Consumer packaged goods manufacturers and marketers are going online, which is where consumers want to forge relationships with brands, reports DM News (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Interactive customer relationship marketing programs focus on loyalty, while enjoying lower-cost entry points and simple means of communication.The interactive medium can build strong customer relationships because it can be based on something beyond the product, and put the consumer in control. Some companies are using online tools to give consumers the control to self-diagnose a need, and to immediately supply them with solutions.

Procter & Gamble, for example, has a rich media application, called Mr. Clean Bathroom Explorer, which allows customers to view a customized solution for their needs; meanwhile, the user's path is tracked for market research.

Advocacy enablers give consumers control of the brand. Unpaid product mentions in message boards or blogs and homemade TV spots that circulate the web may scare brand managers, but they can also build relationships with consumers by associating a feeling of ownership with the brand.

Interactive media lets brands come together around a consumer interest group, creating collective marketing campaigns.