Advertising: GoPro

            Mass Communication and the Media have both evolved from the modern era all the way to the digital age. Recently, the majority of information we receive, is received through different forms of broadcasting. For example, the news stations that broadcast the information we receive, are broadcasted on TV. We also get this information from the internet as well. Information is rarely attained from the TV any longer. However, the TV is kept alive today because of entertainment and TV shows. While watching these shows, companies pay for commercial breaks. The breaks allow companies to show off their products as a way of advertising. According to Merriam-Webster, advertising is the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements (Merriam-webster.com, 2014). With that being said, commercials draw the attention of potential consumers in hopes of enticing them to buy certain products. Advertisement is a growing business in Mass Media, and without it, people would be less informed, therefore causing a decline in sales for certain products.

A sample ad during World War II

           

Early developments in American advertising have been dated back even before 3000 B.C.E. Researchers claim that early Egyptians carved stones and wood in hopes that others would see their stores. Before the Industrial Revolution, 90 percent of Americans lived in isolated areas and they produced most of their own tools clothes and foods (Campbell, Martin and Fabos, 2014). Advertising was minimal back then, but began to expand after the 1800s. During the Great depression, World War II brought on a sudden rejuvenation in advertising (Campbell, Martin and Fabos, 2014). In the 2000s, advertising merged into online marketing. YouTube is a prime source, and a perfect example, of advertising products via ads and videos. According to Fastcompany.com, GoPro is the number one most innovative company in Advertising and 39^th most innovative company as of 2014.

GoPro Offical Logo

 

Nick Woodman, CEO

GoPro is a company specializing in motion picture cameras. GoPro is believed to be the World’s Most Versatile camera. DL Cade, A writer for Petalpixel.com states that, “The very first GoPro was sold by company founder and CEO Nick Woodman from his van, back in 2004; this first form of GoPro took 35mm film (PetaPixel, 2014). Fast forwarding 9 years to now, Woodman is a billionaire whose creation is officially the best-selling camera in the entire world” (PetaPixel, 2013). Even with the company being such a success, everyone has their own faults.  In a recent interview with BloombergTV, Woodman announced his biggest fear as being CEO, “We as a team don’t realize our full potential or even worse neglect it” (Bloomberg, 2014). GoPro is well known for “The Doggy Dash” video. The video places a huge emphasis on the innovative technology of the camera, which includes perfect resolutions and qualities. Most of the videos advertised show a first-person point of view.

         

The Weeknd and GoPro HD HERO+3

 

A very effective, and also very common source of promotion is through celebrities. Celebrities with a large fan base are perfect candidates for advertisement. When they’re promoting products, many viewers are fans, and they can be convinced into getting certain products. The Weeknd is a rapper that teamed up with GoPro to help promote his tour. Every scene in his videos is shot with the GoPro HD HERO+3 camera. Both the Weeknd and GoPro mutually benefit by introducing their products/events to the YouTube community, which can be seen worldwide.

 

            

"The Domino Effect"

         Advertising is a major business industry when it comes to Mass Communication in a digital age. Companies like GoPro make their living by selling and convincing potential consumers to invest, and buy into their company. Although they may struggle, day by day, companies become more and more successful. Advertising has now given opportunities to every company to sell their products. On the other hand, there are other sources that believe that advertising has more cons than pros. However, without advertising, the business world would not be what it is today. Companies would be producing products but consumers would not be informed well enough to know of these products. This domino effect would ultimately lead to an unruly crash in the economy. Although it isn’t exactly fun to have your favorite TV show interrupted by an advertisement about the latest indigestion medicine, commercials, infomercials, and other advertisements are the most effective ways to get a product to sell .

           

Works Cited

Bloomberg, 2014. Ask a Billionaire: What Is GoPro CEO's Big Fear?: Video. [Online] Available at: <http://www.bloomberg.com/video/ask-a-billionaire-what-is-gopro-ceo-s-big-fear-HYsKCj5gQSyPecaHNAR6XA.html> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

Campbell, R., Martin, C. and Fabos, B., 2014. Media & culture. 1st ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martins.

