Most of us understand that creative and media go hand in hand -- both are integral components of successful ad campaigns. Yet, for some reason, a disconnect exists between these two elements that often results in less than stellar results.

This was the subject of Pointroll's Spotlight presentation at the iMedia Agency Summit in Colorado Springs, Colo.

During Pointroll's "fireside chat," Todd Pasternack, director of creative technology for Pointroll, and Michael Lowenstern, managing director of digital advertising for R/GA, discussed the state of digital advertising.

"There was a time and place when media and creative sat together," Lowenstern said. This is no longer the norm as the industry becomes increasingly segmented. According to Lowenstern, brands are shifting attention to media because "it's easier to show ROI in a media space than in a creative space. It actually shows conversions."

As a result of this shift, creative is left as the last step in a campaign, as opposed to something that develops and is informed by important facts such as audience segmentation, ad placements, etc. "[When this happens] the right place, the right time, the right message is only two-thirds filled. Creative is the message," Lowenstern said. "We need to get back to the golden age where media and creative sit and work together. There's something about sitting in the same space and drinking the same coffee that encourages ideas."

Lowenstern and Pasternack contend that circumstances can foster creative ideas. Consumers should be advertised to based upon their behavioral patterns -- different people need to be spoken to in different ways. Using FiOS as an example:

• "A new HDTV deserves better than cable" might appeal to someone who just purchased a television.
• "Your new neighborhood has FiOS. Nice Move" is an appropriate ad for someone who just moved.
• "Hungry for the food network? Switch to FiOS" is a great example of targeting based on consumption data.

There is no denying that this type of advertising has its drawbacks. "It is both harder for companies and harder for consumers because they have to vet more ads," Lowenstern said.

The perceived decline of display ads was another topic discussed during Pointroll's presentation. "It's a little too early to call time of death," Lowenstern said. "It's a good time to partner with creative to see if we can invigorate the space...online ads aren't going away, so we've got to work to make it better."

One thing to keep in mind is that you can't force your message. Successful advertising is all about finding the right place and the right people who are in the right mindset.

If only there was a tried-and-true formula for that.

Jennifer Marlo is associate editor at iMedia Connection.

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