Sure, the trades have filled many an issue with talk of the dead banner and the exciting opportunities available for rich media to take its place. But what legions of freelance writers and journalists new to this industry didn't understand was that clients simply weren't willing to plunk down the extra cash necessary to produce rich media creative units. But that's going to start changing this year. Yes, to some extent. But it's really going to be a result of my last prediction.
Traditional advertisers get on board.
That's my call. By 2Q 2001, traditional advertisers will finally start playing the game. They've had the last few years to sit back and watch the space evolve. Like early man watching animals eat unknown fruit, traditional advertisers can now move with a bit more confidence in this space. The jungles are littered with the dead, and these guys have taken note.