Definition
Digital media includes any online or digital means of transmitting marketing communications. Digital media currently includes—but is not limited to—websites, social networking environments, search engine ads, banner ads, email communications, streaming audio and video, online gaming, and mobile services.
from hubpages.com
The term multimedia refers to a combination of media and content (e.g., text, audio, moving images, still images, animation, video, webcasts, streaming video, podcasts) that are delivered electronically. [2]
Rich media is a multimedia format that offers an enhanced experience relative to older, mainstream formats. [1] New formats are regularly being introduced and old formats become part of the mainstream (or disappear altogether). Standard graphic formats such as JPEG and GIF would not be considered rich media. [2]
Some popular formats commonly considered rich media include Macromedia Flash and Shockwave, along with various audio and video formats. [3]
History
In the early 1990s, (now “traditional”) media options consisted of TV, print, radio, cinema, and outdoor. In the mid-90s, the digital category began to emerge. At that time, digital media was used mainly to refer to banner advertising placements on a relatively small number of websites. Since that time, the emergence of digital media has become the most significant change to the industry since the advent of television.
References
- American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), A Marketer’s Guide to Understanding the Economics of Digital Compared to Traditional Advertising and Media Services (Marketer’s Guide Series). ( 2009)
- American Marketing Association, AMA Dictionary.
- Doyle, Charles, A Dictionary of Marketing (Oxford Quick Reference)