23rd August 2001 - New Media Age

Staying Focused

You comments on online advertising (NMA, 16th August) described accurately the two-speed economy being experienced by the marketing industry and hence the change that's taking place in media planning and buying that we are witnessing at PDV. This change is set to accelerate in the run up to the year end and will see a boom for targeted online advertising, as well as the natural trend to direct accountable marketing that always accompanies times of financial uncertainty.

Now more than ever, with budget season approaching and budgets being reviewed, marketing directors aren't just looking for an advertising schedule that balances some cheap presence online with some more experimental activity. What they really need is a campaign that delivers the best return for their marketing investment. This is, after all, the measure on which they will be judged. We all know that when times are tough there's a 'fight to quality'. In the context of marketing spend, the accountability comes through the internet and the quality comes through targeting.

The internet must no longer be looked on as the medium in which advertisers have to allocate a small proportion of their budget to satisfy the demands of the more adventurous members of the board, but a genuine contender for a significant share of that budget to deliver traffic, sales, brand enhancement and awareness. This change in emphasis is built entirely upon the internet's promise of targeted, one-to-one communication. To meet their client's demands, media planners need to focus on sites and communication opportunities that really exploit that promise.

PDV's clients already recognise the benefits of online communications which are specifically targeted to the individuals receiving hem, particularly where the fee is based on performance.

In a world where media costs have fallen significantly and where every decision to spend must be justified, we should welcome the focus this is placing on internet advertising and grasp the opportunity that it presents.

Derick Hill, MD at PDV