• Adweek, Tuesday, June 8, 2010 12:05 AM

Agency leaders and search consultants are painting a positive picture of the new-business marketplace so far this year. But Adweek research shows that the volume and aggregate dollar amount behind the business that went into play or shifted in the first five months of 2010 actually declined compared to the same period last year.

Through May, 73 accounts that collectively spend about $7.8 billion in major media annually either launched reviews or changed hands, down from 79 accounts spending $9.1 billion in the same period last year, according to Adweek research. (The trade magazine considered accounts that spent at least $20 million per year in media and counted reviews and shifts that were creative only, media only or both.) "I don't want to say [it's] robust, but there's stuff out there," said Mike Duda, chief corporate strategy officer at Deutsch in New York.

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