B2C Interactive Marketing

Interactive marketing has only been a recent, but rapidly growing, endeavor. Companies like amazon, as mentioned before, have introduced a new and more beneficial way of targeting their customers that provide a big competitive advantage. Eventually, a more individualized approach of attracting customers will become a standard tool in marketing. There are however, already some great examples of how interactive marketing can benefit us as customers:

1. iTunes provides customers with the option of downloading songs for $0.99 per song. After songs have been downloaded by an individual, itunes is able to select similar songs to recommend for the next purchase based on patterns of other downloaders. It's easier to justify spending a dollar to listen to unfamiliar artists than making a cd purchase at a store. The included suggestions for similar songs also save time that might have been spent looking for new music, whether online, or at a store.
2. Air Canada has also developed their marketing to reflect their interaction with customers. A frequent flyer to the same destination, for instance, will be informed via email if an inexpensive flight is coming up.
   
3. Amazon cannot be left out of the equation. Because reading is not nearly as popular as it once was, few (if any) critiques are available on new authors and books. Amazon saves the trouble of seeking out this information by recommending a selection of books that would likely be enjoyed based on previous purchase knowledge.
   

The use of interactive marketing has benefited both companies and customers. Business to Customer (B2C) relationships have developed this reciprocal relationship because it simply makes sense. If a company wants to market products to those consumers likely to purchase them, interactive marketing provides the opportunity to do so. Customers are updated on products they are actually interested in, and in doing so, a more loyal relationship is developed between the them and the companies willing to take the time to market at a more individualized level.