Digital Technology: Implications for Organizations
Implications for Organizations: Digital Technology
Media Revolution
Explain the concept of a digital or media revolution. What are the differences between digital and media technology? Which type or types of media are changing the way businesses and individuals are conducting themselves?
The term, 'digital revolution' is used to refer to the advancement of technology from mechanical, analog devices to digital devices such as smart phones, and digital computers (Couldry, 2012). The digital revolution began way back in the 1950s and 60s, when the invention of the transistor paved way for the development of the World Wide Web. Since then, it has been a step-by-step process, which has seen new inventions come up, and analog devices be gradually replaced with digital formats. Today, personal computers are being taken over by tablets and smart phones, and it is all part of the digital revolution.
This introduction prompts the question: what exactly is a digital device, and furthermore, what is digital technology? Digital technology is a type of transfer that involves breaking a message into binary codes, transmitting it across a medium, and then reassembling the same back to media form upon being received by another device that utilizes digital technology. Media technology, on the other hand, is a type of transfer that involves moving data, in analog form, across a medium to another device that utilizes analog technology.
Thanks to the digital revolution, digital technology is now...
The digital revolution has led to the development of innovative digital devices such as smart phones and tablets; and this has changed the way communication takes place, particularly because people are gradually moving from the traditional analog forms of media (broadcast and print) towards the internet. As a medium for communication, the internet is transforming the way business is conducted, and the manner in which individuals conduct themselves.
Digital media such as Facebook and Twitter provide ample platforms for organizations to market their products and at the same time interact with customers at a level never seen before. This is not to mean, however, that traditional marketing techniques such as broadcast marketing, print marketing and use of billboards have become non-existent. Some organizations, particularly SMEs still use these and are able to realize attractive revenue streams. Moreover, use of digital media in marketing is not a guarantee for increased profit margins. As Kerr and Kurtz (2011) point out, it all depends on the organization's target market -- an organization whose products target teenagers and young people is better off using digital media marketing; on the other hand, one that targets the older population may be better-placed to sue traditional marketing techniques (Kerr & Kurtz, 2011). The choice of whether to use digital media or traditional media to appeal to the market, therefore, largely depends on an organization's target market. Moreover, an organization stands to reap better…
