08 The Year Ahead – Foreword

It is the season to be jolly, and some of our writers are happily getting into the Christmas spirit. Despite forecasts of a gloomy economy in 2008, the predictions in Marketing Weeks Year Ahead show that many senior marketers are doggedly optimistic.

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Daney%20Parker%20Marketing%20WeekGet creative in 2008 for more return on investment

It is the season to be jolly, and some of our writers are happily getting into the Christmas spirit. Despite forecasts of a gloomy economy in 2008, the predictions in Marketing Week’s Year Ahead show that many senior marketers are doggedly optimistic.

Online looks set to thrive, with predictions that European online revenues could double to £20bn by 2010. Other sectors looking forward to a prosperous new year are: outdoor, with its exciting digital innovations; promotions and incentives, which often benefit when sales look set to slump; TV, with growing demand for such innovations as HD services; and customer magazines, which could increase their market share.

Of course, unending optimism can become tiresome, but 2008 promises to be far from boring. Our experts also predict plenty of turbulence, for example field marketing budgets will be squeezed and experiential campaigns will have to prove their worth, if clients are to continue to invest in them. Integrated marketing must fight to be seen as a specialist discipline in its own right, while the upward curve of conferences may take a turn for the worse.

All in all, 2008 will not be a year for breaking open the champagne (corporate hospitality spend is unlikely to increase), but rather a time to squeeze more from existing spend by becoming more creative (PR, market research, direct marketingand regional press are sectors that are innovating in an attempt to hold on to their share of budgets).

As environmental issues are likely to stay on top of next year’s marketing agendas – in particular point of purchase must clean up its act – it can be assumed that many marketers will be dreaming of a green Christmas. This might mean fewer Christmas cards and more online greetings, but less waste to clear up in the new year – and waste is definitely off the agenda in 2008.

Daney Parker
Special reports editor, Marketing Week

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