Tactics that employ new channels should merely feed the core strategic foundations of marketing–foundations that are tried and true:

• Value Proposition
• Surprise and Delight
• Positive Experience

The third foundation that I have listed is something that is near and dear to my heart. I have been a champion of the notion that media planners are, in essence, experience planners (or at least this is what they should strive to be). I believe that the ability to create positive, holistic brand experiences is one of the most compelling benefits that new media vehicles have provided for marketers:

Social Media has provided brand marketers with news ways to listen and interact with consumers, creating the potential for an overall better consumer experience. Mobile Marketing has provided brands with the ability to extend their reach to wherever a consumer is, providing a consistent experience from store to online to in hand. Search Marketing has enhanced the experience of shopping, providing consumers with alternatives at each step of the buying process.

I recently provided insight for an article that Matt Kapko wrote for iMediaconnection on Digital In-Store Technology. I was able to get on the phone with Matt and a few of the technology providers mentioned in his article, and I have to say that the space is quite compelling. What I find most intriguing about the digital in-store space is that it is yet another way that brands can take advantage of technology in order to create a holistic experience for consumers. Do I think digital in-store is strategic in a standalone capacity; no. Does it have the ability to bring integrated marketing strategies to the next level; definitely!

We are at a time when all of us should be looking at how to use the platforms that have surfaced over the last ten years, as opposed to fixating on the platforms themselves. This notion has been forced upon us (to some degree) by the current economic climate, but in the end I feel that the interactive industry needed another period of self reflection and correction. If we are able to get back to the core strategic fundamentals that make for great marketing, while leveraging new channels when they make the most sense, we will come out of the current economic state as better marketers.

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