It's not the channel.............

As someone who has literally grown up in the world of advertising (my father was the creative director for JWT, in Europe and Manhattan), I have seen this industry go through enormous changes over the years. Consolidation, technology and much greater creative freedom have driven this industry, faster than its ability to properly manage the change.
For years now, I have been hearing about the imminent death of direct advertising, from Presidents to Creative Directors, how people clinging to the notion that Direct has a future are dinosaurs and need to be taken out for their own good.
My focus, is and has always been on the interactive side of the business, so you might assume that I am part of that choir.......not exactly.
I have always maintained that the message, trumps the medium and when you put all of your energy into the channel, you start to forget about the message. Great advertising, will work on any level, whether its print, TV, rich media or even wireless, the channel itself is meaningless, without great thinking behind it.
Interactive enables tremendous reach, it can create personalization and time sensitivity. It can drive revenues, open up dialogue and has implications on a strategic level which simply were not possible before.

Unfortunately when the interactive medium is not constructed the way it should be, the results can be fatal. Too many people focus on what they can do with a medium, rather than why.
It's the content that counts, time and time again, that message is forgotten.
Just because I can interact with an ad doesn't mean that I want to, I shouldn't have to work to get the message, if I simply want to be a receptor.
Direct isn't dead, it isn't even sick, it will continue to flourish, because its the medium of least resistance, and that path will always work in a modern society.
My goal, in my work, is to understand what is the most effective way to create interactive pieces, that engage the consumer, that creates an experience for the consumer, one that they will want to repeat and one that ultimately creates a meaningful and positive experience with the brand. Just remember its not the only way and never should be.