Consumers are facing a barrage of information - so how do you get your message across? Nick Terry investigates.

The technology revolution carries on with the merging of video, interactive media and 3G technology.

This is handing power to the consumer to choose to receive communication or opt out.

Consumers often even dictate how a TV show turns out, voting on everything from Big Brother to Only Fools on Horses.

At the flick of a switch we (or potential customers) can select or reject the media exposed to.

This power means firms vying for the attention of consumers, employees and other businesses have to box clever.

On top of all this, the loyalty of customers is becoming more fickle as they are exposed to a wall of communication noise.

They are a moving target, more fluid and much more promiscuous in their supplier choice.

This means brand leaders can no longer be complacent and rely on their brand names. The better ones hone their competitive edge by a continual review of their positioning; by tracking consumer trends avidly. This in turn informs them of where their consumers are "at".

Responding to this deeper understanding they are turning to clever campaign tactics, such as guerilla marketing and viral campaigns. "Guerrilla" was the name given to those who helped Wellington in his "little scraps" with Napoleon and were known for their unusual and unpredictable tactics.

Believe me, the big boys are throwing out the rule books to grab attention, they are more willing to break the rules and search out alternatives as they look to deliver against a challenging brief.

They throw big money at viral campaigns that appear well, guerrilla (in a well produced way) and then get you to spread their communication (we have all done it - forwarded on those video clips) to mates or peer group members - now there is endorsement at work.

These "clever" videos have to, like any good idea, start with a good brief. This, I feel, begins in turn with a face-to-face meeting with your client to interrogate and challenge their thinking be it for a campaign, an event, a video or conference.

Briefs need now, more than ever, depth and breadth. In short it needs to be hard-wired into the consumer psyche.

In the future, communication challenges are only going to get tougher and the industry more competitive.

The audiences in turn are going to get more and more discerning.

They have to be really in touch with their consumer, be able to generate a brief that has a consumer insight which is essential to deliver that clever, "killer idea".

In the end the consumer is king as progressively they consciously choose to receive or forward on communication.

Let's face it we are all now just one click away from a no! Oh, and yes, a good idea is only as good as the brief!