According to a consensus among media buyers and some network executives, the broadcast part of the upcoming (May 15) upfront will be flat to weaker, with buyers holding back ad dollars from network TV for other media, including cable and new media such as online and mobile advertising, especially with networks putting shows online and on portable devices, writes the Wall Street Journal.
The emergence of digital advertising opportunities caught some advertisers short last year, and many apparently plan to be better prepared for contingencies this year. Some regretted not having more money when interesting technologies became available.
"Investing all of your dollars in a short period of time without understanding what is coming up on the horizon is a bad strategy," says Jason Kanefsky, a VP and account director at Havas's MPG media-buying firm. "Not every good idea is cooked in May."
