Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

More consumers are turning to their mobile devices to search for items to buy which is generating an uptick in the mobile search channel. For now, it seems that there’s a higher click-through rate on mobile devices than for computers. As a result, analysts are encouraging marketers to allocate a larger percentage of their ad budget to mobile search.

Retailers spend plenty to attract consumers to their stores but they also see promise in the online market. To boost online sales this year, retailers plan to promote their sites with the use of email, search and deal of the day promotions. And to keep shoppers engaged with the online channel, many of these operators plan to spend some of their 2012 marketing budget improving the shopper experience at the site.

U.S. online ad spending reached $32.03 billion last year. And this year, marketers are expected to boost that level to $39.5 billion. That amount puts online at 23.3% of the expected $169.48 billion U.S. ad market in 2012. Both large and small advertisers are likely to spend some of their ad dollars with either Google, Facebook or both companies. The latest public filings from these firms show how they are securing higher amounts of advertiser budgets.

It will come as no surprise to industry watchers that most marketers intend to increase spending on search engine marketing technology in 2012. But these marketers have something new to grapple with this year – the inclusion of social data into the search process. More marketers are also looking for tools and technology to help them manage search on an international basis.

Ever since marketers started paying for advertising, they’ve wanted to know if it’s working. Marketers who write the checks for digital campaigns want accountability from the media space providers, too. Defining and measuring ROI has been difficult until now but vendors are rolling out new tools designed to make a difference.

Consumer goods companies continue to pour money into trade promotion to boost sales. The typical company spends between 11% and 30% on the effort. These budgets are divided between trade marketing and consumer marketing. In 2012, the latest research suggests that consumer goods companies will increase their digital consumer promotions significantly. Many of these promotionsRead the Rest…