[ 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.

[ 7. The NME Website | Homepage ]

[ The NME Website www.nme.com ]

The NME homepage invites the readers of its magazine, which has tended towards the indie demographic and has swayed away from the wider genre appeal that the magazine first started with, as it has been criticised by the press recently, an example of narrowcasting in progress. It has always been a huge support for upcoming British bands such as Kaiser Chiefs, The Libertines and Franz Ferdinand. The website provides music news, reviews, downloads, merchandise and message boards. The website also features Gig ticket searches, competitions and various feeds from eBay and other mainstream online auctions and shops, to compare prices on certain merchandise without having to leave the site. The large amount of content on the site to do with all aspects of indie music culture has supported NME and made it one of, if not the largest British music magazine. The sorts of Flash animated adverts that are littered around the site are aimed at NME’s target audience and advertise such things as internet and soft and alcoholic drinks.

[ In Detail ]

The Homepage is made up a number of features. The basic layout of the website is a static navigation banner at the top, with links to each different area of the website, and down the right hand side, there is a list of the less frequently visited links and also the featured links. On the left hand side running down most of the centre too is the main content of the website, with hooks and links to various articles and features.
NME, like Xfm has its own radio station and this is available online from the website, on top of that, the listeners can also view immediate full music videos on the radio’s playlist if they register with the site, thus helping NME’s online surveillance and vertically integrating the audience to NME, these are convenient and small files to allow faster downloads, faster satisfaction but less quality. This, coupled with the email newsletter is able to raise awareness of the site, and keep its audience coming back. Also along these lines is the RSS feed that the site has, which feeds information to the audience automatically. NME puts new media technology to its full use, when it holds awards and at many gigs, it is able to transmit these live via webcam [ webcam ] to viewers and listeners on the website.
Adding to the message boards, there is also a section where people can place word adverts free to advertise, usually for band members. This is an added incentive for new bands to align themselves with NME, and through this, vertical integration and a loyalty can grow between NME and bands in question, thus possibly granting NME sneak previews and other things in future.
The NME website is very intent on gaining loyalty with its demographic, and providing a comprehensive one-stop-shop website to cater for all their needs from lifestyle tips to music downloads, showing good use of vertical integration and online surveillance, whilst still keeping the basic interactivity must-haves onsite too.

[ 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.