Human beings are social animals and the Web and all of this new social networking technology only serves to amplify that fact. Media convergence is all around us. The Internet is everywhere, which is turning the world into one massive digital playground. Traditional media outlets are continuing to struggle to keep up with their interactive counterpoints. Analog media outlets are fighting to stay relevant and timely, which creates opportunities for interactive marketers to increase their reach.

2007 was all about Facebook. Microsoft purchased 1.6 % of the company for a mere $240MM valuing the brand at $15 billion. Putting that into prospective, that’s six times the market cap of the New York Times. Marketers and brand owners finally realized that social networking is the new mass media.

Brand owners must now develop and foster online communities if they’re going to create a meaningful relationship with tomorrow’s consumers.

Delivering a presentation last month in Denver, I highlighted the fact that 80 % of the US population now spend more time online than they do watching television, and more than 70 percent of Americans aged 15 to 34 are actively using social networking. So why is it that marketers are deploying less than 10% of their budgets to digital channels?

Fortunately, the client, Disaboom.COM realize the value of social networking and have allowed us to create and build a brand and product that typifies 2.0 social network/ community and focuses on three distinct target groups suffering from or associated with disability: (disabled baby boomers, college age and the caregiver community), combined audience of 150MM US and more than 700MM worldwide.

Our brief was challenging, and focused on creating a brand that appealed to a 14-64 yr old m/f target group. The product strategy would allow the client to truly realize their advertising potential across key target groups both in terms of d/r and sponsorship. The creative brief focused on developing an online campaign that challenges the stereotype or label associated with disability.

For me the future is about strategic collaboration, really in-depth consumer /market insight and understanding. The big idea is no longer a big idea unless it can be validated and is focused on business goals (i.e. sales growth, customer relationships,) rather than 'ad' goals of awareness levels, share of voice, or creative likes and dislikes.

The future is Digital but I have been saying that for nine years now.