Gopro.com, 2014. GoPro | World's most Versatile Camera | HERO3+ Black Edition. [Online] Available at: <http://gopro.com//> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

Merriam-webster.com, 2014. Advertising - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. [Online] Available at: <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advertising> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

PetaPixel, 2013. A Fascinating Look at How GoPro Became the Best-Selling Camera in the World. [Online] Available at: <http://petapixel.com/2013/11/12/fascinating-look-gopro-became-popular-camera-world/> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

Staff, F. and Staff, F., 2014. The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Advertising. [Online] Fast Company. Available at: <http://www.fastcompany.com/3026329/most-innovative-companies-2014/the-worlds-top-10-most-innovative-companies-in-advertising> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

Vilaga, J., 2014. GoPro. [Online] Fast Company. Available at: <http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2014/gopro> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

YouTube, 2014. GoPro: One Night with The Weeknd. [Video] Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkpYLemrgBQ> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

YouTube, 2014. GoPro: The Doggy Dash. [Video] Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHoAWG6wPRA> [Accessed 21 Apr. 2014].

Film and TV

       

            In the Modern era, the development of TV and Film has not only impacted mass communication, but it has also impacted the views of the world. In Media & Culture Mass Communication in a Digital Age, Chapter 6 refers to Television as the final link to true “mass” communication (Campbell and Martin et al., 2014, p. 193). Research shows that most people turn to the Television as a source of research. Additionally, the development of film has begun to increasingly impact mass media. Television and Film are two crucial components to modern society; without them, Communications, Mass Media, and the Entertainment industry would not be as booming as it is today.

           

"The Big Three" 

   During the mid- 90’s the Network Era, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) was the main entertainment division that was moved to Hollywood while the information divisions remained in New York. Prior to the 1950s, Television shows were only broadcasted through radio stations. For example, The Lone Ranger derived from radio to television. Since the 1950s, the television gave people a source of entertainment by producing sounds as well as images. The pictures on the television were developed with the Cathode Ray tube, a picture tube created in the late 1800s. The first TV transmission was tested in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth. The Electronic technology consisted of a complex patent battle between Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin in 1907 in Russia. Vladimir Zworykin invented the iconoscope, the first TV camera tube to convert light rays into electrical signals; he received a patent for it in 1928 with Westinghouse and RCA. (Campbell and Martin, p. 197).

          

RCA CT-100 Television Design

  In 1952, the Federal Communications Commission tentatively approved an experimental CBS color system (Campbell and Martin, pg. 199). In 1954, RCA’s color system produced images in color, but the older sets could only receive black and white. This made CBS the color standard. More than 90 percent of U.S. household owned at least one set by the 1960s. (Campbell and Martin, pg. 199). Broadcasting was soon threatened by Cable television because it introduced narrowcasting—the providing of specialized programming and fragmented groups (Campbell, p. 202). 

             In 1999, cable penetration hit 70 percent. (Campbell and Martin, p. 205). Direct Broadcast Satellites brought up a bigger challenge to Cable services by install transmitters outside of households that would connect to receive signals from the sky. Later on, Television converged with the internet and mobile phones, making watching television available literally anywhere. Television is broken down into many different genres such as drama, comedy, and episodic/chapter series. With all of the different genres, public television struggles to find its place simply because they come off as “less attractive” (Campbell, p. 217). 

   

         Movies and film are the two base points of broadcasting media. Dating back to the late 1800s, the evolution of film helped enhanced the TV industry. Theaters were used to show the motion pictures. Thomas Edison’s kinetograph and kinetoscope made motion pictures viewable by looking through a hole. The viascope enabled filmstrips of longer lengths to be projected without interruption and hinted at the potential of movies as a future medium. Just like in the TV industry, Hollywood was known as the prime city where companies wanted their shows, movies/film promoted or showcased. Any film through Hollywood Studios turned out to be successful.

          Smaller companies later produced independent films. Eventually, Movies began to make their way into theaters and began racking in money. The older films later made a digital approach, which is shown today. Movies can be seen in theaters, DVDs, and even on blue ray. Not only did this bump up the movie industry, but it gave television an opportunity to bring people to theaters through commercials from movie companies.

        

          Both Film and TV are examples of how mass media has impacted society. With Mass media now being worldwide, many people can receive the same programs, movies, and information. For example, TV shows developed in the United States can now be translated and broadcasted online in different languages for other countries to see. With technology improving every day, Mass media will only continue to be successful with the help of the TV and Film industries.

Works Cited

Campbell, R., Martin, C. R. and Fabos, B. 2014. Media & culture. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martins.

Campbell, R., Martin, C. R. and Fabos, B. 2014. Media & culture. 9th ed.

YouTube. 2014. PHILO FARNSWORTH "SMALL SCREEN, BIG DREAMS" part 1. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMwEhrRmIVE [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Edison's Kinetoscope. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9qRGsgtYsA [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].

YouTube. 2014. Edison Kinetograph Horizontal Camera Replica. [Video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDXrsgOwUw [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].