Advertisers already have the tools, understanding and behaviors to intelligently make these buys. It is easy to make logical assumptions about the people interacting with these shows, as they most likely are a subset of the overall viewers. This means that using Nielsen ratings to target an audience for a specific brand is an appropriate method.

To get a bit more advanced and granular, some basic mobile technologies and logic enable the marketer to target geographically. If the assumption is that the majority of mobile phone users have phone numbers in their local areas, then supplying localized content and advertising can be done dynamically. Additionally, if the show is pre-recorded, then further inferences can be made about a consumer's location based on the time of broadcast.

Delivering a geographically segmented campaign with unique brand offers for the East Coast versus West Coast, or even more specific, can be easily done. An agency or brand manager can look quite savvy, advanced and adept without stepping outside their comfort zone, simply by letting the technology and media work for them.

As brand clients demand greater innovation, results and accountability for their ad spending, the focus on interactive media and direct consumer action with real supporting metrics has stepped more into the spotlight. Consequently, advertising agencies of all sizes continue to create or re-name groups "interaction" or "activation," with stated goals of delivering these possibilities to clients. While these new divisions may start out centered on delivering online components, their gaze must continue to widen to integrate and incorporate both traditional media and new interactive media.

Users have truly begun to dictate how advertising is being consumed, as they spread their time and attention among more media options than have ever been presented before. It is paramount to understand how to address consumers on their terms and to get in the flow of their evolving daily lives.

Brands need to talk to consumers where they live and about what they do. This means that of merely buying TV space or print ads will have continued diminishing returns. This overall change in media really presents brands with much greater opportunities to engage not just a general audience, but the specific consumer that they seek as well. It is a time for smarter spending, better spending, with trackable results. If $156 billion is going to be spent on the top 20 media categories in 2008, as a study by Forbes and TSN suggests, then it would seem prudent to see where else that same money can be spent.