I recently read an article in Advertising Age that evolved from a “cocktail and coffee” meeting with some top executives from advertising agencies as well as advertisers. The story revolved around predictions for 2012 (that DON’T include the end of the world, but may be less than optimistic about the economy): “How is the lack of confidence in the economy affecting marketers’ plans for 2012, and how are agencies behaving accordingly?”
The article goes on to say different predictions: no increase in spending levels for most marketers, a focus on value for the restaurant and beverage business, maybe a rise in luxury advertising, and a strong foothold in mobile marketing.
I was most intrigued by these paragraphs, however:
When it comes to digital overall, the focus is increasingly on measuring how ad dollars are providing return-on-investment. As Shane Ginsberg, VP-corporate development at Omnicom Group agency Organic, put it: ‘We’re in a ‘prove it’ economy’, and what’s on the chopping block in tough times is ‘advertising that doesn’t lead to a sale tomorrow.’ [Mary Baglivo, CEO of Saatchi, New York, and CEO-chair of the Americas says,] ‘On the management of agencies side, we’re trying to be as thoughtful as possible about our costs, and strategic about who we bring on to staff now.’
We’re in a “prove it” economy. Now is the BEST time to invest in measuring your advertising. The article pretty much ended there but didn’t talk about HOW to prove it. Call tracking and website tracking is the answer. This is such a simple solution to find out what media is effective for your company, which messages are speaking to consumers, what pages of your website grab the consumer, and which keywords are delivering business to you! While looking carefully at your budget for next year, build in call tracking. It will give you the information you need to adjust your ad budget accordingly. Whether you’re watching your ad dollars very closely like the food industry or ramping up spending like the luxury goods industry, you want to know what is working best and where you are wasting your money. And speaking of mobile marketing, you can and should be tracking that too! Mobile marketing is growing at an astronomical rate and can be tracked with our web tracking service.
When looking at your marketing budget for 2012, make sure to include the piece that SHOWS you your ROI. Start now by contacting Century Interactive today and hearing more about what we can do for you and your 2012 marketing plan.
Tags: 2012, advertising, budget, call tracking, mobile marketing, website tracking