World is changing. 

Life styles are changing. 

We are getting faster and able to do more than one task at the same time. 

Watching TV, using computer and speaking on the phone simultaneously. 

The progressing technology affects our life much more expeditious and deeper than as in the past. 

In fact, the changing speed of our life has increased.  It is even impossible to have a proper forecast about what will happen in 5 years time, while we could make longer plans effortlessly in the past. 

This is similar when we observe the present time. 

5 years ago, do we all imagine that we would be able to use internet by mobile phones, or do we all know that we will be spending almost half of our days by surfing at the social websites such as facebook or myspace? 

These are all recent innovations and changes happening from second to second.

In order to form a judgment on “Internet overtakes TV” discussions, we first have to analyze the means that bring us this accelerated life changes. 

Television, computer and mobile phones   

All these devices, in other words means of communication, have different sized screens informing us. 

Device Definition 

Television : Telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving movies.

Computer: Machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions.

Mobile Phone: Electronic device used for mobile telecommunications over a cellular network of specialized base stations known as cell sites.

If we evaluate the main discrepancies of the three devices, we can come to an idea how internet will influence the TV’s future. 

Functions

TV Programs :Programs prepared by professionals

Communication : Phone calls, msn,skype

Internet : Web 2.0 based, prepared by users

Office Programs : Professional usage for documantation

As seen above, there are four main functions why we are using these devices. 

While computer and mobile phones are providing the entire medium for tv programs, communication, internet, and office programs, television’s principal function is to bring the broadcasting to us. 

Mobile phones were in reality used for phone calls but by increasing sizes of their screens, they are being used as a means of reaching internet. However the main function is considered as communicating among individuals. 

Computer, as having ergonomic use to write and browse, the main function is to use office programs, internet. 

So, we can describe and position the main functionalities of these devices as; 

Television – Broadcasting 

Computer- Internet 

Mobile Phones- Phone calls

Interactivity and Mobility 

There exist two considerable factors that make computer and mobile phones more desirable than televisions.

Future life style and devices will be shaped according to these two factors; interactivity and mobility.

Features

1.Interactivity 2.Mobility 3.Personality

Television 1.No 2.No 3.No

Computer 1.High 2.High 3.High

Mobile Phones 1.Very 2.High 3.Very High 3.Very High

Televisions programs should be getting much more interactive.   

Computers should be getting smaller.

Mobile phones should be more ergonomic for quick writing and browsing internet.  

Actually there is an ongoing convergence happening between these three machines and their functions. 

Reliability and Permanency 

If we confront any TV program with internet, the former is considered more reliable and permanent, while the latter is perceived as less reliable and less permanent.

On internet, everybody can create contents and announce what he/she wants to say. You can find even anything created by any internet writer regardless of relevancy. Therefore, it is getting hard to find reliable documents, data that can be referenced. 

On TV, all programs are designed according to the desires of the spectators and they are provided by the television channel stuff, and while preparing the programs; messages, contents, and contributors are analyzed profoundly and delicately. 

On classical media, such as TV and newspapers, what you make is more permanent when you compare with the things that you formed on Internet, since the consumption is too fast here. That is to say, when something is published or broadcasted by a newspaper, or tv channel, according to the prevailing opinion, it will be considered as valuable, reliable reference to use.

Marketing Media

If we were able design a magazine, we certainly put the ads at the end of the magazine. 

Interactivity provides us such a medium that we choose and search what we want. 

TV will go on its life, since it is much more organized and reliable than internet and it provides the live programs, news to all the audiences. 

As devices converge each other, interactivity, mobility, reliability and permanency will also converge in order to attract changing group. 

TV programs will be more interactive (Upcoming IPTV) or based on live programs… 

Internet sites, bloggers will consolidate and create reliable data and information sites. 

Mobile phones will be more ergonomic to write faster and surf on the internet. 

Marketing media distribution will of course change. 

The interactive people will be bored of given and boring ads. They will have more power to shape the ads.

In both media, there will be same rules for ads; 

- Entertain the consumer

- Make ads stealthy

- Make consumer feel as they have benefit

- Do not bother them, since they can easily change you.

Internet overtakes Television? Yes. But …

Internet overtakes TV. This is true, but that does not mean that TV will stop, and internet overtakes all the media.

TV as a device will remain at our homes as the biggest information screen beside our computers and mobile phones. This black box, having right of entering our homes without permission, has more effect than anything to influence the crowd.

We will use this big screen (TV) for especially live programs, and sometimes use internet and make it interactive and choose what we want to watch by using modified remote controllers. If we want to create content or write something, we take the small screen (Computer) and surf in the internet and write content by using ergonomic keyboards. For going out, we get the smaller screen (Mobile Phone) and call our friends, surf in the internet. 

While using all these screen based devices in anywhere (Mobility), we will be always online, get and create information (Interactivity). 

Ömürden M. Sezgin 

Brand Engineer 

omurdensezgin@markam.com.tr