How is emerging media being used to enhance integrated marketing communications?

The best way to answer this question is to visit Media Week’s Digital Download . Upon entering this page you feel as though you have been propelled into the next century. With eye-catching advertisements of its own, and headlines such as U.S. Game Industry Sales Remain Robust and California Web Sales Tax Bill Faces Long Odds you will very quickly realize how different the advertising world has become.

One very effective advertiser on this page is Tremor Media, whose marketing slogan is “a seismic shift in advertising.” This slogan very effectively states what is happening within integrated marketing communications (IMC) – “it’s seismic activity!”

Successful IMC today is all about understanding and effectively using these “seismic” new media avenues. From in-gaming advertising, to Bluetooth marketing capabilities, to well created widgets, these tools are changing the way marketers showcase their products and consumers shop.

But how are these new media being used to enhance integrated marketing communications? First, we need to understand that today’s consumers aren’t like they use to be. There aren’t as many people reading newspapers, magazines, or even watching television. What they are doing is spending more time on web sites, on cell phones, playing video games, or participating in social networking or blogging. Therefore, today’s consumer is best known as the “wired consumer.” If you are an IMC professional, it is imperative that you understand the wired consumer.

The wired consumer opens up many new opportunities for IMC.
 The opportunity to reach a pre-qualified audience
 The opportunity for far greater exposure
 The opportunity for far greater exposure at a significantly lesser amount.

Advertisers now have the ability to target audiences where they are receptive to advertising messages – on hand-picked web sites with relevant content that they really care about; via cell phones and Bluetooth technology when they are near or attending a special event; while playing video games; and the list goes on. Campaigns can now utilize behavioral targeting, contextual targeting, standard channels, geography, day-part, browser type, operating system, and connection speed targeting to ensure that your ads are seen by the right audience, and only the right audience to make the most of your media budget and deliver a larger return on investment.