While scanning my morning newsletters I noticed a story in AdWeek about Sportgenic, an ad network traditionally helping sports-related advertisers reach a sports-minded audience through online content sites such as Camping.com. In order to further expand revenue within the niche segment of sports, Sportgenic is beginning to offer a blend of offline and online campaigns. The article cites “… the ability for its advertisers to run placements in traditional media, pairing a slate of Web ads on running sites, for instance, with a print campaign in Runner’s World.”

I think this is brilliant and a new way of thinking that PR people need to begin integrating into their planning.  That blend of offline and online to feed each other for the greater good of driving traffic, leads, branding, whatever the goal is.

In a discussion at SXSWi interactive someone brought up seeing a Vitamin Water commercial on TV that didn’t say much but pointed to the company’s Facebook fan page. Offline driving online interaction.  Taking passive and turning it into action. For those motivated enough to go to the website and join, they’re now connected to the company to receive any number of communications that (hopefully) furthers their interest in the brand and products.

Now that’s PR.

Read one sport fan’s take on joining the Vitamin Water Facebook page.

Read the full AdWeek article: For One Ad Net, the Web Isn’t Enough; Sportgenic looks to old as well as new media for growth