Marketing Management Survey
For the past six years, MS&L has partnered with PRWeek on the PRWeek/MS&L Marketing Management Survey, which asks senior marketing executives to examine the value and contributions of PR in the marketing mix and highlights recent trends in the industry. The 2008 survey focused on digital marketing and industry ethics.
The 2008 survey revealed that despite worsening economic conditions, 75% of marketers expect spending for new media and online initiatives to increase in the next year. Of the 252 marketers polled, respondents overwhelmingly agree that they would be "most likely" to cut from other disciplines before turning to digital if forced to scale back budgets as a result of poor economic conditions. "These results show us that not only is digital marketing a global capability that marketers must truly embrace for its effectiveness and ROI, it is also a discipline that fares very well in tougher economic conditions," said Mark Hass, chief executive officer of MS&L Worldwide.
Additionally, 19 percent of the senior marketers say their organizations have bought advertising in return for a news story, despite growing criticism of these "pay-for-play" practices. "Any kind of undisclosed paid placement spells trouble for consumers, the media and the marketing industry," said Hass. "Without full disclosure and transparency, media lose credibility and their value as an unbiased source of information for consumers."
Read the full PRWeek survey feature.
Read the press release on the digital results.
Read the press release on the ethical results.