The head of advertising for this financial company praises online's capabilities, but admits TV still is a dominant medium.

Tom Lynch is currently Head Advertising for ING in the U.S. He is responsible for corporate brand strategy and all corporate advertising. He has been at ING since 2002, where he was initially Head of Online Marketing, and has been a key member of one of the most successful brand launches in recent history.

iMediaConnection: How has the media mix changed for you over the last few years? Is online still "an afterthought" or are campaigns, for the most part, conceived of in an integrated fashion from the get go? Or are you somewhere in between?

Lynch: All media are conceived of in an integrated fashion, not just online. However, that does not mean all media are equal. TV is still the dominant medium for us because of our objectives and audiences. Therefore, in the process of developing an integrated plan, considerations for TV are the highest.

iMediaConnection: What was your most successful online or integrated campaign recently and what made it successful?

Lynch: We were able to step outside of the 30-second spot on TV to sponsor in-program content on some golf tournaments, which created online opportunities for a much deeper experience. The TV content was more meaningful than a spot to the viewer, so there was more interest, and converting them to a deeper Web interaction easier and more meaningful for them and us.

iMediaConnection: What is the greatest benefit of online advertising? The ability to measure? Precisely target? Gather data? Something else?

Lynch: Yes. All of the above. It's greatest strength is it's flexibility. It is equally effective as a DR medium as it is as a branding medium. That makes it pretty special (unique).

iMediaConnection: What still frustrates you most about online advertising? What can be done to improve the situation?

Lynch: The same thing that frustrates me about all media -- uninformed sales people, undisciplined strategies and uninspired creative. It's a new medium, but it is still advertising, and is increasingly plagued by the same maladies that afflict all advertising.

iMediaConnection: Are you doing any behavioral targeting? If yes, please describe.

Lynch: Not in the standard sense of the current definition.

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?

Lynch: I'm sure we are to some degree, and we are studying it to determine the degree to which it is important to our audiences and has potential for us.

iMediaConnection: Have you found agencies to be able to handle your changing interactive/integrated needs? What could still be better?

Lynch: We're lucky in that we work with OMD for our media and Tribal DDB for our creative, and they are more than adaptive -- they continue to help us by leading, being flexible, proactive and always very smart.

iMediaConnection: Have you done much with wireless, iTV or other emerging mediums?

Lynch: We're always testing.

iMediaConnection: It's the beginning of a new year. What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Lynch: Like Pedro in 'Napoleon Dynamite,' I am hoping to make everyone's wildest dreams come true.

iMediaConnection: What are you reading these days, other than iMediaConnection.com, of course?

Lynch: The new Carlin book and Consumed in Freedom's Flame, a book about Ireland's struggle for freedom following the 1916 Easter Uprising (I've been getting a bit of reader's whiplash with that combination).