ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we examine research and theory related to the characteristics of media, how these characteristics influence responses to marketing communications, and the processes by which this influence occurs. More specifically, we examine the unique and interactive effects of particular media types and vehicles on how marketing communication affects individual consumers and markets. An earlier review of this area (Stewart & Ward, 1994) examined relatively traditional effects of media in the context of advertising. It only briefly introduced the then nascent new media and the potential changes these new media suggested in both the characteristics of media and the influence of such media on advertising practice. Stewart and Ward (1994) also suggested that the continuing rapid evolution of media presented new opportunities for research, but that such research would require a change of focus from the stimulus-media characteristics-to the individual-the purposes and functions served by various media for individuals. Much that was suggested about the evolution of media has come to pass with the rise of the Internet, interactive television, and mobile communication. Thus, the present chapter will focus less on the effects of traditional media in advertising and more on the influences of the new media within the broader context of marketing communications.
