The end of mass marketing
Most of us were raised on mass market advertising that intruded on our lives, and irritatingly badgered us with messages about products that we were generally not interested in. But in a world where 'everyone' watched prime time TV, classic mass marketing was actually effective and efficient. Today we simply won't stand for these kinds of approaches; it's all too easy for us to 'Tivo' out the TV commercials. And of course we switch channels like crazy; with hundreds of channels on TV, and even more video on the net, there are no 'captive' video audiences anymore. Advertising is way beyond 'simple TV' now; to reach consumers today we have to go 'broadband' and multi-media.
Integrated advertising strategies driven by a promotional idea that creates consumer engagement are increasingly being recognized as essential for success. The power of promotions to cut through clutter and capture interest and attention is also beginning to blur the line between advertising and promotional marketing strategies. Increasingly, these two separate budgets are being considered as part of one single integrated strategy, with digital technologies and media being used together with traditional media channels. This trend will become even more dominant as digital consumers -- brought up in the online world -- do not consider advertisements a mandatory part of their media experience.
