Marketers, like most duffers, tend to take a different swing with each club, resulting in inconsistent messages that fly all over the place. The need for an integrated approach to marketing is not news today, nor will it be in 2008. What will be news is the increased reliance on idea shops like Naked, Anomaly and Renegade.

J&J made headlines by hiring Naked to guide communications planning for as many as 10 of its largest brands, including baby products. These shops will be tapped to provide the big idea -- the perfect swing to reach the target regardless of the marketing discipline.

Finding the integrated idea that works across various media is more important than ever, even in a search-dominated world. A recent study by JupiterResearch shows that 39 percent of online searchers are significantly influenced by offline messaging, a fresh reminder that while it usually takes more than one club to win a match, without a consistent swing, the game is lost.