IPA Bellwether Points to Higher Online, DM Spend in Q4 2009

According to the latest IPA Bellwether report,  budgets for Internet advertising and direct marketing in the UK both rose in Q4 2009, for the second quarter in a row. Overall marketing spend fell for the ninth quarter running, but the fall was the smallest since Q1 2008. Among the more than 300 firms surveyed for the report, 35% said they anticipated better prospects in 2010, as the economic recovery gathers pace.

These results will be welcome news for UK advertisers, and digital marketers in particular. But it is still too soon to tell whether the industry as a whole has really turned a corner and can look forward to positive growth in 2010. Just three months ago, ZenithOptimedia forecast a 13.1% drop in UK ad spending for 2009.