I haven't gotten my refund yet from Uncle Sam, so I didn't get in line for an iPad, but I plan to be one of many Apple minions with the shiny new toy.

And I'm looking forward to seeing what marketers have planned for this new advertising frontier. A few will get it right from the start, but many are going to crash and burn, too. It doesn't matter if you're a student of advertising or a seasoned vet, if you're smart, you'll take notes before jumping in the iPad pool.

An effective experiential marketer, has some understanding of how a medium works. So it would be to your advantage to understand how iPad and other tablets operate, even if you don't have one. iPad is just another example of how traditional advertising must adapt to an untraditional world. You don't have to be an expert, but if you want to develop a campaign involving the iPad, keep a few things in mind:

1. Understand that the iPad isn't for everyone. The iPhone proved that. For every great app, there are a bunch of crappy ones that make no sense. Every brand may want to jump on board, but recognize you can't force fit it. I'll admit, that may take a lot of work for some clients to understand and accept. Seth Godin made a similar observation about brands and social media in the book, Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?
Here are some early app offerings.
2. Don't treat it like your computer. It surfs the Internet like a computer, but it doesn't operate like one. So don't just reformat some web banners and sites and think you have an effective campaign.
3. Be interactive, not disruptive. Your campaign is dead the moment you start interfering with the iPad user's fun. (I say "fun," because it's more of a social tool, than a working one at the moment.) Your brand's presence needs to be just as engaging as the iPad environment. For that to happen, you need to understand how the iPad functions.
4. The iPad should enhance your campaign, not be your campaign. "Let's create a cool app." That should not be your digital solution without a good rationale. It's just a weak excuse to be a part of the iPad world. If it's your first thought, then ask yourself: Am I doing this to have something cool for my portfolio, or will this really benefit my client? Your client comes first, but hopefully you'll come up with an idea that satifies both.

So before you dive into tablet promotions, observe who is doing it right and wrong, then adapt accordingly.