15. FREE CHOICE - TOPSHOP.COM

Topshop.com is the website for Topshop, allowing you to shop online from the comfort of your own home. It is replacing the traditional way of shopping – allowing you to shop at any time through the internet. It is relevant to show the increase in internet shopping, and how the internet has helped people to lead a lifestyle which suits them better, not necessarily shopping at the ordinary times.

The main social group involved are girls aged 15-30, who shop in topshop, and can then use the website to either order clothes which they may not have had in store, to check out what is on offer before they go shopping, or to do extra shopping when it suits them. The website offers a lot to people who are interested in top shop clothes. You can subscribe through the website to a RSS – a really simple syndication – which allows you to easily get the news that interests you, in this case the daily fix, which chooses out several different clothes from the website in order to attract your attention. There is also a style blog on the main page which updates with different Topshop style headlines each day for example news of Emma Cook’s Topshop line. On the other half of the page there are specific clothes styles picked out, which you can then click on in order to be taken to that section of the page, for example the tee shop. There is also a lsit of different options on the left hand side of the page, which allows you to choose a more specific thing to look at, for example jeans or playsuits. Some of these are sub divided for example accessories, which is subdivided into purses, bags, hats, scarves, umbrellas and sunglasses.

Topshop is the institution involved and they use the website to market their products and create further interest in them. They benefit, as they can create a wider target audience, targeting people who may not have a Topshop in their area. The style blog allows them to create a specific focus, and advertise products, which may increase sales overall. The website also allows Topshop to market extra features, for example the Topshop credit card and style advisor getting people even more involved with the Topshop brand.

The website is a case of interactivity, as the audience can get more involved with the products available in store by finding out more information on them, personalisation is important, as the wish list option allows a page to be created which is dedicated entirely to your taste, convenience is key, as you can visit the website, and therefore go shopping, at any time of the day, convergence can also be seen as a video podcast and RSS feed are offered, all allowing Topshop to branch out into new areas, and finally reach can be seen as people all over the world can buy Topshop clothes, as they deliver anywhere in the world, allowing Topshop to receive recognition in other countries, apart from the UK.

11. PODCAST - PEYTON'S PODCAST

Peyton’s podcasts are a set of podcasts, which follow the show one tree hill. On the show, Peyton makes podcasts and so the producers have followed this through, with actually putting these podcasts on the internet. If you listened to the podcasts, you may be lead to believe they are actually based on real life, however they instead follow what is happening in the show. Recently these podcasts have developed in vodcasts and so now they listeners can also watch videos which have extra information, which is not necessarily connected with what is happening in the show at a certain time, for example OTH music. It is relevant to show the increase in internet use, and interactivity and also how fans can now extend their experiences, by downloading podcasts.

The main audience involved is viewers of the show one tree hill, as they can use the podcast to get extra information on the show. These viewers are generally females aged 14-20. People who do not watch one tree hill may be interested in the podcasts however it may be confusing for them, as the podcasts refer to things which happen in the show, which they will not know about. If you are really interested in the podcast, there is a website which you can then go to in order to discuss the podcast further. This allows you to extend your interest and therefore talk to people who are interested in similar things to you. The podcasts allow the listener to listen to extra information, when they are out and about, through their iPod for example, or when they are at home, via the computer. The fact that the podcasts automatically update means that the listeners can stay as up to date as possible. The podcasts also help to involve the audience more, as they can feel more in touch with the character as it is almost as if they are keeping a diary on their life, making it even more realistic for the audience. Generally however the podcast offers fans of one tree hill to find out more info, and more recently to view trailers which then may encourage their interest in the show even further.

