So, far from tightening the purse strings, it would appear that the top players at least are looking to market themselves out of any possible recession. But the coming year could see changes, with many of the top names exploring new avenues. BT has put out a dedicated pitch for youth work for the first time, Kellogg is branching into advertiser-funded programming and Unilever is investing in the Jigsaw consortium. So some of the big advertisers may be looking at different promotions, but there aren't many surprises among the companies that make up the top ten spenders in the table. BT insiders say the reductions were a result of the company restructure which saw the consumer and business divisions merged.
Further rationalisation is likely in the coming year.
This sector leaps around most dramatically from year to year, as it is so dependent on new car launches. Vauxhall has recently decided to increase its focus on the Vauxhall marque instead of on individual cars. While the Jennifer Aniston Elvive campaign began in 1997, the shampoo and styling mousse product extensions were supported by further ads the following year. In the supermarket sector the battle rages as fiercely as ever. With the recent focus on customer loyalty programmes, significant amounts of companies' marketing budgets must also be shifting below the line.