N5R in particular is now one of leading direct marketing agencies in North America. They develop innovative one-to-one marketing campaigns that drive a measurable, positive ROI on behalf of their clients by driving acquisition and conversion to trial and purchase for their clients. They have developed award-winning strategies in five major industry sectors. These include Internet Marketing and Online Contests/Promotions, Permission Based Email Marketing, Text Messaging, Success Based Email.

In Internet Marketing and Online Contests/Promotions, marketers can gather and compile behavior and preference data from prospects and customers and use this information to send targeted and relevant information. Developing ongoing programs of one-to-one communication is cost effective and measurable. Contests are quickest and most effective way to gather this data and build relationships with customers. It’s very possible to build a permission-based database of over 50,000 prospects in only 6 weeks, increase web site traffic by 900%, improved online sales revenue by 1,000%, and achieve $40 million in sales from leads generated by an online promotion.

With Permission Based Email Marketing, loyal clients are just an e-mail away. Where traditional marketing campaigns fail, e-mail can shine through. E-mail marketing allows companies to speak one-to-one with their audience in a respectful, intelligent and creative way. It is extremely cost-effective, provides foundation for future marketing initiatives, and delivers measurable results.

Text Messaging or SMS (Short Message Service) is a technology that allows people to send and receive short (up to 160 characters) written messages on cellular phones. It is already hugely popular in Europe and Asia and is growing rapidly in North America. SMS marketing offers following benefits:

One-to-one communication with your target group, anywhere, anytime reach, low campaign cost, and very measurable data. Imagine if your mobile phone received an email message, “You’re only a block from a Starbuck’s; stop in for a 20% discount on your latte.” The data is available and marketers are starting to tap into these resources.

Success Based Email is free email deployment where companies only pay for results. This "pay-per-click" approach is based on premise that companies will only pay for each email that receives a "click-through" from recipient. Not only does new approach enhance value of marketing dollars spent on such campaigns, move will likely trim total dollars spent.

For example if 100,000 emails are sent, 70% are opened and 15% of recipients actually click on a link in email then clients will only be charged for 15,000 people that clicked on link, not for other 85,000 that didn't. The return on investment (ROI) or cost savings inherent in this new approach will be very appealing to permission-based marketers. The bottom line is that marketers will now pay for real, measurable results.

The Next Step

Compared with other media, Web is still limited in its bandwidth offerings. But it’s getting better every day. With continued improvement of bandwidth development, we will soon be positioned well to create full-featured multimedia advertising on Internet. Once a majority of consumers have DSL capability and computer power to access it, there will be some incredible things happening. Sites like tvtonic.com are already offering some very compelling visual and audio imagery in form of movie trailers and music videos.

Market researchers, futurists and industry experts predict that interactivity through multiple technologies and devices will change how consumers interact with marketers. Interactive advertising will soon be everywhere. So, in effect, it could be considered age of mass customization in advertising. Advertisers will have tools to narrow their targets and address Web ads to individuals and not to a demographic or psychographic group. Why market a commercial to 1 million people, most of who aren’t in target audience, when same ad could be shown to 10,000 people who are very interested in product or service? Most of those will even give their name and address.

Interactivity will also be a part of television. Interactive TV will be norm in near future, and this too is another exciting opportunity. There will be total integration between TV channels and advertisers web sites. While we are watching TV, we will be able to interact with what we are seeing, ordering hamburgers from McDonalds down street or communicating with local car dealer that we are interested in buying a car. Clicking on products we see in TV shows and ordering them will be easy. Your TV will keep track of what you are watching. Your TV will even know what kind of car you own because you’ll tell for free oil change you’re offered in exchange. The oil change will be compliments of DirecTV, and it is only good at Jiffy Lube, which has paid to be official oil-change provider for DirecTV.” That’s way it will work.

Service Initiative Advertising

Another major trend is what I call “Service Initiative Advertising”. Let’s face it; consumers are tired of advertising as usual. Many people say they hate commercials. The success of Tivo and satellite radio can attest to this. They want more from their advertising. And who could blame them? People are inundated with advertising today- every where they go. Service Initiative Advertising takes whole process one step further. Essentially how it works is that it requires advertising to offer some value to consumer.

For example: Kraft Foods creates a website that offers busy mothers a source for quick recipes for family evening meal. The idea isn’t to push Kraft products, but to promote Kraft as a brand that offers a service to customers. There have been companies who positioned their entire marketing strategy on this tenant. Now, it will become a key part of advertising for almost everyone. The consumer wants to know you care.

It’s important to realize that advertising mediums of past will still be here. But, they may look a little different in future. Direct mail will always be around as long as people like to receive mail. And despite external challenges, U.S. Postal service will still be around. TV and radio will be here too.

But future is here. And advertising will never be same.

One thing that is certain is that it will continue to be as exciting and dynamic as it has been in past. But now, consumer is a part of process.