• Reuters, Thursday, August 16, 2007 10:30 AM

Those companies fretting about an economic slump need to think carefully before slicing their marketing spend, particularly the part for more unconventional advertising, says one agency head. That is the advice from John Osborn, chief executive of BBDO, a shop with clients that include Bank of America, General Electric, Target and FedEx.

He urges clients to keep such budgets. If some see ads on cell phones -- or spending money on film contests -- as more of a risk than traditional media like TV, the returns could, in fact, be higher under a limited budget. "In tight economic conditions, some of these new mediums are exactly what we should be looking into," he insists. "I think they are incredibly targeted."

BBDO, long one of the top shops when it comes to creating the industry standard 30-second TV spot post, has been expanding into new areas of late, winning more than $2 billion in business over the last two years.

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