The Idea Blog

One of the more interesting iPods in recent years isn’t the relatively new iPod Touch, the iPhone look alike (which says a lot about how great a product the iPod really is). I think more interesting is the iPod+, a specialty iPod for runners who not only listen to music or podcasts or whatever, but also can download to their computers the stats from their workouts and track them for improvement.

The product is a stealth ad not so much for Apple, but rather for Nike, and it’s part of a participative trend in media that Nike very much believes in.

A wonderful piece in today’s NY Times lays out the challenges traditional media face as marketers seek to make a richer and better connection with customers and prospects.

“Behind the shift is a fundamental change in Nike’s view of the role of advertising. No longer are ads primarily meant to grab a person’s attention while they’re trying to do something else — like reading an article. Nike executives say that much of the company’s future advertising spending will take the form of services for consumers, like workout advice, online communities and local sports competitions.”