An article I recently read from Advertising Age titled “Marketers, Agencies Not Ready to Spend, Even Online” suggested that marketers and agencies are less optimistic about increasing their spend in online advertising than previously reported at the end of 2008.
As we all know, newspapers and magazines have seen a sharp decrease in advertisers. But my impression was most of the dollars spent in these mediums were now being shifted to the online world. Particularly since online advertising is more cost effective and it is much easier to measure results.
My company’s marketing strategy has definitely invested more money into the online world but without a sharp decrease in the traditional advertising mediums. Instead, we are using online advertising and social media as a compliment to our traditional advertising.
How has you organization’s marketing and advertising strategy changed if at all with the current state of the economy? Have you cut spending of traditional methods of advertising? Are you increasing your online spend? Are you utilizing social media more?
- Krista Robertson, CAMA President-elect
Flickr Photos
March 19, 2009
Our advertising plan has changed significantly, from a heavily print-based schedule, to a more diverse buy-in. We have definitely shifted the majority of our advertising dollars online (it’s so much simpler to show ROI), but are spending most of our energy on maximizing social media tools.
Working for a membership-based organization, the social media approach is the perfect fit for us–it allows us to engage our members and keep the conversations going.
That being said, I think many organizations and businesses have become too reliant on online outlets and are ignoring traditional methods that could benefit them.
While the numbers of people engaged online are growing exponentially, there are still enough people not participating to make up an audience that can’t be ignored.
I completely agree, online advertising and social media should compliment traditional advertising practices, not replace them completely (yet!).