iMedia: Are there any supposed "emerging interactive marketing platforms" that you don't think will ever truly emerge? If so, what are they and why?
McConnell: I think that mobile location-based services will not emerge as envisioned because of consumer concerns about privacy. They will emerge, but the model in which consumers get a message about a coupon based on proximity will come slowly or not at all. I don't think we will ever buy into a model that relies on personalized, unsolicited messages in a private addressable channel such as a telephone -- and neither will consumers. Opt-in could change that, but at that point, it's not unsolicited.
iMedia: Where do you think the largest untapped opportunity for interactive marketers currently exists?
McConnell: Better measurement... and fanatical devotion to the idea of value creation.
iMedia: There's no doubt that interactive marketers are doing exciting new things every day. How well are the metrics to measure these exciting new campaigns keeping up? Currently, what's your biggest metrics-related headache?
McConnell: Valid post-campaign metrics are only beginning to emerge -- and we still can't fully correlate them with profitability -- so the big gap is a continuous learning loop. Direct marketers have that on the web, but it's much more difficult in mass. The good news for P&G is that our internal measurement organization has embraced digital, and they are extremely capable.
iMedia: According to Advertising Age, in 2007, about $80.6 million of P&G's $5.2 billion U.S. ad spending was dedicated to internet channels. Do you see that proportion increasing this year and in future years? What factors go into determining the investment P&G makes in interactive marketing channels?
McConnell: I can't share financial numbers, but I can tell you we will go where the consumer is going and that is clearly toward the web.
iMedia: When you listen to pitches from interactive ad agencies, what approaches do you find most compelling and persuasive?
McConnell: I love it when they are brief and to the point, clear about why they have a right to win, and what their competitive edge is. They should be able to say that in a couple of sentences. I love it when they seem to appreciate the breadth and scope of P&G. They need to understand that brands are business management, not just advertising management, and that media and planning agency buy-in is critical. What I absolutely love about vendors in our industry is their passion, and brilliant understanding of how the marketplace works. I've learned much of what I know about marketing from suppliers, and I am very grateful for that.
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Lori Luechtefeld is editor of iMedia Connection.