CW the channel which broadcast OTH, benefit as it allows for extra publicity to be created. People who are browsing in the podcast section of the iTunes website may see the podcast, start to listen and then be encouraged to watch the show. As the podcasts are relatively cheap to make it also allows for not too much money to be spent in order for the show to be advertised further. The video podcasts allow for the show to be advertised, as the characters speak to the camera about when the next show is out and the trailers also help to advertise the show. Overall it is easy to see that the podcasts allow for extra advertising to be created, for a relatively cheap price. Peyton’s podcasts are a set of podcasts, which follow the show one tree hill. On the show, Peyton makes podcasts and so the producers have followed this through, with actually putting these podcasts on the websites. If you listened to the podcasts, you may be lead to believe they are actually based on real life, however they instead follow what is happening in the show. Recently these podcasts have developed in vodcasts and so now they listeners can also watch videos which have extra information, which is not necessarily connected with what is happening in the show at a certain time, for example OTH music. It is relevant to show the increase in internet use, and interactivity and also how fans can now extend their experiences, by downloading podcasts.

The main audience involved is viewers of the show one tree hill, as they can use the podcast to get extra information on the show. These viewers are generally females aged 14-20. People who do not watch one tree hill may be interested in the podcasts however it may be confusing for them, as the podcasts refer to things which happen in the show, which they will not know about. If you are really interested in the podcast, there is a website which you can then go to in order to discuss the podcast further. This allows you to extend your interest and therefore talk to people who are interested in similar things to you. The podcasts allow the listener to listen to extra information, when they are out and about, through their iPod for example, or when they are at home, via the computer. The fact that the podcasts automatically update means that the listeners can stay as up to date as possible. The podcasts also help to involve the audience more, as they can feel more in touch with the character as it is almost as if they are keeping a diary on their life, making it even more realistic for the audience. Generally however the podcast offers fans of one tree hill to find out more info, and more recently to view trailers which then may encourage their interest in the show even further.

CW the channel which broadcast OTH, benefit as it allows for extra publicity to be created. People who are browsing in the podcast section of the iTunes website may see the podcast, start to listen and then be encouraged to watch the show. As the podcasts are relatively cheap to make it also allows for not too much money to be spent in order for the show to be advertised further. The video podcasts allow for the show to be advertised, as the characters speak to the camera about when the next show is out and the trailers also help to advertise the show. Overall it is easy to see that the podcasts allow for extra advertising to be created, for a relatively cheap price.

Narrowcasting and fragmentation can be seen, as a niche fan base is created – those who like to watch one tree hill and want to further their interest by listening to the podcast, flexibility can be seen as fans can listen to the podcast whenever it suits them, and the automatic download means that new episodes are downloaded as soon as they come out, the website where the fans can further discuss the podcast creates democratisation as anyone can join in with the discussion, convergence can be seen through the use of video in some of the podcasts, which can then be consumed through the different portals, diversification is also relevant as special interest groups are created, as can reach as the podcasts can be accessed all over the world through iTunes, and interactivity as the fans can comment and feel closer to the character through the podcasts, finally personalisation is apparent as the podcast is specifically aimed at people who like one tree hill.

Narrowcasting and fragmentation can be seen, as a niche fan base is created – those who like to watch one tree hill and want to further their interest by listening to the podcast, flexibility can be seen as fans can listen to the podcast whenever it suits them, and the automatic download means that new episodes are downloaded as soon as they come out, the website where the fans can further discuss the podcast creates democratisation as anyone can join in with the discussion, convergence can be seen through the use of video in some of the podcasts, which can then be consumed through the different portals, diversification is also relevant as special interest groups are created, as can reach as the podcasts can be accessed all over the world through iTunes, and interactivity as the fans can comment and feel closer to the character through the podcasts, finally personalisation is apparent as the podcast is specifically aimed at people who like one tree hill.

14. HOTLY TIPPED PRODUCT - IPHONE

The iPhone is three "amazing products" – mobile phone, widescreen iPod and breakthrough internet communications – in one. It is replacing the conventional mobile phone, with more features, a better music player, increased internet capabilities and more importantly a memory of 4GB or 8GB. It also has a 2MP camera, touchscreen, as well as Bluetooth and wi-fi capabilities. It is relevant to show the increasing demands of the audiences, and the converged devices which are now being produced. The technology involved, is internet, camera, phone, Bluetooth etc.

