Mapping The New Geography Of Work And Roles In Online Media Marketing Communication

Abstract

With increasing business competition, both in competing for advertisers and consumers, online media continues to innovate in response to changes in consumer behavior maps and the media technology ecosystem. This article highlights the geographical shifts in marketing communications management for online news products through social media, thereby changing the map of job territory and roles in media organizations. Using descriptive case studies, we directly observe newsroom and media marketing practices in an online media office in Indonesia to find out the system, structure, space, scope, function, and work process in marketing the news products through social media. We also interviewed key informants, namely managing editor, marketing communication staff, and triangulating informants from different online media to compare their work ecosystems. To complement the field data, we conducted document searches from professional, media, and scientific sources. Results show that, internally, the organizational structure changes in the team's migration that handles social media marketing, from the sales and marketing division to the newsroom division. The team's terminology has also changed from what was initially named Online Team to the Community Team. Consequently, the community team has a double role in operating a newsroom function and sales and marketing. Externally, news consumer behavior maps have also changed, especially in accessing the online news space. Consumer trends are migrating from considering media brands to simply clicking on seductive headlines. This migration substantially impacts the changes in online news marketing communication outlets.