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Michael James, UK MD, Adconion
Despite an overall decline in marketing budgets, UK online ad spend is expected to continue to rise through 2009. Online already accounts for around 20% of all UK ad budgets and the need for increased accountability and greater value for money is leading marketers to further shift/extend their budgets to online. By most estimates, we can expect to see online grow by around 7% year on year in 2009.
James Briscoe, Deputy MD, unique digital
Since the world was thought to be flat and at the centre of the universe, making predictions has been difficult and can prove hilariously off the mark. Just ask Thomas Watson (1943 chairman of IBM) who said, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Or see if Bill Gates stands by his comment that "640Kb ought to be enough for anybody". Some predictions may merely be ahead of their time: Sinclair's dream of the mass adoption of electric cars seems just down the road now, and maybe the year of the mobile is a prediction that will finally come true one day.
Mike Hilts, President and general manager, Yesmail
Navigating the turbulent economic headwinds of 2009 is a challenge many businesses are resolving by reducing spend and channelling budgets towards programmes which measurably demonstrate a high return. The tricky bit is that many of the nascent channels, such as social media and mobile, are still very difficult to measure, nor do they easily demonstrate that all-important ROI.