The phone interests a wide target audience from the ages of 14 – 35, however mainly males. Music lovers will like the fact that the phone has a relatively big memory so that can store a lot of songs on the phone, teenagers will also like that there is Bluetooth allowing them to effortlessly share their files with their friends, and business men will like the increased internet capabilities which allow them to constantly stay in touch. The phone offers a lot and is seen as a breakthrough in communication devices. The main thing that interests people are the inbuilt iPod capabilities, as a lot of people have ipods, and by converging this device with a phone, it makes life easier for the audience as they do not have to carry two devices – it is all in one.

The institution involved is Apple, who are producing a break through product, which is bound to be extremely popular with the audience, especially following the success in past years with the iPod. The fact that iPod chose to introduce the product several months earlier than its release date (June 2007) allows interest to be created, and thus when the product is eventually it will be in a lot of demand.

Regulation is a factor that needs to be taken into account here as music is often downloaded illegally. This is something which can not really be control, as there are too many people doing it to prosecute everyone. This means that everyone continues to do it. Quality is a factor, as the 2 MP camera is an example of what is being improved through the new technology. Convergence however is probably the key thing. With all of the advance features that the iPhone offers a lot of different technologies have been combined to provide the audience with this e.g. camera and iPod. Portability is a factor, as the point is that you can take the device with you and then do a lot of things with it, regardless of where you are, this is similar to miniaturisation, where even though the product has a lot more features, it is still relatively small considering. The phone is also an example of personalisation, as the things that people put on the phone can be personalised according to their interests for example different music.

5. RADIO SHOW WEBSITE – CAPITAL BREAKFAST SHOW

The capital breakfast page is part of the website which is dedicated to Johnny Vaughn’s breakfast show. It is replacing the tradition ways of consuming radio, by offering extra features and the chance to listen to the shows at a later date by downloading them as a podcast, or just listening on the computer itself. It is relevant to show how the internet has allowed interactivity to grow and how institutions can now use the internet to further interest the audience.

This part of the website is relevant to anyone who is interested in the breakfast show, which includes current fans as well as those who want to be part of it. The website assumes you know who people are. There are 5 main stories on the page, which update accordingly and they use names of people who are on the breakfast show, for example Welshey. There is a huge focus on the fact that this is Johnny Vaughn’s breakfast show, and this could be because capital feels this is an idea they can play upon in order to hook in now listeners to the show. Underneath his picture, there are set links that are then used to hook the listener in. For example podcasts and meet the gang. This allows you to become familiar with the crew, and then feel part of the breakfast team. There is also a top links section included on the page, and this takes you around the different parts of the websites.The page ties in with the previous capital page. We have the same scrolling bar, listen now, log in and contact box at the top of the page, the only difference here is that they are in yellow. The layout links the page back to capital, however the colour establishes the breakfast show as a different part of the site.

The website offers different things to different people. For example if you missed out a bit of the show you can easily catch up, whereas if you wanted to get involved this is also possible. This means that you can request a song or get in touch with the show.

The institutions involved are capital, who play on the fact that Johnny Vaughn hosts the breakfast show, in order to hook people in. Advertisers can also benefit as they can target a more specific market.

Felexibility is key here as people can listen to the breakfast show anytime they want for example at 5pm in the afternoon, convergence is seen here, as you can also watch videos through the website for example the new TV advert, reach is increased, as people all over the worl can access the radio website and listen to the shows, and finally a non linear experience can be created for the audience, as they can choose what parts of the shows they want to listen to and change it at any time if it doesn’t suit them.

4. RADIO STATION WEBSITE – CAPITAL FM

Capitalfm.com is the online site for the radio station Capital FM. It is replacing the conventional ways of listening to the radio as you can listen online, as well as listen to shows you may have missed such as flirty at 9.30. It is relevant to show how interactivity and the internet can increase interest in a product and get the audience even more involved. The internet and the radio equipment is the main technology involved.

