Innovative Customer Engagement on a Proven Medium

Having an integrated customer engagement campaign is critical to the success of a marketing initiative, particularly in today's crowded world. That world just may get more crowded in the next 18 months.

At the Wall Street Journal's All Things D conference, Steve Jobs discussed what he described as a "fundamental go-to-market strategy problem" for the TV device market. He argues a subsidized and closed model for DVRs stifles innovation.

It's not the first time Steve Jobs has acted coy. At All Things D in 2007, Jobs dismissed the idea of Apple entering the mobile market for similar reasons.

If history repeats itself, what does Apple's entry into television mean for your organization? An App Store on the TV is certain to disrupt content providers (i.e. we may start clicking apps instead of surfing channels.) But it also means significant opportunity for B2C companies to reach out to consumers on the biggest screen in the house.

Imagine a clothing retailer app that lets consumers browse their selection from their living room, use the camera from their phone to beam photos to the TV and "try on" wardrobes, and check out instantly using their iTunes account.

Or a video advertisement for a men's deodorant - that only appears in households where there are males.

Customer engagement is getting more and more complicated, but also filled with explosive marketing potential. Aligning your organization to effectively take advantage of every avenue will mean better success at what marketing has always been about: getting in front of the customer.