At last year's WQA Aquatech USA show, several examples of past decades' marketing and advertising in the water treatment market were on display. I'm intrigued by old advertisements and, in particular, entire marketing campaigns. It could be that I'm lured to these pieces because of my career in publishing, but I also think there are other reasons.

These advertisements and marketing materials represent the times. It is interesting to see what messages attracted customers in the 1990s, 1980s … all the way back to the turn of the 20^th Century.

Print advertising, in particular, of past decades laid the foundation of how companies can capture a reader's eye most effectively. Company and product slogans often drove the marketing message. Providing customers with a memorable phrase was a good way to personalize your company and keep your message in their minds.

As technology improved over the years, such as the advent of radio, TV and personal computers, how a company reached and connected with consumers changed as well. These old ads tell that story in timeline fashion.

Slogans, over the years, were replaced with stunning graphics, attractive fonts and creative, ever-changing content. The "personal" connection between company and end-user seemed to wane a bit.

A shift back to personalizing advertising campaigns is taking hold. A few trends are shaping this shift. The devices we have used over the past 10 years have decreased in size, while increasing in capabilities. Consumers have mobile communication abilities that far surpass anything we've experienced before in our history.

Competition is at an all-time high as well. No longer are you fighting the company down the block for the dollars in your neighborhood. You're also competing with a company that could be over 8,000 miles away, with a cheaper price and free shipping no less.

Having your company stand out with a lasting purpose in traditional print advertising and maintaining a multi-media strategy is critical this year and beyond. While you can rely on exceptional service leading to more business and a familiar message that attracts customers and keeps your company top-of-mind, continuing to tailor where you place that message is just as important.

You can choose to ignore the power of the Internet and social media, but consider the following: Approximately 78.2 percent of all Americans currently use the Internet and 59 percent of that group currently uses some form of social media. You must grow your presence on these channels in 2012.

Rich DiPaolo, Editorial Director