ABSTRACT
Introduction 228 Drivers of hybrid media development 228 Concerns regarding hybrid media 229 Product placements/joint promotions 230 Product placement in video games (‘advergames’) 233 Experiential marketing 234 Augmented reality marketing 235 Effectiveness/pre-testing/measuring return on investment 235 Ethical issues 235 Summary 236 Review questions 236 Recommended reading 237 Case study 10.1: Bebo’s Kate Modern: using online product placement
to monetize social networking websites 237 Notes 240
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
• Describe hybrid media forms and discuss their current and potential future significance as marketing communication tools
• Discuss the concerns raised regarding hybrid media as forms of stealth advertising
• Discuss the ethical issues regarding hybrid media forms
• Critically evaluate product placements as marketing communications tools
• Critically evaluate advergames, particularly those targeted at children
• Discuss ways by which return on investment from hybrid media may be assessed
Introduction
Up until the mid-1990s, marketing communications debate centred on traditional media
and the growth of online (Internet) advertising. As more experience was gained with differ-
ent types of Internet activity,1 after considerable disappointment that the initial promise
of electronic media as a replacement for conventional advertising had not been fulfilled2
and a lot of hype over the forecast death of advertising3 was shown to be considerably
overstated, ways of blending available media forms (called hybridization of media) began
to be explored.