Everyone who listens to capital will find something to do on this website; however the website also appeals to people who may not necessarily listen to capital by having general features such as news, in a scroll bar across the top of the page. If you have a favourite DJ on capital, you can use the website to get in touch with that DJ or find out more information about them. If you just want general information, you can use the links across the top of the page to navigate. There are also the top stories to entice you to find out more, centred in the middle of the page. This includes a section on live sessions, which any music loves may find interesting, Culture vultures, part of Lucio’s drive time, which allows you to win tickets to the hottest gigs in town such as Macy Grey, and Artist of the month, which is currently the Killers, again something of interest to music lovers.

The page also has a search bar, again meaning the audience can find out anything they want. A log in box is also present, for people who want to join the V.I.P club. By doing this you get extended access to features, and can access special things, as well as having the chance to enter competitions. On the home page, there is also a listen live section. This encourages people to tune in, and means the radio station can be broadcast all over the world, as even people who are not in London can listen. Underneath the listen live section there is a contact box. This encourages the listener to get in touch with the station. Across the top of the page, a wide selection of features is offered, this narrows down the choices, and provides the audience with umbrella heading which they can then look further into. For example you may choose to look at pictures where you can then see pictures from various events capital has hosted.

For institutions, the main one involved is capital. They are using the internet to further market their radio station, and by doing this they can attract new listeners. They can also offer new features, and the fact that you can listen to past shows allows people to stay up to date with a feature if they miss something. This encourages loyalty to the brand. The website also encourages distribution all over the world due to the listen live section. This is also encouraged by allowing people to listen to past shows. This is because if you are in Australia for example, you may not necessarily want to listen to the current show, and instead want to listen to you favourite DJ, who presents the breakfast show. You can do this by listening to the past shows from the breakfast time through the computer. The other institution involved is Mini, who are using the website to advertise their product. The website, has allowed them to create an interactive advert, which you have to roll over if you want to see it in full.

The key thing for this site is interactivity. There are many interactive features encouraging the audience to get involved even further for example the competitions – win an iPod nano. Quality improvement is also seen, as crystal clear quality is available by listening through the computer, reach is also possible, as mention before, people all over the world can now listened to the radio. Diversification can be seen as people can easily listen to shows and music that interests them specifically rather than having to listen to a whole music show. Convergence can be seen, between the radio and the internet. Finally we can see broadcasting, as everyone has something offered to them, which will appeal to them on the main page. For example news and weather.

12. CONVERGED TECHNOLOGY – SIDEKICK 3

A T-Mobile Sidekick is a phone that lets you stay connected “the way you want, when you want”. You can do almost anything on a sidekick, and the development into a sidekick 3 with added features means it is beginning to replace conventional mobile phones, as well as MP3 players, as due to the large memory capacity people may feel that they don’t need both an MP3 player and a phone, when they can just have the sidekick. This is also similar with a camera, as although the picture quality is lower than most digital cameras, it is more convenient, as you have it built into your phone, which you take almost everywhere you go. The technology involved is a phone.

The main target audience for the Sidekick is girls aged 14-24 as it means that can constantly keep in touch with their friends. The fact that celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lauren Conrad (from Laguna Beach) also have one influences their opinion on the phone, as they want to be similar to them. Recently, however T-mobile have tried to make the Sidekick appeal to boys as well as girls by creating a D-wade Sidekick, designed by an NBA player.

The sidekick is quite a big phone, however this is mainly because it has a keypad on it, allowing for the audience to easily type email messages and AIM messages. The phone has a 1.3MP camera, internet access with instant messenger, email, phone and Bluetooth, and a music player, as well as an extra 1GB memory capacity through the use of a memory card.

However, these different groups may use it differently. Boys may be more interested in keeping up with the latest sports news, whereas girls like to constantly keep in touch with their friends. However, both groups probably find that all the features are relevant to them in some detail.

