In a recent blog post by Peter Kirwan on Wired he comments: “Now this historic pact is coming under pressure. In places, it has started to unravel. The crude appeal of banners and buttons remains important, but long ago ceased to be at the center of the digital action. For marketers who need to engage massive audiences, the web offers a genuine alternative to press and TV, one that allows advertisers to create their own content.”

The post starts as a commentary on a Hasbro online game they developed to promote the version they hope to sell for $40 in stores. It took off, now an ad campaign they thought they would shut down has more than 15 million page views per month, and they now own an audience that most media sites can match without a single dollar spent on a media buy.

While this is not the norm it showcases how the Internet is driving new ways to interact with the target audience of your products and services. It begins with experimenting with content and interactions that normally advertisers would buy access to on a media site and presenting your message with content or experiences that can stand on their own. I see more and more creative campaigns of this type and they all point to the convergence of media and how that changes marketing. With approaches having to move to leverage the convergence points, and these points are moving fast. A couple of years ago social media was not even discussed in marketing circles now if you don’t have a Twitter or Facebook strategy you shouldn’t even bother with a web site.

Do you see similar trends in your day to day activites and if so what are some of the more interesting trends you’ve come across?