We have defined promotion as getting the right message to the right audience through the right media. What happens then, when you have constructed the perfect message, identified your target market, and chosen your medium? At many times, we follow this  formula for promotion, believing that it will naturally bring in all the consumers we want. However, consumers today demand more attention, more time, and more interaction from companies. As Jim Estill points out in his article, The Power of the Personal, the biggest challenge facing marketers today is to get their prospects to actually pay attention and read what they send them. Companies are becoming more and more aware that increased social interaction with their consumers is necessary to successfully attract attention and induce action among their consumers. This is because interactive marketing is personal and leaves a distinct impression in the consumers’ minds. This distinctive impression will help the company combat competition in the consumers’ minds and help the company build valuable, long-term relationships with its consumers. So how does a company do this? Companies can research and establish their unique consumer touch points and create consumer-generated messages based on consumer opinions. By gathering popular opinions on social sites, businesses are tapping consumers for ideas. Finding ways to connect with consumers personally is especially important because it’s that additional layer of promotion that creates value for the consumer. Today, consumers find value in a company who understands and caters to the specific needs that they may have.