Ad Agencies Urged to Strive For Original and Innovative Advertising and Marketing Solutions
By Paul Whitney
The Bellwether Report contains detailed analysis of the UK's marketing economy, based on a survey of 250 companies, representing all key business sectors. According to the most recent report, produced on behalf of the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) and published on the IPA's website the figures show that advertising budgets are being cut at the fastest rate since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This sounds like a disaster for the advertising industry.
However, according to Campaign India, the report illustrates this situation by saying that 15% of companies reported an increase in total marketing budgets, whilst 27% reported a decrease. So what does that really mean? Translated into real numbers it says that 67 companies reported that their marketing budgets had been cut, whilst 37 had increased their advertising budgets. We can only assume that the remaining 106 didn't change their budgets. Put another way, 27% of companies cut their budgets and 73% didn't.
Let's ask the old question - is the glass half full or half empty? UK reporting of figures such as those published from the Bellwether Report is definitely in the "half empty" category with an apparent desire to drain the half that is still in the glass!
Taking the figures with a positive frame of mind, it actually seems like the glass is almost three quarters full.
Which ever way you look at it, the glass certainly isn't 100% full so what action should the UK's advertising industry take? The IPA President, and Chairman Europe M&C Saatchi, Moray MacLennan, said in April 2008 that "It is a good moment to remind advertisers that those who maintain the strongest marketing spend will come out on top." In an exclusive interview with WARC in February he advised that in times of a downturn, advertisers and agencies who would turn out to be the winners were those who chose to maintain their budget levels partnered with compelling creative content. And in July the word was for agencies to strive for more original and innovative solutions.
In short, think positive and try harder. I couldn't agree more. The amount of money that is spent on unopened direct marketing is incredible. Direct mail pieces will remain unopened and be deposited in the bin just as long as one item looks exactly the same as another and can be identified even from the look of the envelope as being just another piece of tripe like the 3 or 4 that came yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and so on. Advertisers should search for a piece that cannot be left unopened and cannot easily be ignored.
| Do yourselves a big favour - take a look at the innovative marketing products published in the UK by Whitney Woods and get hold of their sample pack. I guarantee that it will deliver a big impact that you can neither ignore or forget. Whitney Woods is a company whose glass is always more than half full and email signatures in the company feature this quote - "I was asked what I thought about the recession. I thought about it and decided not to take part." Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart. The Whitney Woods sample pack can be found at http://www.popupmailers.co.uk/samples.html Article by Paul Whitney. Whitney Woods Ltd is a manufacturer of promotional marketing products designed using sophisticated cardboard engineering techniques. The company is a market leader in this field in the UK and publishes a range of over 50 products covering the areas of promotional pocket media, interactive marketing products, information discs, promotional pop up cards, creative folding and automatic pop up mailers. Whitney Woods also publishes a range of products which are particularly suited to Christmas promotions and for use as company Christmas cards. In addition, the company incorporates a direct marketing division incorporating a full service mailing house and also supplies eyeletting and hand finishing services to the UK's print industry. |
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