Examining the Shift in Advertising Strategies from Reliance on Mass Media to Digital Platforms
Keywords:
Audience Analysis, Social Networks , Artificial Intelligence , Mass Media, Digital AdvertisingAbstract
Technological and social transformations during the 2010–2020 decade fundamentally reshaped the advertising industry. Mass media such as television, radio, and print—long the dominant channels for advertising—gradually ceded their position to digital platforms. The objective of the present study was to examine the changes in advertising strategies from traditional media to digital advertising and to analyze the role of data, artificial intelligence, and social networks in this transition. This research employed a qualitative approach using a documentary–analytical method. Domestic and international scientific sources published between 2010 and 2020 were collected and analyzed through thematic analysis. The results indicated that digital advertising, characterized by interactivity, personalization, financial flexibility, and precise measurability, has successfully compensated for the weaknesses of traditional advertising. Moreover, the influence of social media influencers and the analysis of big data have transformed the role of the audience from a passive consumer to an active participant. At the same time, challenges such as advertising saturation, privacy violations, and algorithmic transparency were identified. The transition from mass media to digital platforms was not merely a change in advertising tools but also a redefinition of key concepts such as audience, trust, and ethics in marketing. This evolution elevated advertising from a simple informational process to an interactive and data-driven experience.
Downloads
References
Aghili, S. V., Roshandel Arbatani, T., & Farajian, M. M. (2018). The Role of Social Networks in Elections in Iran and Their Impact on Traditional Media. Studies of New Media, 4(13), 181-214. https://journals.atu.ac.ir/article_8497.html
Akhtar Mohagheghi, M., & Akhzarian Kashani, M. R. (2018). The Impact of Social Networks on Charitable Activities. Media Research, 2(Summer). https://ensani.ir/fa/article/400039/
Al Mahmud, M. A., Hossain, M. A., Saju, M. A. B., Wali, M., Ullah, R. H., & Suzer, G. U. R. K. A. N. (2024). Information technology for the next future world: Adoption of IT for social and economic growth: Part II. Technology, 2(H3). https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=135663
Alzub, A. M. (2023). Navigating the disruption of digital and conventional media in changing media consumption landscape in digital era. Journal of Engineering, Technology, and Applied Science (JETAS), 5(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.36079/lamintang.jetas-0501.517
Balouchi, H., Hasanqoli Pour, T., Maleki Minbash Rezgah, M., & Siyah Sarani Kajouri, M. A. (2015). Examining the Impact of Trust and Brand Identity on Brand Advocacy. Business Management Research, 14, 59-80. https://www.sid.ir/paper/197084/fa
Dehghan, H., & Marvat, B. (2018). Investigating the Relationship Between the Amount of Use of Virtual Social Networks and the Social Relationships of Students. News Sciences, 7(25). https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1374946/
Esmaeilpour, M., Bahraini Zadeh, M., & Zarei, K. (2017). Examining the Impact of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising on Consumer Attitudes Towards Ads. New Marketing Research, 1(7), 1-21. https://nmrj.ui.ac.ir/article_21448.html
Feiz, D., Arefi, A., & Khiyari Haghighat, A. (2016). The Impact of Celebrity Attractiveness and Advertising Effectiveness. Business Management Explorations, 8(16), 185-209. https://www.sid.ir/paper/197137/fa
Gharib Hosseini, M. H. (2022). Examining the Impact of Advertising on Social Media on Sales Volume. Seventeenth Conference on Computer Science and Information Technology. https://civilica.com/doc/1566492
Hedayatpour, P., Manouchehri, J., & Sohaili, B. (2020). The Impact of Facebook Marketing on Customer Satisfaction for Sports Products. Interdisciplinary Studies in Communications and Media, 3(9), 157-177. https://jiscm.iribu.ac.ir/article_120792_88277d39a5b6ce83130a6741b0e78037.pdf
Hongcharu, B. (2024). The changing roles of mass media amidst the growth of the digital media. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 2297721. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2297721
Hosseinzadeh, S., Khazaneh Darlou, M., & Andelib, A. (2016). The Role of Online Social Media in Improving Marketing Strategies. Second International Conference on Web Research, https://civilica.com/doc/481654
