2012 Advertising Spend Increase: Will More Ads Make An Impact Or Fall Flat?

Last week, eMarketer published a report that showcased how US Online Advertising sales are projected to increase over 23% this year to nearly $40 billion in revenue.  The other noteworthy element about Online Advertising is that for the first time, it will surpass the dollars spent on print magazine and newspaper advertising combined.  Total advertising spend for print, magazines, TV and online combined will total nearly $140 billion in the US.

Two things struck me about this piece:

1.  The fact that despite shifts in the mix, overall advertising (including print, magazines, online and TV) is projected to increase by over $10 billion in 2012 vs. 2011.  That is a whole slew of new commercials, videos, banners and design work that needs to be produced.  And how many of these new elements will have time for any traditional research or formal testing prior to launch?  With limited time and lean staffs, we are anticipating more pressure for insights and research teams.

2.  With more and more advertising messages hitting the marketplace each year, how will agencies and brands make theirs stand out from the crowd?  GutCheck is seeing customers coming to us each week with their campaigns before creative is finalized to see how audience will react to it before it is too late.  

We argue that if you can squeeze in 48 hours while creating your next campaign, you can make sure that it won’t miss the mark with your target market.