Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

It’s not exactly a newsflash to announce that consumers are spending less time with print media. But the shift to screen time, whether it’s mobile or TV, is happening quickly. As a result, marketers must be prepared to put their messages in the places where consumers are most likely to see them.

Marketers wring their hands over which channels to use when targeting consumers. But consumers in one new survey have told researchers the marketing channel they prefer: direct mail. And marketers may be surprised to know that it’s not just older consumers who like to find something in their physical mailboxes.

Yellow Pages publishers have known for some time that the revenue generated from their traditional directories is in decline. Many of these publishers are successfully transitioning to other media products. But new research shows that the industry overall is facing a revenue drop for the next few years.

After years of penny-pinching because of general economic conditions and high gas prices, the American consumer might be ready to make a change when it comes to buying a car. Data shared by AutoTrader.com shows that luxury cars and SUVs are high on the interest list these days. As a result, auto dealers may adjust their promotional strategies.

The worst of the recession may be behind us, but the shakeout in the traditional retail industry is expected to last through 2012. Several thousand stores are predicted to close up shop across this country. This change will impact media companies who are competing to capture retailer advertising budgets.

One of the biggest challenges facing forecasters this year has been economic uncertainty. The continued threat of a double dip recession has merchants staying conservative with respect to ad spending. As a result, some analysts have revised their earlier forecasts for the local digital advertising market down slightly but spending overall for 2011 will be higher than it was last year.