Advertising now has to go beyond "telling" people about products using mass media, and advanced upon "listening" to customers through Interactive Marketing Communication programmes together with loyalty schemes and market research.

Advertising is now moving towards the third generation of true customer engagement, characterised by 'talking', by engaging in open-ended dialogue with customers. Through interactive programmes we can understand customers preferences and passions, we can identify consumers across brands and experiences. For marketing and advertising to be truly effective, operators need to have customer information that enables interactive targeted and relevant communications. Giving customers the choice to opt in or out of campaigns enables them to be user specific and ultimately provide more value. The widespread use of interactive communication messaging creates a far-reaching and significant marketing opportunity for brands.

By putting a reliable interactive communications infrastructure in place, and a means of controlling and measuring campaigns, Clients can deliver some of the most highly effective marketing initiatives through well structured and relevant interactive programmes. Lets face it, without improving the understanding and content of advertising and marketing all business must remain understandably concerned that advertisings' inflexibility inherent in the concept of creativity will act as a barrier to economic growth. It is also regrettable that these barriers come accompanied by rhetoric that still sounds as though agencies still believe the words "Advertising Works" because it doesn't! For advertising to enter 2011 the message must be sent that Advertising has demonstrably improved and that only the best and the brightest will not merely be tolerated, but are actively desired. Advertising people suffer from self-esteem enhanced but talent-deprived capabilities and, sad to say, advertising suffers from an inexhaustible supply of untalented people actively encouraged by indulgent clients who appear unable to criticise them! Unfortunately we are almost alone in our willingness to tell the hard truths, and it appears that there is a growing chorus of voices trying to convince these untalented people that hard work isn't necessary any more and they're entitled to a lengthening list of benefits paid for by others and that they don't have to accept the consequences of their actions when these consequences are bad. Advertising desperately needs the return of elder statesmen. Whilst the current fashion is to get rid of old advertising people, this should be stopped...immediately. Because advertising and marketing needs to listen to their advice, these wise old men who have already been through advertising downturns, marketing reviews and outlandish waste and who could spot all the tricks and bluffs as practised by to-days bumped up experts!