SMB's Don't Fear The Recession

The current economic climate doesn't seem to be scaring off small and medium businesses from advertising.

According to the latest wave of the Local Commerce Monitor, an ongoing study of SMB advertising behaviors conducted by The Kelsey Group and ConStat, 81 percent of SMBs surveyed expect to maintain (47 percent) or increase (34 percent) their spending on advertising over the next 12 months, with only 9 percent planning to decrease ad spending.

SMBs surveyed stated the primary influences on their advertising spending decisions are:

  • Performance/return on investment (31 percent)
  • Business partner or competitor (25 percent)
  • Information from media such as newspapers, TV and trade publications (14 percent)
  • Friends or family members (12 percent)

"The data reveal a remarkable resilience of the SMB advertising segment in the face of economic pressures on local consumers and businesses," said Stephen Marshall, director, research and consulting, The Kelsey Group. "There's an opportunity for media that can demonstrate ROI to tap into SMBs' future advertising plans."