In This 21st Century

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

1.0 Introduction

In this 21st Century, human beings are living in the technology era. The information technology, digital technology, nanotechnology and wireless technology are accelerating at breath-taking speeds (Pelletier). The improvement of these technologies lead to the especially the information and communication technologies (ICT) which include computers, tablets, smartphones, software applications and internet had bring the society to the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’, the ‘new economy’ or the ‘information age’ (Information technology: A new era?). In this information epoch, human relies on technological devices in their daily life as these technologies bring tons of conveniences to them.

Recent years, internet is not only the platform for people around the world to upload, download and review information they required, but it has transform to become a more mature place. It also becomes a place that full with potential for many companies and individuals to promote their goods and services which also called as e-commerce and e-business. This platform provides a convenience place for all people especially those that are busy with their job task and required to monitor the goods through online. Online money transactions also becoming so common for all internet users in the purchasing the goods without moving a single step out from home.

Other than the searching for information resources and e-commerce, internet social networks had become a platform for all internet users. Nowadays, communication between people with people highly through the social network sites, it had become parts of life for people around the world especially Generation Y. They are so active in the communication with the friends, family and others through these internet social network websites. The rapidly increase of the internet social networks as it brings a lot of advantages for the users. The social network has provided a place for people not only improving the better relationship between peoples, but it helps to let people decrease the gap and distance among peoples. Therefore it also consider as a place of entertainment and sharing interest through internet connection (Zeljka Hadija, 2012). There are many examples of internet social network sites around the world such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, YouTube and MySpace (Zeljka Hadija, 2012).

The rapidly improvement of the internet surfing speed of telecommunication technology, smartphone and tablet technology, also directly have the relationship on the growth increases of social network sites viewing volumes (Cooper, 2010). Generation Y spend most of their time in the online social network sites daily as it had become a target place for the advertisers and businesses. Most businesses and advertisers try to offer the advertisements in the online social website to get the attention from the users and boost the company’s sales. Advertisement through online social network sites is new for the marketers and it can be call as the revolution of advertising from the traditional printed advertisements or it is the line extension for the advertisers in the methods of advertising.

1.1 Research background

The development of Web 2.0 has affected the consumers, particularly Generation Y. Generation Y try not to purchase the printed newspaper but choose to get the information from the online media platforms (Lee, 2010). The rapidly decrease in the sales of printed newspaper because of the boomed up of social network. Generation Y uses of social media and blogging services to get the current issues or news and paid attention on the non-news information online. Consumers view news through online make the advertisers to restrategized their action and have to shift the focus more deeply into online advertising (Gary Graham, 2010).

Advertising means the offering of products, services or any others important view through the printed medium, internet medium or any public communication intermediary (Riaz Fathima Binti Omar Farouk, 2012). Advertising can be considered as a huge amount of investment and it had been practices as an evidence of the economies of the world. The advertisement message delivered can be simple or it can be complicated by adding the responses of attitudes or it has a 3 dimensions effect (Andrew G. Parsons, 2012). Advertising can be divided into two groups, which are directional and brand building. Directional advertising is the searching of advertisement by people due to his or her interest while brand building is the marketers post the advertisements into the public media and make the products or services becoming more popular (Chingning Wang, 2002).

Advertising on internet increase the importance and opportunity in the long term. Website research companies forecast an increase in value of $22 billion US dollar in year 2004 in the internet advertising medium (Ulrike Gretzel, 2000). Most of the online advertisements are created by the website design company and minority advertisements created by the company selves own. Successful advertisement on the website needs a lot of innovation idea and concept compared to the traditional advertisement which only putting banners with simple description and design. However, the basic knowledge of traditional advertising is needed before venture in online advertisement industry. Online advertisement not only a basic advertisement medium, but it also becomes a flexibility information representation, collaboration, interaction and transactions (Ulrike Gretzel, 2000). In order to support that, online advertisement is built to be easily customization so people will more easily adopt with the ads (Chingning Wang, 2002).

Traditional advertising models is opposite with the online advertising. Traditional advertising medium for example television control the audience and force them to look over the advertisements. Online advertisement mostly needed the permission from the consumers by giving the opportunity to volunteers. The volunteers are more likely to pay attention on the advertisement they are look into before purchasing (Ulrike Gretzel, 2000). The Online Advertising Expenditure Report (OAER) shows that traditional advertising market is softening while the online advertising in showing 10 percent year on year stable growth. The statistic shows that more advertisers are noticed the changes in the advertising trend from general advertising to online medium (Writer, 2012).

The most recent issue to be discussed is the online social media advertisement. The volume of Facebook social media users had reaches 51.15% from the total population in Malaysia, which around 14millions people. The majority of user age distribution on Facebook in Malaysia is from 18 years old to 34 years old and this group of people are fall under Generation Y (Malaysia Facebook Statistics). From the top website ranking in Malaysia, Facebook had ranked number 1, YouTube number 4, Blogspot.com number 5, Twitter number 8 and Blogger.com ranked number 9 (Top Sites in Malaysia). These data shows that online social media websites become more and more popular.

The advertisers start to target their customers through the hottest social platform but not only focus on normal internet websites. Study about the user’s perception towards online social network advertising can let the advertisers have a better idea and direction on what advertisement should they offer in the online social medium and how they can successfully target their customers so the customers will spend some times in viewing of the advertisement.

