Have you noticed? The media mix - the distribution of dollars spent among various forms of advertising and marketing - is taking a dramatic shift.

This seems to happen whenever we find a new way to communicate with each other. First it was radio, added to print advertising. Then television, dismissed in the late 40s and 50's as a passing fad, joined the mix. Finally, in the past few years, direct marketing seems to have gained acceptance.

Another Stranger in Dodge City

Just when the dust in our streets seems to have settled down for good. . . here comes a stranger, riding into town. Do we hang him from the nearest lamppost, or give him a badge and make him a deputy?

Yes, friends and neighbors, there's a new kid in town! Its name is Internet. It’s wild and wooly and rowdier than a shootout at the OK Corral. Everyone is talking about it.

First, it was scorned by marketers, just like TV. Then people became intrigued. Today, most major companies have, or are planning, an Internet site and home page. Recently, one of the major tire companies was asked, “Why are you on the Internet?” The answer, of course, was “Because our competition is there.” Corporations are spending tens of thousands of dollars to ensure that they have a better, flashier site than their competition.

But, really, just what is this Internet?

It Ain’t A Dude Ranch, Pardner

From a marketing perspective, the Internet is the Wild, Wild West! It’s new, the spawn of the computer boom. It’s fast. It’s changing every day, changing every minute. It has broad reach. Your message can go to thousands, even millions of people, very, very quickly. The only rules are common sense and profit. And these don’t necessarily go together. The energy around this media can be intoxicating and addictive.

The fast guns have come into town. The big marketing guys are moving over from the infomercials. There are people on the wangon train, moving carefully into the adventure. The white hats, the black hats, the people who keep their hats hidden. . . they’re all looking for angles that work on the Internet.

Here’s a little information for the “city slickers” among you, who may not be familiar with this strange new marketing terrain. The Internet is often described as a billboard, where you put up your ad and wait and hope that someone will drive by. It can be a magazine or a newspaper that is opened and flipped through at the customer’s leisure. Sometimes your message is seen, and sometimes it’s not.

Often, the Internet is used as an encyclopedia. It can be a wonderful, powerful resource, right at your fingertips. It’s a TV - customized, interactive fun and entertainment - you choose where to go, what to see, and who to play with.

Oh, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

How can the Internet help you to be more successful? What does it bring to the mix? Newness, fun, and interactivity are key things. Accessibility to products and customers around the world, and secure, easy transaction processing are others. The Internet levels the playing field, giving smaller businesses a chance for broader markets.

What are the gains and costs of incorporating the Internet into the marketing mix? Your own ‘Net result will depend on how you position and promote your site. If your benchmark for success is moving your merchandise out the door, you can realize success only by skillfully combining all of your media, using the best of each. You need to filter through the cacophony of sound bites of information, seminars, infomercials, and everyone’s promises, to identify your own Internet reality.

Welcome to the Wild, Wild Web!

Don’t hang up your saddle, little cowpoke! None of this is meant to discourage you, but to alert you to the signs. Here’s some advice that may keep you out of Boot Hill.

As you go forward, be sure to have a good map (business plan), and someone really reliable watching your back. Design your site with your business goals in mind. Whay do you want people to visit your site? How does it benefit them to do so? What will they learn? How will it enhance their perception of your company? Will it be a positive, fun, or interesting experience? Is your current or future customer part of the demographic profile of Internet users? At a critical point in your site, remember to ask for the sale! Also, keep in mind that your site must make it easy for your customers to respond - with a variety of alternatives (phone, mail, fax, encoded credit card orders) with various comfort levels.

Finally - and it may seem almost too basic to mention, but you’d be surprised at how many folks choke on this one - remember to integrate your Internet address into every other media you use. Business cards, stationery, print, radio, and TV ads should ALL provide your Internet address.

Go West, young man? Not anymore! As we ride off into the sunset, spurs a-janglin’, we’d like to leave you with a new call to action: