Spending during a downturn has always been a struggle between marketers’ angels and demons. On one shoulder the angel of brand equity, market share, and long-term strategy whispers “spend.” On the other shoulder the demon of immediate sales, short-term gain, and budget stretching whispers “cut back.” These days the short-term demon is winning, but the long-term angel’s voice is starting to get some attention. A new report from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) details the conundrum. The report, based on a survey of 129 client-side marketing executives, reveals that short-term strategies and budget cuts are dominating the ad business. In fact, two thirds of marketers have shifted their emphasis to more short-term strategies in the past six months, responding to economic conditions. Traditional media channels have been the hardest hit, with television and magazines absorbing 20 percent of the spending reductions.
Filed under: Branding, Commercial Printing, Direct Mail, Email Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Services, Social Media, Web 2.0, advertising
