Online, offline time to draw the line

I’ve sat through my fair share of conferences, breakfast briefings, luncheons, seminars, drinks sessions and launch events over the past 36 months, all centred on the future of online marketing - or just the future of marketing.

Some have been genuinely educational. Others felt derivative, where the ideas seemed old before the coffee break. And some were packed with tales of whiz-bang gadgetry and the viral elite, punctuated by the same handful of case studies everyone has already heard a hundred times.

Of course, there have also been a few that were truly inspiring - the kind that make you want to go out and try something new.

The common thread at all these gatherings is the conversation during the breaks, particularly among marketers and the more cynical members of the press. It’s usually one of three reactions: “I’ve heard it all before”, “that’s just a gimmick”, or more often, “that was great, but we’d never be allowed to do anything like that”.

But I like where online marketing is starting to settle.

Clients are beginning to take note of why consumers are in online environments, how they want to be approached, what they’re receptive to, and when the right time is to engage them.

Sound familiar?

The technology may be the enabler, but much of what’s happening in online marketing is drawing on old-fashioned marketing principles.

Take away the mystique of the technology and, as Edelman’s Phil Gomes told me last month, the first wave of internet communication has already taken care of most of the technical barriers. What you’re left with is people connecting with people. And when connections are being made, marketers need to be part of it.

Communications may move faster. Consumers may be more vocal and more empowered. But they are still consumers.

So for this “back to basics” look at online marketing, we explore the new opportunities - and the tried-and-tested marketing fundamentals they are built on.

Most of our contributors in this issue have taken a step back to peel away some of the layers the conference circuit has built up around the space. We hope you find some inspiration, that we’ve demystified a few issues, and that you discover at least one new thing to try.

This issue is by no means exhaustive. In many ways, it only scratches the surface - and we look forward to exploring these ideas further in future editions.