In today’s multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-everything media landscape, those responsible for creating advertising plans can be forgiven if they feel like a “jack of all trades, master of none,” as the saying goes. After all, how can you become expert at maximizing one channel, when increasingly you need to employ several to reach your goals? And, let’s face it, new ones pop up everyday.

Interactive TV Advertising Week 2011

However, there is one medium that it’s wise to learn to master, and the sooner the better: interactive television. (In case you thought interactive TV was still a far-off idea or the reach was too small to even bother with, you may want to read my recent post on just how close we are to making truly interactive TV a reality.). In case you had a chance to check out Monday’s session at IAB/MiXX called, “Interactive TV: Master the Medium,” hosted by our own Greg Rivera, we went deep on the topic of interactive TV advertising and shared some innovative brand case studies.

So why should you bother to master the medium of interactive TV? Well, as Forbes techno blogger Michael Humphrey argued in his piece, “Five Things I Want My TV to Do by 2012-and Why Xbox is Ahead,” in today’s competitive TV market, there are five ways that marketers can win over consumers in 2012, and that currently Xbox is ahead of the competition. But are you? Understanding how to take advantage of this emerging channel not only puts your brand ahead of the curve, particularly when it comes to reaching younger, more engaged audiences, it also sets you apart as a advertising expert who understands this is where the puck is going—and you know how to get it across the goal.

So what do marketers need to know about this brave new world of interactive advertising on the largest screen in the house? How can today’s digital savvy marketers master this new medium? Perhaps the best advice I can offer is to learn from those who are already doing it well – many of them on Xbox LIVE. The most successful interactive television campaigns on Xbox LIVE share some common characteristics:

1. They exchange value with the consumer and reward them for their attention

2. They invite rather than interrupt the audience

3. They have the look and feel of an “experience” versus an “advertisement”

These simple rules are critical, because in the near future, consumers will be able to interact with their TV in the most natural way imaginable—through voice and gesture. Imagine being able to talk or motion at your TV sets to text, tweet or vote on advertising content. The enabling technology is what we at Microsoft call NUads, an interactive advertising format powered by Natural User interaction (voice and gesture) and powered by Kinect for Xbox 360.

Today, marketers are already jumping in and demonstrating innovation in ways unheard of just a few short years ago. These are the advertisers who are forging new ground and paving the way for interactive TV advertising—and we showcased many of these brands at the Master the Medium Workshop. Enabling consumers to naturally interact with the TV screen will solve a significant and costly problem that has long plagued TV advertisers: lack of engagement. Not only is the future near. It’s here.

Thanks!

Mark Kroese, General Manager, Advertising Business Group, IEB