Today’s consumers want a cohesive shopping experience. They want to know that the products, colors, sizes and prices they see on television match those that are being sold on the Web, on the shelves of their favorite retail stores and in the print magazine ads that they read while sitting in the doctor’s office. They also want to know that when they visit a company’s Facebook or Twitter page, or view an online video product demonstration, that they’re learning more about the product than they saw on television.

You’d be hard pressed to find a marketer who hasn’t used popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Ning to stretch its advertising dollars. Whether they are broadcasting 140-character updates on Twitter, posting photos from recent company events on their Facebook walls, or responding to customer comments on Ning, companies across all industries are realizing the value of this broad-reaching, and extremely affordable, channel.

Five reasons why the Internet is the DRTV marketer’s best friend.

It's hard to imagine, but there was a time in the not-so-distant past when the DRTV industry was deathly afraid of the Internet. How dare this new direct medium come in and invade a turf that was held sacred for decades? Sales cannibalization was just one of many different fears swirling around in the average DRTV company’s head as E-commerce grew by leaps and bounds in the late 1990s.

Although I've worked extensively with mobile and social media technology over the years, until recently, I've viewed it as a necessary job function rather than a desired, integrated part of my life. Two simple things have changed that: getting an iPhone 4 and Outlook 2010.

YouTube Foregoing Millions in Bet to Become Video Ad Gatekeeper

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=141965#comments

Someday, Store Coupons May Tap You on the Shoulder

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/business/26digi.html?_r=3&ref=technology

Microsoft TV? Another bad idea that's D.O.A.

Groupon Preps for More National Marketers After $11 Million Gap Promo

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=145552

Cisco Makes Another Buy In Online Video Space

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=134506

Android Rules for Marketers - But Which Android?

Apple And Google Set To Capitalize (And Compete) On Internet TV