Forget about the destination. According to Eyeblaster, with changing consumer behavior it's now the journey that counts.

Despite being born and raised in England, Dean Donaldson didn't hesitate to open his recent iMedia Brand Summit Spotlight presentation with a few scenarios that were as American as apple pie. In a lilting British accent, the digital experience strategist for online advertising solutions firm Eyeblaster fondly recalled memories of sitting around the "telly" watching a favorite show with his mother and grandmother. He also related how, for many families, Christmas wasn't truly Christmas until everyone experienced the Coca-Cola polar bears making their annual TV commercial appearance.

However, after enticing the audience with such warm shared memories, he quickly cooled the mood by relaying the many technological and societal changes that, over recent decades, have made such communal experiences largely a thing of the past. From the microwave oven to McDonald's -- which in their respective manners have led families to spend less time preparing and eating dinner together -- to the iPhone and YouTube, it's becoming harder and harder for advertisers to spend quality time with consumers.

Or is it?

According to Donaldson, there's no reason why, over a period of time, online marketers can't create an emotional connection -- and a brand experience -- with buyers. This can happen without a single clickthrough: in fact, he noted that only about six percent of the entire online population actually clicks on display ads, and half of all those clicks are from non-customers. Instead, Donaldson posits that advertisers should consider building the brand online while driving response offline. In essence, forget about CTRs and engage the consumer simply through interaction with the advertising itself.

Showcasing a number of innovative and alluring Rich Media ads, including a fun Nivea Body Lotion for Men creative where viewers help a hapless young man choose (with humorous results) different competing creams, Donaldson explored the concept of "dwell time," which expresses the average number of seconds a user is engaged with an advertisement. Integrating even more forms of branded online messaging, including search, widgets, and targeted display ads, can further captivate the consumer, eventually leading to a buying decision without that individual ever visiting the product website. Thus, without a single clickthrough -- and often via a relatively intricate path that can include both online and offline elements -- the overall journey, rather than a distinct ad or interactive approach, becomes the key influence in which brands or products a customer ultimately chooses.

Donaldson wrapped up his seminar by extolling a unique unified tracking system that can help marketers view this convoluted consumer voyage through display and search channels. He didn't spend any time elaborating on the methodology, nor did he offer up any concrete examples of past results. Still, after such an intriguing presentation, it's an idea -- and a journey -- most marketers should assuredly consider exploring.

Jeff Berkwits is the marketing manager, entertainment at Upper Deck.