• by Masha Geller , December 21, 2001

At this time of year it's almost mandatory for columnists to look back at the last 12 months. Frankly, I have little desire to revisit 2001. It was a bad year.

As far as the next year is concerned, we've all read the optimistic forecasts and mulled over the data from numerous research houses that predict recovery in the next 6 months.

(For some reason, these researchers seem unable to work with any times frame other than 6 months, but that's another story.)

Obviously, their crystal balls are no better than the Magic 8 Ball buried under heaps of paper on my desk, but I want to offer a forecast anyway -- Just wait. This year will be better. It simply has to be.

I'll be the first to admit that I predicted the very same thing at this time last year and that prediction turned out to be horribly wrong, but I really do believe that we're past the worst of it, both economically and emotionally.

Will it be a difficult year for the industry? Certainly. Just remember that as long as there are online audiences (and those audiences continue to grow as they have this year), there will be online advertisers.

And on that happy note, I'd like to send my best wishes to you and yours for the upcoming holidays.

We're taking a break early next week to return ready for whatever trials and tribulations await this industry, so on behalf of all of us at MediaPost, I wish you a very happy holiday season and the very best of everything for 2002!

H A P P Y
H O L I D A Y S !