It is likely that eventually the Internet will develop new forms of promotion not obviously predicted by the traditional media and their promotions. There most certainly are, but they may not be lurking in the usual places. The interactive marketing columnist for a national consumer marketing magazine recently cautioned readers about involving their IS group in Internet marketing. His line of reasoning may be questionable, but it's important to know what kinds of advice marketers are getting. I am not surprised that the columnist, coming from the marketing community, sees Internet promotion as something that corporate marketing departments can handle directly with outside vendors.
Marketing departments do that all the time with other media.
Corporations are spinning off their in-house teleproduction facilities and art departments even as they spend more money on similar outside services. Meanwhile, the Internet promotions business is emerging, and the market is being educated. A Course of Action First, VARs need to understand the marketing profession and the key players in their community or industry. Calling on marketing managers requires a considerably different approach than calling on IS managers. In short, VARs need a good mechanism to sort through a host of new market questions and to develop the required skills.