IPA Bellwether Report Q1 2021: Positive Sentiment Returns

Our Commercial Director Julia Burton brown had her say on the latest IPA Bellwether Report, suggesting Niche digital ad formats could be the answer to post-pandemic financial limitations:

"The easing of pandemic-powered cuts to marketing budgets is positive, but the speed of this easing indicates that the industry still feels apprehensive. Many businesses still have some way to go to recover from the past year, making a slow return to normal understandable.

However, budget cuts shouldn’t necessarily correlate with cuts in impact or efficacy. Digital marketing in particular offers all manner of effective advertising formats that don’t require huge investment, yet are incredibly powerful. Brands looking to boost their marketing within new financial constraints would do well to explore more niche digital formats that cut through the clutter and command attention.

Some sectors have fared better than others over the past year, but we should be mindful of the bigger picture and ensure we are pulling together as an industry. While I am very optimistic about Q2 and the rest of 2021, and expect a faster return to 2019 levels than some commentators, it’s important to remember that our future success depends on maintaining and supporting a diverse industry. Our combined skills will help drive us forward stronger and healthier, ensuring we come out of this terrible year in the right frame of mind to fight back together."