The traditional process for putting together marketing or advertising initiatives involves a creative team coming up with the BIG idea, the thing that gets you and the creative team noticed. It is packaged and delivered through multiple channels to build awareness for your company, your new product, or anything else you want to get attention for.

It is a black box process that is driven by the agency trying to look its most creative and a client that wants attention. The over-arching idea is aimed at the broadest audience possible, blasted out through as many channels as you can afford. If done well, it delights, entertains, and gets attention. Done poorly, it annoys or worse, disturbs our space. Well, at least it disturbs mine.

It is what we call around here the “mini-Hollywood” model.
We, the audience, are expected to sit back, relax and take it all in–oh, and eventually go out there and buy, buy, buy. The 30-second spot and all its offshoots compete for your attention in between what you do every day–watching TV, driving down the highway, shopping in the supermarket.
You know what happens next.

The web model is different and not understood by traditional marketers since it is 180 degrees change from what they are used to. First, we the audience are the directors of our web experience. We choose the topic, what we spend time with, what we see next, when we see it. We actively look for things to buy and sell, people to contact, media to watch and respond to. We expect something a little more immediate and authentic online.

What does this mean for creative development?

First, we still work from the brand to develop an approach to communicating our client’s message. We even work from the Big Idea. But from here, we start to do things differently.

1) Making it tangible - Whatever the idea, we need to make it tangible online. What does tangible mean? It means aligning the Big Idea with an action someone can take or an avenue that they can explore, allowing wine aficionados watching videos about why wine in California is different depending on the location it is grown in and then presenting them with the opportunity to buy products from the region they were learning about. In my mind, it is offering something of value for their time.

2) Design for the long tail - This is not broadcast. Our goal is to discover new markets and develop a one-to-one relationship. For instance, if you are selling plane tickets originating in the Minneapolis market, look at targeting flyers who are flying into Minneapolis, not just those flying out…even though those are the consumers you’ve identified as the biggest revenue potential.

3) Design for your full online presence, not just your web site - Your site is only one point of contact with your customers. How they see you through a Google, Yahoo or MSN search is often their first point of contact. What do you look like?

4) Work with Speed - Develop concepts quickly and get feedback quickly. See what is resonating with consumers and change it if it is not working. Create test campaigns to narrow your approach.

5) Language - Use language that will interest your audience. Discover how that language changes by region or location. Use keyword research tools to see what words people are using to find you, your product or service. Review your analytics data and perform an in depth keyword analysis.

6) Track it, Change it - Use measurement tools such as web site analytics software (Omniture, Visual Sciences, Google Analytics) to watch how people are using your site. What is working? Where are people leaving your site? Use campaign management software (Atlas, Mediaplex, Double-Click) to align and measure attribution throughout your campaign.

7) Listen - Be prepared to listen and learn and evolve. It usually means creating structures within your organization to manage ongoing campaigns and change.