobile game and the PSP game are linked, with unlockables only available from the mobile game. This urges vertical integration between them and the film itself, and helps to sell both games and film tickets. This not only creates a portable, miniaturised non-linear experience, it also increases the quality of experience.
There is also a video production diary which allows the audience to feel closer to the production process and again exploits the easy ability to use embedded video, and also the production blog, in the same manner.
The website is covered in new media technology, from Adobe Flash technology, to blogging, to digital audio, to blue-screen and 3D modelling technology. This adds emphasis onto the movie, increases hype and anticipation and shows that this movie has a large budget and is a very important movie of the year.

[ 4. The Xfm Site | Homepage ]

[ The Xfm Website www.xfm.co.uk ]

The Xfm site offers many different indulgences to their narrowcasted radio station’s listeners. Their main listeners are fans of alternative music, both signed and unsigned, and thus the majority of the website content is based on this. The content comes under four headings: On Air, News, Watch and Listen and Extras. Under the On Air heading, there are such things as DJ homepages, digital radio information, scheduling, playlists with streamed 30 second taster clips available online and other things to do with the radio station itself. The News section contains music news for the kinds of bands that they feature on the radio station itself, Watch and Listen contains videos and audio including podcasts available online, plus Mi-Xfm, a new feature released in February 2007 and Extras contains additional information, a section on film, forums and reviews. The website essentially replaces an Xfm magazine, which would compete against the likes of NME and Kerrang!. This, of course would not be nearly as detailed as a website is, and also not as sustainable because websites cost next to nothing to maintain, whereas magazines cost money to make. The website allows fans to keep up to date with the music world and follow up from the radio show with more information and features on their favourite bands and gig information.

[ In Detail ]

The homepage features one large navigator panel along the top and rollover buttons, which reveal more links to areas of the site. This makes it easier to find where you want to go in the site much easier than having to rummage around, especially for people new to the site. At the top, next to the Xfm logo there is a link to online digital radio, straight from the radio show itself. This allows convergence within the computer itself, as there is no longer any need for a radio and a computer, as now they can be both in one. The homepage has four columns under the four above headings, each displaying various different new features within those sections. Above, there are, again four adverts, one is usually from Xfm itself, but they are usually pertaining to the new music scene or targeting Xfm’s specific audience with such products as new mobile phones or computers, e.g. the live radio streaming is sponsored by the Sony Ericsson Walkman range, there are Samsung T9 adverts, etc. There is a feature called “Watch Live”, which allows audiences to watch gigs on webcam live streamed through to their home. A large area of the website is devoted to the Music Video Jukebox, where audiences can view the latest promo videos, and their favourite music videos streamed [ streaming ] online, on demand. This attracts listeners, as often they have the latest and exclusive videos from artists.

Mi-Xfm, a new feature introduced early 2007 is a browser-based music player. It combines Xfm’s wide library of music with the individual tastes of the audience to create the most personalised radio station, in a truly personalised, proliferative, non-linear, diverse and flexible experience with an enormous reach, larger than the radio station ever could achieve, since it has only specific distribution areas. The release of this feature has been well accepted amongst the Xfm community.

The whole site is a good example of immediacy, proliferation and diversification, as there is clearly something for everyone who has any slight interest in new alternative music.

[ 2. The Channel 4 Site | Entertainment ]

[ The Channel 4 Entertainment Section www.channel4.com/entertainment ]

The entertainment section of the Channel 4 website is visited by thousands of users every day, each whom use it for their own needs and experience their own take on the wide range of services available in this subsection of channel4.com.
The homepage for Entertainment is in many ways very similar to that of the main site for Channel 4. The bar at the top is the same, it retains the same layout although the bar at the side is to navigate further into Entertainment and also the links dotted around are also more specialised to deal with pages inside of the Entertainment sector.

[ In Detail ]
Under this division, there lie many subdivisions under the umbrella of Entertainment. Most of these are not strictly to do with Channel 4 matters, but are often about what is happening in entertainment generally at the time. Such subdivisions include FilmFour, Music, Games, 4Laughs, and many more.
Each of these include their respective content, although each is very interactive with the audience and maintain the democratic approach that I mentioned in my previous post. Features like uploading an unsigned band profile, in the chance that your band might raise awareness for itself or even get signed, or seeing the sneak-peeks of the latest films out in the cinema or DVD or taking part in a worldwide quiz for a pair of hair straighteners or a Nintendo Wii, there is something for everyone.
Most of these subdivisions contain RSS feeds, interactive forums which allow for audience diversification and also free podcast downloads, where the audience can keep up with their favourite subject in small audible chunks like a non-linear radio station [ podcast ]. A podcast sets itself apart from other digital audio formats on the web because of its ability to respond to RSS Feeds and download automatically with near-immediacy. However, the audience need not subscribe to a feed in order to listen to Podcasts, as they are often available for streaming and straight downloads, which can later be uploaded to regular MP3 players or indeed an iPod for portable consumption.
All of these cutting-edge and fast-developing NMT’s all contained within the Entertainment section of Channel 4’s website give the audience a sense that Channel 4 cares about the quality of consumer experience, getting to become closer to the audience and keeping up with the industry to present an up-to-date and modern front.