The continued growth of new
media coupled with the ailing economy spells both opportunity and adversity for the coming year, according to IPG Emerging Media Lab's team of digital experts.
"We look at this next
year as difficult, but filled with opportunities," said Lori Schwartz, director of the Media Lab, during a press call on Thursday. "Online advertising is expected to grow, because marketers are
looking for more accountability."
That growth, however, also creates new challenges for agencies, as new media and technology companies like Microsoft and Google seek a larger share of online
advertising and consumer attention. IPG, for one, plans to work as closely as possible with these potential competitors.
"Rather than approaching it from a fear point of view, we plan to keep our
hands in the pie with them," Schwartz said.
Interpublic's Emerging Media Lab, which grew out of Interpublic's media brand shop Initiative, was originally assembled to test, research and develop
new media platforms.
Early last year, the Lab was placed under Interpublic's Futures Marketing Group, a mixture of smallish digital marketing assets and services directly tied to revenue
generation.
This year, according to Schwartz, the core focus of the Lab has been business opportunities that emerged from the explosion of new technology.
According to the Media Lab team,
advances in online technology and platforms have secured the "80/20" resource reversal, which used to hold that 80% of resources went to media distribution, while the remaining 20% went to media
creation.
"Spend is 80% on creation, today, and 20% on distribution and reach," said Schwartz. "Now reach is created by the type of content you create, and the want and need for it."
Additional findings from the group include the idea that the Web browser is fast replacing the desktop as the default resource for consumer tools.
Among other outreach programs, the unit entered
into a year-long partnership with Web TV startup Joost last year. The relationship guaranteed special pricing and first-to-market opportunities for Interpublic's agencies and advertisers, including
Microsoft, Intel, Motorola, Sony Electronics, Taco Bell, Unilever's Magnum Ice Cream brand, the U.S. Army, Lionsgate, and two European General Motors units, Opel and Vauxhall.
Interpublic's
agencies participating in the Joost deal included Magna Global, McCann Erickson, Momentum, MRM Worldwide, Octagon, Universal McCann and Weber Shandwick.