• Reuters, Monday, February 13, 2006 11:46 AM

Retailers are taking a page from their consumer product counterparts and are beginning to experiment with different forms of media in order to reach consumers. Faced with customers who make their own rules on media consumption and who turn increasingly toward the Internet as a source of news and general information, some retailers are looking to outlets like glossy direct-mail catalogs, online coupons, and even billboards to get their message across. "Long-term, there is a fundamental shift" under way in how retailers reach customers, said Mike Boylson, CMO for J.C. Penney, and those who start experimenting with new media early will fare better. The fastest growing ad segment is the Internet, followed closely by cable television and then direct mail, according to data gathered by Advertising Age for its advertising and marketing guide released last year. Broadcast television advertising was down slightly--the only major category showing a decline.

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