The Internet turned 25 over the weekend. Twenty five years ago last week, Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn got a few computers in their Defense Department research agency to start talking to each other using the TCP/IP protocol. That platform, which had been in development for more than a decade, let small computer networks start talking to each other.
And they haven’t stopped. One quarter-century later, the Internet now has about 1 billion users around the world, and it’s changed everything—from education and entertainment to advertising and promotion. Many marketing campaigns now have the Web at their core; and even those that feature offline elements, such as live events or couponing/sampling programs, rely on digitally networked tools such as e-mail or mobile to spread their message virally or get users talking about the experiences.
And that’s the reason for what you’re reading now. Today we’re launching PROMO Interactive as a regular semi-monthly look at some of the most interesting stories in the wonders that the Web can do for branding products, launching new ones, building user communities and reaching fresh markets.
The Web has re-jiggered the news cycle, too, with blogs and RSS feeds. We recognize that: For years, we’ve put out a daily PROMO Xtra bulletin on breaking stories in marketing, and we’ll continue to do so. But PROMO Interactive will concentrate on looking at the stories behind the headlines, following up on campaigns to examine their metrics and inner workings, and tracing the trends that run through disparate promotions. We’ll talk to experts in their fields, offer a primer on some of the more out-there tools of the trade, and look skeptically at tactics to separate the signal from the noise.
It promises to be a fun gig. Like any 25-year-old, the Internet channel has still got a lot of growing up to do– many mistakes to make and probably a few break-out successes no one even dreams of yet. Hope you’ll join us for the ride.
Network
