CorpComms Magazine

I believe this will be the year of ROI as brand owners, more than at any other time, will need to prove the value of their marketing expenditure against a deteriorating economy.

Overall, we are likely to see marketing budgets reduced, but only in some cases will the work disappear, for example when the work is taken in-house. My own sense of optimism means I believe the pressure on budgets also brings opportunity, for PR and measurement agencies able to make a case for a research-based programme approach that can be properly measured. In other words, taking some of the ‘gut feel' creative out of programmes, to replace it with a planning-led approach that advertising agencies are so good at developing.

Ironically, a financial downturn is also likely to mean opportunity, especially for measurement and evaluation companies, as client organisations need to demonstrate the success of marketing programmes against their budgets.

I have already seen the start of this ROI trend in the last quarter of last year with a rise in the number of major organisations asking AMEC to help with a pitch process; our free ‘matchmaker' service, for clients looking to appoint an evaluation company, is now being used by government agencies as well as private companies.

I think we will also see clients giving dedicated budget to digital communications/social media programmes this year. The measurement tools now exist to enable clients to see assess the value of online work side by side with other multi channel activity.   

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