That Shaped

The economy may have sprung back, but it’s still been a tough year for marketers and agencies. Consumers had new on-demand entertainment options, making their whereabouts even harder to track—and marketers’ place in many of these new digital media remains murky. Caution was understandable in a year when marketers faced pressures from rocketing fuel prices and consumers reeling from natural disasters. The industry cash cow—direct-to-consumer drug advertising—faced fresh regulatory scrutiny. Agencies, already pinched by client procurement execs, faced unprecedented pressure to deliver, and ROI discussions became standard in new business.