With the Web, consumers can be rewarded for interest with some kind of benefit, while marketers are rewarded with the clear identification of a prospect or lead.

Capturing leads is one of those universal marketing phrases that most communications professionals who attach any degree of accountability to their actions identify with.

In the Interactive space this is certainly nothing new, however, for the most part, marketers have used it primarily with direct response-oriented objectives. But one of the unique attributes of the Web is the ability to marry both push and pull techniques when it comes to identifying prospects or leads, with a view towards bringing them to boil on the pressure cooker known as the engagement funnel. The standard toll-free number and more recently, a URL, have both helped marketers provide some kind of distribution point that enables interested parties to find out more. Often times, this includes some kind of call-to-action to entice the visitor.

And then along came online advertising, which provided a seamless and seemingly instantaneous way of rewarding interest with some kind of immediate fulfillment. Through the process of self-selection, users are able to self-qualify themselves to receive the most relevant content/information to meet their precise needs. Immediate fulfillment can be interpreted on a basic informational level as a series or sequence of views, clicks, interactions, interactivity and time spent. Other forms of fulfillment might include the ability to download a White Paper or PDF; view a Webcast; opt-in to receive future communications regarding new releases, launches, events or specials; enter a competition or sweepstakes; and yes….even receive the security blanket of all CPG marketers, the coupon or free sample.

What truly makes this one of the Web’s best practices is the process of being able to perform combinations of the above fulfillment paths to conversion simultaneously. More traditional forms of media communications are often constrained by time (such as 30 seconds) or space (limited copy to preserve the integrity of a clean and slick look and feel), and therefore a singular means of fulfillment is usually the norm.

“It’s not just plain vanilla anymore,” muses Charles Ruderman, VP Strategic Initiatives at Point.roll. “The ability for the Web to reward interest with immediate fulfillment is not hype. It offers both hope and tangible results. This is an important best practice because it enables the marketer to develop a relationship with the consumer (whether potential or loyal) while maintaining the focus on driving transactions.”

This one-size-fits-all approach tends to resonate strongest with a specific consumer at a specific stage of the consumer-adoption process. An auto ad for example will tend to cram as much me-too 0% APR, cash back, and similar information into the final 5-10 seconds of a commercial. But what about the consumer just entering the buying cycle? How does this information help him or her decide what kind of car is right for them? How will this help the person customize the car that fits his or her unique lifestyle? How will this help the consumer identify the local dealers that happen to be running a local promotion based on coming in for a test drive?

The answer is it doesn’t.

There’s a Toyota commercial right now that drives (excuse the pun) me mad. It involves a clearly defective man driving his Toyota like Mad Max through the deserted highways of a big city – wheel spinning, handbrake turning and 360’ing his way into some kind of euphoric state of delirium. While I get the aspirational benefits of such a state, the warning message at the bottom of the screen that reads something along the lines of “we strongly recommend against you doing anything like this with your car,” coupled with the 20-mile bumper-to-bumper reality of rush-hour commuting, causes a giant-sized disconnect with me.

Keeping it in the category, I’m beginning to see much smarter advertising coming from the auto-segment right now, utilizing multiple tactics such as color-swatching (Chevy Tahoe), Advergaming (Chrysler’s “Get up and go” travel profile game) and demonstration/visualization type walkthroughs (GMC dual-climate control).

Companies like Point.roll, Unicast’s Enliven, and Bluestreak got the ball rolling with multi-tab modules that allowed for marketers to communicate multiple proof points or calls-to-action based on varying stages of consumer adoption. Today these kinds of functionality are more widely practiced by a larger number of vendors.

Take the case of Benedryl.

The campaign goal was to generate interest and drive immediate response.

The strategy involved developing an online campaign in which the creative incorporated several places for interaction:

Once the user typed in his or her zip code, the ad expanded into a full allergy forecast, providing the reader with details on pollen levels in the area. By entering an e-mail address, the consumer was able to get additional product information and promotional offers.

The campaign proved to be a success with an overall response rate of 12%. The interactivity made significant strides in key brand metrics: ad recall, brand favorability and purchase intent.

Here’s another great case study from 1-800-FLOWERS:

In 1-800-flowers.com’s “Valentines Day” online campaign, the “reward” was a sweepstakes that offered the opportunity for the consumer to win a Pioneer Home Theater package.

The multiple panels and linking functionality allowed 1-800-flowers.com to support multiple promotional initiatives including the sweepstakes entry and the regular revenue generating commerce opportunities.

According to Mary Rider and Jeanine Ricci of 1-800-flowers.com, “The ability to satisfy multiple objectives in one banner allows us to broaden our customer awareness of different product lines.”

In the past (with a regular GIF banner) 1-800-flowers.com would have had to focus on one aspect or benefit. In this case, the company was able to promote Valentine's Day, Same Day Delivery plus Teddy Bears, Flowers and the Valentine's Day Card Contest.

“The power and potential of self-selection within the banner enabled the customer to further refine his or her shopping decision prior to coming to the site," explains Rider and Ricci. “When finally arriving at the 1-800-flowers.com Website, the customer was one step ahead of where he or she would have been if the person had just clicked on a "Teaser" Banner with one catch-all message and a generic product image.”

The ability to fulfill immediate interest is a mutually beneficial process – consumers are rewarded through some kind of benefit, while marketers are rewarded with the clear identification of a prospect or lead.

A classic win-win situation.