The New Trend for 2009: Optimism
Advertisers seem to have made the same resolution this year. From Pepsi to Dunkin Donuts, top brands are launching new campaigns with a different, if not new, strategy in mind: focus on the positive. That’s right. Optimism is this year’s newest trend, and it’s going to be a lasting one.
In Dunkin Donuts’ new campaign, the company tells consumers “You Kin’ Do It!” The ads encourage everything from weight loss to completing everyday chores. In Pepsi’s campaign, agency TBWA integrated shots of the company’s redesigned logo in words promoting positive thinking, like Joy and Love.
“The economy has people rattled and consumer confidence is at historic lows and for a lot of people there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Frances Allen, Dunkin’s chief brand marketing officer. The campaign, she said, is a “reminder just to keep moving.”
Coincidentally, when I opened my inbox yesterday, I saw a post from Harry Gold, CEO of Overdrive, encouraging the same optimistic outlook. Gold cited recent industry news as, surprise, a reason for online publishers to smile. As an advertising professional, and a genuinely optimistic person, I couldn’t help but agree with his reasons for remaining upbeat. The following are some highlights:
As late as October 2008, 11 research firms and authoritative sources said online ad spending should continue to grow between 12 and 19.4 percent in 2009, according to data published by eMarketer.
By 2012, Kelsey Group analysts expect the interactive share of global ad spending will reach 21 percent.
72 percent of the marketers responding to a Forrester Research study in May 2008 said that even in a recession their online marketing budgets would increase or stay the same. And, The New York Times characterized online marketing and media as one of the “recession-proof corners” during a downturn.
In December 2008, Mediapost reported: “WPP’s GroupM unit projects online ad spending will expand 10% in 2009, a marked dip from its 22% rate of growth in 2008, but still a double-digit rate of expansion amid a global economic ad recession…Despite the continuing slowdown in the expansion of the online advertising economy, its share of advertising budgets will expand significantly during 2009 as most other major media remain flat or decline.”
Even if there’s a “slowdown” in online growth, online is still growing.
Just as consumer confidence took a hit in the end of 2008, industry confidence also suffered. For these reasons and more, including increased consumer acceptance and often dependence on online advertising, improved online content and ad products, and consistent growth in time spent online, interactive professionals should be optimistic about online advertising in 2009. I certainly am.
Rachel
Tags: Dunkin Donuts, Interactive Spending, Online Advertising, Online Growth Statistics, Pepsi, Recession