Jamshidi, S. (2024). The Power of Predictive Analytics in Intelligent Sales and Marketing: A Study of the Children's Clothing Market. https://civilica.com/doc/2104755
Jan Nasari, M. (2024). The Position of Radio Among People and Media. https://civilica.com/doc/2179959
Kamran, F., Ghiathian, A., & Akhtarmaghi, M. (2018). Examining the Level of Social Trust in Online Social Network Advertisements. Media Research, 2(Summer). https://ensani.ir/fa/article/400043
Khalili, Z., Labbafi, S., & Khajehyian, D. (2021). Providing a Policy Framework for Platform-Based Businesses in Iran. Interdisciplinary Studies in Communications and Media, 4(13), 67-91. https://jiscm.iribu.ac.ir/article_140010.html
Khan, N., Zaman, B., & Sattar, A. (2024). Comparative Analysis and Implications of Mass Media versus Digital Media for Marketing Communication. Pakistan JL Analysis & Wisdom, 3, 185. https://www.socialpsychology.ir/article_219106_c6d91273c8ad316dccb3e4c58f02af77.pdf
Kierian, N. U., Mboho, M., Umoren, P. E., & Essien, G. B. (2023). The Influence of Social Media On the Globalization of Body-Shaper Advertisements: A Comparative Study of Online Marketing Strategies. International Journal of International Relations, Media and Mass Communication Studies, 9(3), 30-39. https://doi.org/10.37745/ijirmmcs.15/vol9n33039
Landran Isfahani, S., Fallah Cham Asmani, F., & Aghajani, M. (2024). Designing a Model for Ethical Digital Content Marketing to Strengthen the Brand of Knowledge-Based Products in Artificial Intelligence. Ethics in Science and Technology, 18(5), 84-93. http://ethicsjournal.ir/article-1-3014-fa.html
Lotfian, M. (2016). The Impact of Advertising on Cultural Products in Iranian Society. Monthly Show(204), 31-34. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1224868/
Lukito, J. (2020). Coordinating a multi-platform disinformation campaign: Internet Research Agency Activity on three US Social Media Platforms, 2015 to 2017. Political Communication, 37(2), 238-255. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2019.1661889
Mousavi, S. S., & Sibili, L. (2024). Using Artificial Intelligence in Detecting and Predicting Advertising and Branding Trends. Third International Conference on Smart Cities: Challenges and Strategies, https://civilica.com/doc/1950257
Nazari, A. A., & Gholipour, M. (2018). New Social Media and Their Role in Representing Collective Actions: A Realistic Analysis of the Egyptian Revolution. Studies of New Media, 4(14), 149-177. https://nms.atu.ac.ir/article_8883.html
Nazarpour, M., Nasl Mousavi, S. H., & Hosseini Shirovani, M. S. (2020). The Application of Artificial Intelligence in Tax Auditing. Auditing Knowledge, 20(81), 198-226. https://sid.ir/paper/967020/fa
Pakdel, H. R., Rasouli, M. R., Nasrollahi, A., & Sharif Khani, M. (2020). Explaining the Challenges of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization in the Cyberspace (Formulating Appropriate Strategies for the Organization's Cyber Vice Presidency). Interdisciplinary Studies in Communications and Media, 3(3), 11-35. https://jiscm.iribu.ac.ir/article_108180.html
Papathanasopoulos, A., & Stavrianea, A. (2025). Adopting digital press: media transformation and advertising dynamics in Southeastern Europe. Journal of Media Economics, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/08997764.2025.2523791
Sahafi, M., & Iraj, G. (2014). Comparative Study of the Position of Cultural Products Among Top Advertising Brands Emphasizing the 1404 Vision Document. Quarterly Journal of Media(25), 7-55. https://www.noormags.ir/view/en/articlepage/1078491/
Shekarchi Zadeh, Z., & Valikhani, Z. (2021). The Impact of Social Media Influencers' Characteristics on Online Purchasing Intentions Through the Mediating Role of Attitude Towards Advertising and Brand (A Case Study: Followers of Leather Clothing Pages on Instagram). New Marketing Research, 11(4), 157-176. https://nmrj.ui.ac.ir/article_26420.html
Wright, A. L., Willett, Y. J., Ferron, E. M., Kumarasamy, V., Lem, S. M., & Ahmed, O. (2024). Using social media to recruit participants in health care research: Case study. Journal of medical Internet research, 26, e51751. https://doi.org/10.2196/51751
Ziviyar, F., Shahin, M., Hassan Khani, J., & Rahmati, R. (2017). The Role of Social Networks in the Civilizational Identity of Iranian Users (A Case Study of Facebook and Telegram). Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 7(2), 105-128. https://ensani.ir/fa/article/382705/
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 سید مهدی حسینی (نویسنده); سید نظام الدین امامی فر
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
