Completed Abstract

My topic is beginning to take form, analyzing information surrounding advertising, multimedia, and brand addicts. More specifically, the topic discussion and argument will work through aspects of how multimedia is shaping advertising and how brand addicts can interact with their addiction. My argument will be focused around how brand addicts are contributing to the growth of brands and how multimedia is helping them do so. Argument: With multimedia, brand addicts have the ability to contribute to brand growth through a more interactive form of word-of-mouth.
I want to go in depth into each area mentioned in my argument. To open, I will present my argument and discuss my chosen brand, J.Crew. My project is beginning to delve deeper into what multimedia is, how multimedia is changing advertising, and how multimedia is creating a more participatory environment for consumers. The first topic will be about the general realm of multimedia and its expansion. Over the past few years, media has advanced at an exponential rate, increasing the use of new mediums and social networking. The second topic will be brand addiction and what it is. Brand addiction is becoming more and more pertinent to the advertising industry as more and more consumers develop their lives to encompass the essence of their favorite brands through purchasing, discussing, advocating, etc. I will also go in depth about what word-of-mouth advertising is and how it relates to the industry. Word-of-mouth has existed for centuries and for the past few decades, it has become an advantage to advertisers and brand messaging. Once these topics have been analyzed, I will begin shaping my argument while relating each topic to one another. With the expansion of multimedia, brand addiction has not only become a pertinent outlet for the advertising industry, but it has also become a way for consumers to interact on a more personal level and influence the purchases of other consumers through word-of-mouth. The main idea I want my project to convey is that multimedia is creating a circular pattern, adding to the consumer culture by providing a more interactive landscape that both assists in brand building and further adding to brand addiction.