Take a good look around. In a few more short years, the world of advertising is going to look, sound, and feel completely different. In some ways the changes in store are so dramatic, the concepts and forces driving advertising were unheard of just a couple of years ago.

Largely due to Tivo, and other DVR's (Digital Video Recorders), the days of the 30-second broadcast TV commercial are numbered. That is a foregone conclusion. Advertisers and broadcast networks know this, and are scrambling. That's why you're seeing more plugs of cars, soft drinks, beer, and other brands being placed right into the TV shows themselves. This is nothing new, it's been done in movies for years. Only recently, however, have advertisers and broadcasters really begun to see the value of embedding their messages in the programming content itself. This is being done in addition to or in lieu of running commercials that frankly, most of their audience don't even watch anymore.

15 and 30-second spots will be limited solely to local markets during news broadcasts and late night hours, if that. Prime-time advertising, as well as advertising during sporting events, will continue to evolve as they are before our very eyes. This will continue until a viable model that will stick around for a few years comes of age. Just watch "Monday Night Football" to see what's happening with sports broadcasts. The ads are all over the screen during the game, when they know their audience is watching.

One power that advertisers do get from the new age of TV is some major tracking data of household's viewing habits, likes and dislikes. The data they garner enables advertisers to know what interests and entertains their target audience. By using Tivo and cable DVR's as an interface, advertisers can showcase various products and services promotions right through the box. Interactivity in advertising brings its robustness even a step further. Advertisers are already tinkering with this, and expect to see a lot more of it in the future.

Most ad-biz insiders also believe that print advertising as we know it, namely general-audience newspapers and periodicals, will whither away. It has already proven itself to be a shrinking market, seeing declining numbers each year since 2003. There's no reason why this won't continue, until it finally goes the way of the buggy whip.

Print media will need to replace its lost revenues with multi-media supplement versions of its content and in essence, its advertising.

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