The Current and Future State of Interactive Marketing
By Robert Feeney

If you work in interactive marketing like I do, you've no doubt learned that technology advancements have contributed greatly to the growth and success of this particular industry. Computers have become more powerful than ever and the quality of multimedia has exponentially improved, and broadband Internet access has penetrated more than 50% of U.S. consumers. Finally, interactive media is truly considered mainstream.

Corporate marketing managers have also finally realized the power of the medium and now consider it a vital component of the marketing mix. Marketing managers are now favoring interactive over traditional media due to the strengths of the medium: targeting and personalization, interactive, two-way communications in real-time, a wide variety of formats to choose from, and everyone's favorite, accountability.

So now that marketing professionals realize that search, email, rich media banner ads and a host of other tools actually return a positive ROI, the key is to formulate, execute, manage, and adjust an a successful interactive campaign. I like to refer to it as "Interactive Campaign Orchestration." Just as a conductor orchestrates a symphony and decides which instruments perform at a specific time with certain intensities, so will the new "Interactive Conductor." Forward thinking marketing managers will need to assess which tools to use and how to use them. Never before have there been so many possibilities. Search, email, banner ads, interstitials, advergaming, contextual placement, microsites, rich media, G-Mail, Viral Marketing, CD-ROMs, DVDs, wireless, and more. How does someone manage it all?

Companies need to ask questions about intelligent systems and online applications to fulfill and streamline business processes, for example, an automated email campaign. Imagine developing a three-month email campaign in advance with all your direct response, follow-up and other promotional emails mapped out through an if-then flow chart of events. All you need to do is press a button and the campaign executes automatically. All you do is watch the results and adjust as you see fit. These systems will help drive increased performance and positive ROI, giving companies a competitive advantage over their competition.

Another development to watch for in 2009 in my opinion is even more integrated campaigns. By this I mean campaigns that combine interactive media, traditional media, and viral marketing. A campaign might start with a television commercial and a run of print display advertising, driving people to a campaign specific website. Upon arriving, users register in exchange for something of value. Then these consumers are contacted through email and direct mail.

Why do consumers react favorably to this? There are two reasons. First, it's more targeted, personal and relevant to their interests, professionally and personally. Second, the user experience continues to evolve through richer broadband experiences. So, we should see even bigger budgets for interactive, increased levels of performance and positive ROI, and even more advanced campaigns and user experiences.

My advice for marketing professionals is to constantly keep on top of current interactive marketing tools. Familiarize yourself as much as possible with the latest industry tools and don't be afraid to use them. Stay relevant with the times, as your current and future customers will always be demanding it.