1.2 Problem Statement

There is a study on the evolution of marketing on how marketers and advertisers can have a better connect with the consumers through communicating and developing strong connection relationship between companies and ever-adapting customers (Campbell, 2010). The study found that positive behaviours of human being towards the advertisement will be more easily persuaded by the particular advertising and take an action towards the advertisement. Most marketers advertise the advertisement without separate the internet users into targeting groups but combining them together even the advertisement is globalize. The study also focuses on the demographic differences and their lifestyle segmentation towards the response in the advertisement online (Yang, 2004). However, the focuses of age of respondents are not highly being research and therefore, study on the view of advertising among generation Y can be recommended.

Research shows that Generation Y people have lesser impact from the advertisement compare to others generation people (Riaz Fathima Binti Omar Farouk, 2012). Furthermore, some researches focus on the factors that affect the attitude of people towards advertising. Those researches are involve the internet and printed media but hardly to find it about online social media. They are focus on the perspective and finding the consumers perception of different types of advertisements (Chingning Wang, 2002). In the finding, the area of study on the types of advertising is wider and therefore, study that narrow down the types of advertising and focus only on the online social advertising will have a higher accuracy outcome.

At the same time, there are few research focus on the prevention and avoidance of advertise on the online platforms. They found some prove that advertise in the online places include online social media will somehow bring negative effect in the user response. Some users just ignore on the advertisement and some are lesser trust on the advertisement online (Louise Kelly, 2010). Those researches are focus only internationally but not narrow down the geographical in the target respondents. Study found that there are the fact that the contents inside the online social network websites much more attractive than the advertisement, so they will not purposely focus on the advertisement in the online social network. The study listed out the rapid increases of social media user’s volume but there is only few respondents are target in finished of the study (Zeljka Hadija, 2012).

Moreover, there is no research that only concentrates the study of advertising at online social website in Generation Y Malaysia but most of the studies are based on the online advertising in western countries. The social network popularity has lot of difference between western and Asia people. The Web 2.0 has just become hot cake in Asia that means the online social media websites is just a start in Asia countries. Study the young generation’s perception towards their perception in Malaysia will be a new turn so others include the advertisers which plan to advertise in the online social media websites will have a brighter direction.

This study attempted to get the perception of the individual who have the experience in the online social networking and click through or viewing the advertisement that posted in those social media network. There is insufficient evidence in the literature which discuss about this issue. On the other hand, there is more evidence showing on the attitude of people towards online advertising. Advertising at the online and advertising inside the social media website are showing different in the direction. People might have a difference in the perception towards the online advertisement and the online social network advertisement.

1.3 Research question

What are the influences of online social advertising towards Generation Y?

What is the effectiveness of viewing the online social network advertisement from Generation Y in Malaysia?

What are the possible solutions to address marketers and advertisers in offering the advertisement at online social network sites effectively?

1.4 Research objective

To examine the influences of online social advertising towards Generation Y.

To investigate the effectiveness of viewing online social network advertisement from the Generation Y in Malaysia.

To propose the recommendation for the marketers and advertisers the core values that offering advertisement at online social network.

1.5 Scope of study

The centre of attention in this study was the population of Generation Y in Malaysia. In order to make this study more reliability, the scope of Generation Y had been set on the person who only joining in any online social network sites. This scope is to obtain the perception of individuals from Generation Y in Malaysia on the online social network advertisements. The selection of sample respondents will be more focused on the university students in Malaysia as university student mostly joining in any online social network. The study will survey equal on the number of male and female gender. The class sampled encompassed students from varying level of education including PMR, SPM, STPM, Foundation, Diploma, Degree, Master and PHDs standards as well as others that fall under Generation Y category.

1.6 Significant of study

This study is to examine the effectiveness of current online social network advertising towards the users as there is lack of research in this area. This study will show the response and action of users on how they will react towards the advertisement in the online social networks. The user’s response will reflect the successive of the advertisement on the online social network.

This study focus on the Generation Y in Malaysia, who are living in the technology advanced era. By doing research in the range of Generation Y, it helps the data collection to be more precise and higher accuracy result when it touches about technological services. Furthermore, this study can provide information for the online marketers to understand the trend of advertisements and making any modification and continuously innovate so they can survive in the strong competitions of this globalization of online social network. This study shows the higher favourable on types of products advertisement and the placement of advertisement in the online social network that can increase the attractiveness to the Generation Y.

In addition, this study will also able to provide the trend flow of current social network users attitude and perception on the advertisement indirectly so the developers of these online social network able to understand what types of advertisement more suitable to be offered to the users and the placement of the advertisements on the website. The understanding of the user’s perception will be able to make the changes of the website on time, and this will influence the faster user’s increases volume and better user satisfaction level.

1.7 Chapter summary

The revolution of technology had brought human into a new living style and it was so successful in becoming a part of human. Technology improvements bring conveniences in getting news, information and social with others. It shortened the distance of this world so we can get the newest news and information around the world in a blink of eye. At the same time, it’s also easier and faster the connection and communication of people around through the online social networking.

This study shows the changes of trend of advertising from the traditional ways which through the printed medium and media to the internet advertising and online social media network advertising. The huge volume of internet users and rocket speed of increases on the online social network population are the main reason for the marketers to shift their advertising method.

There have been many studies touched about the online advertising around the world but yet the studies on the online social network advertisement still very limited. The few studies in this area mostly research about the attitude of the users towards the advertisements and the negative effect of the online social advertisement. There was a need to test the user’s perception towards the online social media advertisement. The social media network is at the hot current issue and the online social advertising just at the start-up level so many uncertainty need to be find out for better improvement.

The conduct of this research may bring a positive contribution to the advertising companies in Malaysia especially the online social network market as it is still a very new ways for them. So the advertisers have more ideas on how the tactics they need in the catching of the Generation Y online user’s attention in viewing the advertisements.