B2B marketing director says market research is key for the future.

Jonathan Levinson is director of marketing for MusicNet Inc., an online music provider. MusicNet does not sell on-demand music directly to end users. Rather, it creates the customized music download and subscription experiences that top global companies offer under their own brands. MusicNet's partners are world-class consumer brands that wish to generate new revenues and extend their customer relationships by offering a premium music service. They provide the established consumer base and the marketing resources required for customer acquisition, while MusicNet can provide everything else needed to offer the service, including a library of licensed content, technology and delivery systems.

iMediaConnection: How has your job changed this year?

Levinson: More interest in stunts and sweepstakes to break through the clutter.

iMediaConnection: What surprised you in the online world this year?

Levinson: Consumers have been more open to invasive ad technologies like Eyeblaster, especially for entertainment topics.

iMediaConnection: How do you determine your marketing mix -- and how has the role of online in it changed?

Levinson: It's set by the marketing partners I work with. They have always been online focused.

iMediaConnection: What haven't you brought into the marketing mix yet that you want to try?

Levinson: In-theater advertising.

iMediaConnection: What do we need to be doing as an industry to help you make interactive marketing a bigger piece of your marketing pie?

Levinson: We need better data testing and analysis tools, so as to identify what aspect of an ad was the success or failure: message, look, location, audience, time of day, etc.

iMediaConnection: Are you being affected by any consumer-generated marketing (CGM) -- blogs, user groups, etc.? Are you using any blogs or other social networking tools to market?

Levinson: Not yet.

iMediaConnection: What are you investing in now for next year's marketing program?

Levinson: Market research on messaging and audience segmentation.

iMediaConnection: What blogs do you read?

Levinson: gizmodo, engadget,  gawker

iMediaConnection: What are your daily "must-see" Web sites and why?

Levinson: Gizmodo, engadget, digital music news: all are excellent at staying on topic, providing good editorial, and are comprehensive.