From an institutional point of view T-Mobile want to produce this phone to keep up with technology and also to keep the teenage audience, which is especially helped by the fact that Paris Hilton has her very own sidekick. The way the phone is exhibited is essential to the audience. The website ties in with the teenage age group, as it is set on a street, which you navigate around using your own sidekick. You can also choose the music that plays, mimicking one of the main features of the sidekick. It is also important for t-mobile, as it is a product, which no other company really has. It is a PDA style device, but with features that are aimed at teenagers, which puts them in a strong position within the market.

The sidekick is a good example of portability, as it allows you to consume media on the go, for example instant messaging due to the built in AIM and MSN capability, the sidekick 3 is also an example of miniaturisation, as even though the phone is slightly bigger than others on the market, it is much smaller than the previous models, the phone also allows for personalisation as the audience can adapt the technology to suit their lifestyle, for example by uploading on to it their favourite songs. Quality is increasing, which we can see from the 1.3MP camera, and we can also see convergence, due to all the different technologies that can now be consumed through the sidekick.

3. PROGRAMME EXAMPLE – WAGS BOUTIQUE

The WAGs Boutique homepage, part of the ITV website, is the official online home page of the TV show Wags Boutique which is on ITV 2 every Tuesday at 9pm. It shows how interactivity plays a huge part in the promotion of a TV show through the web and for WAGs boutique in particular, the role of advertising within the web page. It uses the internet in order to produce the web page.

The target group for WAGs boutique the show is female teenagers and young adults between the ages of 14 and 30, and this is similar to the website target age group. This is due to the clothes that the shop sells and also because these people can relate to the WAGs in some way as even though they are going out with footballers, they are still relatively normal people, trying to work. The fame side of the situation may also attract some parts of the audience. When visiting the site it is generally accepted that you know something about the show already, as the site uses first name terms for all the WAGs. The audience who are interested in the show use the site to find out more detail on the WAGs themselves, and also on the shop as a whole, as well as discussing elements about the boutique in the forums. This is different to before, as the discussion of such TV programmes would have been restricted to people’s friendship groups, whereas now anyone from all over the world can put their input in.

There is a lot on offer for the audience and people who are interested in the boutique. On the main page, there is a video which plays little clips of the programme with Diet Coke advert breaks built into this, as they are the sponsors of the programme. The colour scheme is blue and there are diamonds scattered over the page to fit in with the lavish life style of the WAGs. There is a competition featured on the main page, and there are two pictures with the Wags from either team centred around their team name, which as you scroll over them, causes their names to appear. The things on offer to the audience are located on the right and left hand side of the page framed in grey scrolls. There are a lot of different things for the audience to do – read about recent episodes, get more information on the teams (Bows and Better Half), general news on the show and the boutiques, a link to the forum under the name “Wagging Tongues”, general information on the shows, behind the scenes gossip, a gallery of pictures from the show and finally downloads. There are also the opening hours of the shops listed, reminding the audience that as well as being a TV show, there is also a shop which they can go and visit.

Diet Coke plays a part in this website as they are the sponsors of the programme. The have an advert which plays, which as well as generating revenue for ITV, also creates extra advertisement for Coke. The benefit of this technology for ITV however, is that they can see how well Wags is going down with the audience, especially with the viewer vote, which this week is “Which is worse?” – Cassie closing early to prepare for the sale, Michaela leaving early to get ready for a party or neither – both girls did nothing wrong, which allows ITV to see how active the audience are on the site, as well as through the forum, where they can get honest impressions on different aspects of the show, from viewers all over the world. The fact that the website allows the audience to receive extra gossip entices them to the website, as this is something they wouldn't be able to get from just watching the TV programme.

This website shows interactivity, as there a lot of features that the audience can look at, immediacy, due to the use of the internet meaning the audience can quickly get onto the website, and democratisation, as the forum allows anyone to contribute their views to the site. Convergence can also be seen through the use of videos and vertical integration through the ITV logos and links back to the main website, and to Diet Coke through the adverts built into the WAGs boutique information. Reach is also increased, as the internet allows a global audience to access the website, and finally online surveillance, as ITV can see the audiences view through the forums and the voting opportunities.

