A 2×4, a kitchen blender and a video camera was all it took to help Blendtec build up its brand awareness among consumers.

Blendtec, a small company that produces high-power, professional-grade blenders, was an unknown name six years ago. With products priced at $400, it was uncommon to find a Blendtec blender in most household kitchens. But in 2007, when the marketing director surveyed the factory and saw the owner blending a 2×4, a brilliant idea was formed—film the company’s everyday tests and post the videos online.

The web as we know it is a continually changing beast.

Nearly 10 years ago, it started out as static web pages, textbook-like design and noisy modems that beeped and crackled to tell us our Internet connection was starting up like an old car. Then, Web 2.0 arrived with broadband video and growing online conversations.

And now, to the present day, the online world is evolving to recognize individual users. You. Think of it as your own personal assistant that understands what you like, recognizes whose opinions you trust and values the resources you use to make decisions.

One of the challenges of the RV industry is the availability of products for photography. We usually have to scramble to get products in and out of the photographers, and often don’t have the leisure to take the products out for on-site photography. The solution is to use a little bit of digital elbow grease and a lot of attention to details. This tow-shot is the compilation of five photos and nearly 50 detail, color adjustment and blurred layers.

Google has recently introduced Sidewiki, a tool that allows anyone to comment onanyweb page (review here). Facebook has added tagging, allowing updates to identify people and companies. Google Wave is hitting the masses, making email social (maybe not masses, those lucky enough to scrounge up an invitation). Google Maps is becoming “hyperlocal”, making it easy to find and review small businesses. Thousands of Twitter applications are flooding the Internet, creating endless uses for Twitter, and everything is going mobile and real-time.

PURLs represent a growing interactive marketing medium that allows a company direct trackable contact with their customers. They are easy to use, provide a wide range of marketing opportunities and are cost effective. As they grow in popularity and become a viable option for any company’s marketing mix, it’s important to understand how they work.