When the Baby Boomers were still babies, U.S. society was one of clear distinctions: between men and women, work and play, public and private. Half a century later, we live in a different country, indeed – one where boundaries are increasingly porous.

Research shows that childhood is yielding to adulthood to such an extent that the two are in some ways no longer separate-from fashion styles to spending money. And the stereotypical "9-to-5" job has transformed into a melding of personal and business time that is contributing directly to the dramatic growth in productivity – as well as a loss of personal time and space.

While these collapsing distinctions have led in some cases to greater freedom, many have also created pressures that could hardly have been imagined a generation ago. The accessibility afforded by the Internet, cellular phones, and BlackBerrys is a two-way street-you can reach anyone, and anyone can reach you. Increasingly, consumers are seeking to take control of their environments wherever possible.

A proliferation of TV sets, channels, and accessories – from DVRs to video on demand-are allowing consumers to ustomize their viewing experience and minimize commercial exposure. In this issue of KNOW, David Tice looks at the influence of "on-command" technologies and how marketers can befriend the newly empowered TV viewer.

Consumer control represents a stark challenge to conventional "push" and "mass" approaches to marketing. The result has been an unprecedented wave of innovation in marketing, seeking to form or deepen relationships with consumers. John J. Lewis looks at marketers who have already adapted to the new reality in their efforts to touch consumers and what rules have guided their success.

Product placement and other innovative techniques have turned the actual "content" of TV shows, movies, and videogames into a marketing space; Andy Swanson of Future Network collaborates with Knowledge Networks' Wendy Wallner and Christopher Daniels on a look at best practices for exploiting games as a marketing medium.

And from coffee cups to supermarket floors, every space that might catch a consumer's eye or ear has become advertising space; in these pages, Ron Breeden and Al Halkuff describe and analyze the many ways that marketers are leveraging the in-store environment to reach customers.

Experiments in communicating with and motivating voters are also playing a powerful part in this year's presidential campaign – as revealed by Brigham Young University's Kelly D. Patterson and J. Quin Monson, in collaboration with J. Michael Dennis, in their fascinating study of what may be a "new politics."

Amidst all of this innovating, many of the relied-upon methods for measuring media and marketing exposure have been outstripped. How can we compare the effectiveness of a NASCAR product placement to a primetime TV ad? This is one of the key issues touched upon in Justin Edge's conversation with Kate Sirkin, Starcom MediaVest's Executive Vice President and Global Research Director.

This issue also features a compelling interview with James W. Masterson, Senior Vice President of Marketing Research and Business Intelligence at Bristol-Myers Squibb; Masterson is a marketing information leader whose career path has given him a unique perspective on the proper value and role of research. Larry Kaagan and Patricia Graham have collaborated on a powerful assessment of the American Dream circa 2004. And we sit down for a conversation with Cindy Trish, the dynamic new leader of Knowledge Networks' Needham, Massachusetts, team.

If you have time, let us know your thoughts about KNOW and what you'd like to see on these pages in the months ahead; your feedback and ideas are invaluable, as always.

David Stanton
Editor-in-Chief
know@knowledgenetworks.com