LO4 Report - P6 + M3: Be able to create a proposal using converging technologies to exploit the identified new markets

LO4: Be able to create a proposal using converging technologies to exploit the identified new markets 

The purpose of this report is to explain how I am going to exploit new markets regarding the distribution and advertising of my idea for a new media product. I will be covering how my media product is going to be distributed and advertised across different channels and different platforms. For example some channels include social media, web and any of the application stores on mobile phones whereas the platforms would include either mobile technologies (smart phones or touch screen tablets) or fixed technology (which are wired such a computer or laptop) . I will then further go on to explain in more depth the different ways in which I will advertise my product to reach and interact with my product's target audience. I am aiming to do this through various types of advertising cross platform such as through audio-visual products for example video adverts on social media or print products through a poster or pop up advertising on web. 

For my product, the distribution platforms will be across multiple technologies and will take advantage of the newer converging technologies within one device. For example, modern mobile phones are evidence of converging technologies as it contains a camera, music player, telephone and includes a personal digital assistant (such as Siri or Bixby) into one device whereas previously these would all stand alone in separate devices. I am taking advantage of this technological development as my product will be distributed to mobile phone through the method of the app store. One version of my product is in the form of a mobile app, which I would like to be available on both Apple iOS and Android devices. It will be available to download from both the App Store and Play Store for each of the different mobile phone software. It would also be available to download on any touch screen table with access to the same App Store or Play Store in order to download my app.  

By doing this, I make my product more accessible for a larger audience which means that my product is more likely to become more successful. I also chose to make my product have a mobile app version due to my target audience. My target audience includes the age range of 15-30 years old and the psychographic profiling of mainstreamers and explorers. I chose to target both mainstreamers and explorers because as mainstreamers make up the most of the society, we need explorers as they are more willing to try new products and after a good number of people use my new product and if they find they like it, my product might lead from the explorer psychographic into the mainstreamer category. This means that the people included within my target audience will own and carry around a mobile phone with them at all times wherever they go because this is considered normal in modern society. My product is more likely to be used by my target audience if it makes their lives easier by being available on a device they already own, instead of forcing them to go out and buy another device in order to just own and use my product. 

As my product also contains a web version, my product will also be distributed across the internet. This offers the consumers an alternative channel of distribution to access my product to alongside the mobile app version. My target audience will be able to search for my product using any web browser for example Google or Safari or Firefox. The web version of my product would ideally be more used on any computer or laptop device in comparison to the mobile phone or touch screen tablet. Due to this taking longer than a once downloaded mobile app, it is aimed more towards the older end of my target audience who will go to their computer or laptop at home to research mental health and find my website to use. Furthermore, as my target audience also includes the social grades of C2, D and E, the people who have careers but have considerably more dispensable time to be using these products. The people within these social grades will have the money to buy a computer or laptop for their home whereas E contains students which already probably own a computer or laptop to complete their school/ college/ university work.  

My product will be advertised cross-platforms through various methods of marketing in order to reach my target audience. One of these platforms will be through multiple social media channels, for example Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. I have chosen this as one of the platforms for my product to be advertised on because of the age range of my target audience being 15-30 years old who are the people who use social media the most daily which means they are more likely to see an advert for my product on social media and then move on to download and use it. Specifically, TikTok could be used to have short videos with the brand's logo or mascot following the latest trends to try and get onto people's For You Page and reach over thousands or millions of people. An example of a successful TikTok advertising campaign from a company is Duolingo. Another social media channel I could advertise across is Instagram. Posts can be uploaded or stories to promote the different product version as a mobile app or website. Furthermore, it could also show up on people's feeds as a sponsored post when scrolling through to catch the target audience's interest to download the products. Another social media channel which could be used is YouTube. On YouTube, videos could be uploaded to explain the different features or functions of my product to give a further in depth analysis on my product to give to the target audience. 

To advertise the website version of my product, I will use some different platforms for marketing such as interactive, print and television. For example of the interactive and print, my product will be advertised using some pop up adverts as a poster or banner to gain people's interest to get them to use my product. Users of the web can click on these adverts for a link to the website version of my product or it will take them straight there which then makes my advert more interactive with the target audience. This is aimed at my target audience for the older generations who might use the web to research other information where they will see a pop-up advert for my product. After seeing this advert, they hopefully will go on to use my product and therefore are making it more of a success. However, other pop up adverts might direct the users to the App Store or the Play Store to download the app version of my product. Another way is through a television advertisement so between programmes the viewers will witness my adverts showing how people use the app or website in their daily lives. By seeing the benefits and advantages that the people on screen are experiencing it will convince the viewers to download the app or search the web for my product to use, therefore giving my product more success and earning more profit. This targets the mainstreamers as they will be watching the tv together as a family and will see my adverts between channels or programmes. 

To conclude my report, I have explained in depth how I am going to exploit the new markets surrounding the distribution and advertising and marketing for my idea for a new media product. I discussed thoroughly how my media product is going to be distributed and marketed across the different possible channels and platforms. I also considered why I decided to make my choices in regards to the media product's target audience and how it would affect them in order to make my created media product more successful and viable as a real product.