Interactive Highlights for 2005

2005 proved to be an exciting year for the world of interactive marketing. This was the year that the medium finally, without a doubt, proved itself to the advertising industry. This was apparent by the dramatic shifting of advertising budgets away from traditional methods (television, radio, print) to interactive media. This was caused by a variety of factors, but some of the most important include the rapid adoption of broadband, surpassing 50% of the U.S. population, and the positive ROI generated from interactive efforts.

Another highlight was the plethora of interactive tools opening up to marketers. Not only have search and email proven themselves, but we also have blogs, vlogs, podcasting (audio and video), RSS feeds and mobile marketing. Thanks to technology, new advertising avenues have opened up quicker than ever before. I think we are just at the early stages of this development.

A big indicator of strength for interactive marketing’s position in the marketplace is Google’s success in 2005. Did anyone expect Google’s stock price to surpass $400 per share? I knew it would be a successful IPO, but Google surpassed my expectations and many others. This event, more than any other during 2005, proves the point that a paradigm shift is taking place in the advertising world. Traditional advertising is passé, and new media is now the place to be.

Online success stories do not end with Google. Functional online business applications thrived during the year—one of the most successful being salesforce.com. Its share price has more than tripled during 2005. These applications allow businesses to take advantage of increased productivity and efficiency. Broadband connectivity was the driver for this market in 2005.

As predicted early last year, 2005 was the year of integrated campaigns. This means advertising campaigns that combine various advertising channels such as online, television and direct mail. Consumers and businesses are spending more time online and less time with TV and print. But in order to maximize advertising effectiveness and budgets, the integrated strategy is proving to be the optimal solution.

Many developments took place in 2005 but let’s sum it up by saying the ten-year anniversary of online advertising ended with a bang. It could not have been a better year. It has been exciting for all of us involved in the interactive industry. 2006 and beyond is looking to be even more exciting. The big question is, how will you participate in this evolution of marketing communications?

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