"Economic Downturn Leads To New Media Upside"

AdAge published an article today "More Buyers Expect to Spend Less in Most Media".

The big take away was this...despite the current economic downturn, most media buyers are energized by new media including online and mobile campaigns.

In online, 72% of respondents anticipate jumps in their company's spending; 4% said they were expecting a decrease. For cable, 28% said they expect an uptick in spending and 20% expect a drop; for mobile, 53% said they expect an increase and 9% expect a decrease.

The #1 thing that clients are looking for is 'accountability'. Now more than ever advertisers are looking for a substantial ROI while minimizing risk. It's also extremely important to be able to produce campaigns that provide 'long-term' useable data.

It's no secret that Mobile is growing. It provides instant measureable results and extends any brand into a personal environment. As for online, it's simple, instant and on demand. For the consumer both technologies mean investing less time to get the maximum amount of information.

In the past, a "big splash" campaigns may have been enough...not anymore.

We are seeing [clients] asking for more accountability," said Barbara Kittridge, managing director for Publicis' Spark Communications...

Even in times of economic strife, "rock-bottom pricing isn't necessarily the driving criteria."

The article continues: "In a telling result of that push for accountability, TV saw a big increase in the number of respondents who identified ad results as being an important criterion in selecting the medium for ad placement. Some 72% of respondents identified ad results as very important in TV selection vs. 48% last year."

I've been blogging about 'authenticity' and 'consumer trust' for months. There is a huge connection between what is going on with consumers and their world today and how they connect with advertising.

Higher gas prices, higher food prices and the impending elections have are all making the consumer think harder about their life choices. This social change dramatically effects brand loyalty. For the first time in decades, people are comparison shopping for the best deals.

The key to winning is to create an authentic, fulfilling experience that proves value.

Advertisers and consumers are looking for a return on their investment that is measurable...for the consumer it may be "am I getting the most gas for the cheapest price this week"...for the client it is "are we getting the most customers to buy what we're selling and show us how many".

"Speculation" and "big splash" selling works less in down economies. But one thing is clear, if you weather this storm your client relationships will be deeper at the end.