Media Companies Brace for Slowdown

Media executives are all anticipating a brutal 2009 first quarter, and so are trying to be prudent in their planning by making whatever cuts they can now. It's reflective of how nervous executives are, and how little comfort they found in a poll at the recent gathering of the Association of National Advertisers that found that half of marketers don't plan major changes in their spending for next year (33% of the major marketers surveyed said they intend to maintain their level of marketing spending next year, and 27% said they would spend more). Another 33% said they would decrease spending, while the rest were unsure of their plans. That group that is unsure is no doubt influencing media sellers' decisions.