Media convergence is all around us. The internet is available on cellphones, televisions and in cars, which is turning the world into one digital playground. In this dynamic atmosphere, traditional media outlets are continuing to struggle to keep in stride with their interactive counterpoints, and as a result, Americans are seeing reporters posting blogs, streaming radio online, TV programs available for download and digital billboards. Analog media outlets are fighting to stay relevant and timely, which creates opportunities for interactive marketers to increase their reach. The union of all forms of media equates to endless chances to reach consumers at multiple places on several platforms.

In days past, audience segmentation was based solely on demographic and contextual targeting information, which allowed advertisers to promote their products or services to a group of potential consumers based on their gender, age and other fairly unsophisticated, generic characteristics. In the online world, consumers now essentially determine their own segmentation based on individualized habits, determined through behavioral targeting. Behavioral targeting enables consumer's online browsing habits to drive which ads they see. It is also an additional way for marketers to target users further down the purchasing funnel and helps marketers better predict how users will act -- thus making advertising efforts more cost effective.

The revelation and acceptance of both media convergence and behavioral targeting can help savvy marketers make appropriate marketing decisions and avoid marketing mishaps, like a woman seeing a hardware ad on her GPS console simply because she is driving a Chevy truck. Since consumers are now in control, generating their own content, time-shifting TV programming with their DVRs and initiating (or not) video ads online, marketers need to segment their audience with increased efficiency. But with increased media convergence, do targeting techniques need to respond by incorporating users' behavior patterns across a wider range of media? Will behavioral targeting become more crucial as consumers access the internet on additional forums, or will it too become outdated like the segmenting methods of yesteryear?

Author notes: Andreas Roell is CEO/president of Geary Interactive. Read full bio.