1. MAINSTREAM BROADCASTER WEBSITE - WWW.ITV.COM

ITV.com is the online site for the television channel ITV. It is relevant in order to show the way that TV channels are using the web to further their viewers experience and to advertise their channel in more detail and similarly how the audience increased consumption of the web has allowed for the development of such websites.

Everyone who has internet has access to this webpage, however the main people who will be drawn to this website are viewers of ITV or its sister channels such as ITV 2, who watch the commercial shows on the channel such as X Factor. This is because they know the shows and therefore know what they will be interested in on the website. They can use the website to extend their viewing experience by looking at the extra features that the website has on offer, or to discuss their interest in more detail with like minded people through the forums. However even if you are not that interested in ITV itself, the website may still attract you as you can look at other aspects, unrelated to the ITV network itself such as sport. The experience that the audience then have however is dependant on their own personal tastes. For example, if you are a kid, the CITV section of the website may interest you as it has games and more details on shows which are shown on CITV, if you are a soap fan, the dedicated forums for Coronation Street and Emmerdale may be of more interest to you, as they allow you to discuss your interest further. The fact that there are links to this on the main page also entices the audience to discuss this further, as this is something they may not have thought about before going on the site. This is different to in the past, as now the audience can follow up their viewing experience in order to get more information on it, and even discuss it in the forums.

The site in itself offers a lot to people who are interested in shows within the ITV network. The main page is split up with links and pictures to the most popular shows under the categories soaps, sports – F1 news, play – glitter ball, sports – Newcastle vs. Charlton, mobile and ITV dating. Advertising is built into this with ITV dating, and mobile being two of the links planted in to the layout, with the same design as the other links on the site. These links change daily according to what ITV deem will be popular. For example, dancing on ice played a huge part in the ITV layout, however now it is finished, ITV have changed the options. At the top of the page there are further categories such as CITV. Advertisement is also built in here with links to Friends Reunited. A TV guide which shows “tonight’s top shows”, is included on the main page, so you can see the shows which ITV recommend for you. As this is done across all of ITV channels it encourages loyalty to the brand. There is also a scrolling box, which has 5 options for you to choose from. This changes daily, depending on what ITV want to advertise to their audience. For example as it is Sunday, they want to advertise Wild at Heart, which is done by offering the audience a sneak peak, and the focus has been lessened on Dancing on Ice, although there are still inks enticing you to get further information on the final

ITV can entice people to watch their programmes through the website. For example, ITV can play on the hype surrounding the dancing on ice final to produce a greater focus on the website. If people then visit the page and see this hype, they may choose to have a look, which in turn may entice them to watch the final. The website encourages loyalty and gets the audience even further involved within the brand. Exhibition is a key thing with this site. The ITV logo brands the website, as do the colour blue which is connected to the channel. The website also encourages consumption of other media texts for example cookery tips through your mobile phone. It can also act as an advertisement for other TV shows for example the enigma of “who killed Tom King?” and the holiday competition, may entice people to start watching Emmerdale. Enticing people to watch ITV is essential after the huge audience share drop ITV has encountered in recent years to 19.2%. The website also allows ITV to stay on the forefront of technology and keep up with the increasing internet use amongst people nowadays.

It shows an example of interactivity, as the audience can get more from the channel by following it up through the website, immediacy, as the experience is through the internet which is relatively quick, reach as a global audience can be attracted, and online surveillance as ITV can keep tabs on how popular certain parts of the website is. Convergence and non-linear programming is also taking place, as you can watch live streaming of the UFEA cup football either when it is happening or at a later date if that suits you better. This reflects the changing demands of the audience and how they like to be able to watch things when it suits them. Vertical Integration is seen through the advertisement of ITV mobile – a service which allows you to “get the best bits of your favourite ITV programmes... EASY!”, and the use of friends reunited throughout the website – here ITV are playing on their popularity to entice people to go onto friends reunited, generating revenue for themselves from this. Finally it can be see through the links to other ITV TV channels such as ITV 2 which encourages loyalty to the brand.