In my first column, I wrote that the online ad market was a struggle, but that certain elements, namely Search and Rich Media, were going to preserve its sustainable growth. Today, while it's obvious that Search is doing most of the heavy lifting, I think its safe to say that we're in what should be that sustained period of growth, and that there are some elements of our industry - especially Search - that are heading nowhere but up in the foreseeable future.

Last week two colleagues of mine, Cory Treffiletti and Tom Hespos wrote about the concept of reach and frequency as metrics for advertising and its application against the online media. Reach and frequency are altmodische and essentially fuzzy metrics for gauging the breadth and depth of an advertising campaign and will find themselves falling away like an old scab in the year 2004.

If the theory that the highly coveted 18-49 year old demographic is no longer hooked to television is true, then what are they doing?

Internship programs can be great for ad agencies. An intern can gain valuable work experience and contacts working for you. In turn, you get the opportunity to get more young people interested in careers in our field, while having an extra set of hands around the office to help you out.

I've been reading several articles by our editors and fellow columnists on the positive numbers for this season's online holiday shopping. While I'm excited by the number of people who shopped online, I think many are missing a critical point. Are people really keeping their purchases/gifts?

Back in August, I made some predictions about what to expect in 2004. One thing I left out of those predictions is the role of Natural Search in the whole Search Marketing Mix.

Advertisers are always looking for new ways to get their message out there, a new way of getting their product in front of people. A way of getting in front of a potential consumer by being where they are already spending their time willingly is product placement. Product placement is experiencing a kind of renaissance in commercial media and for many who are unfamiliar with advertising's history it is striking them as wondrous and new.

Welcome to 2004 and the beginning of the end of Reach and Frequency as core metrics of advertising planning and analysis.

If you've planned media on an integrated basis, you know the basics behind reach curves. The more you spend incrementally, the less reach you achieve. Spend to the point where you're reaching anywhere north of 90 percent of your target demo, and it becomes both difficult and expensive to spend money in vehicles you're already using to get incremental reach.

Forget holiday spending and outlooks, you've read them several times by now. What had the biggest impact in advertising of 2003, you ask? It seems the coveted group of men 18 to 34 plummeted in regards to TV viewing this past year.