Economic downturn = offline advertising (unmeasurable) spend down, online marketing (measurable) spend up?

That’s what a lot of people seem to be saying [here and here]. But not me.

Not entirely anyway. I can see online marketing spend increasing in line with the already forecasted increases, but in terms of a higher jump because of the downturn no.

Internet business has changed to meet the demands and expectations of the growing numbers of online shoppers, shifting their pounds from the high street to the internet.

But with many high street stores now offering the same prices as their online counterparts, the internet is no longer always cheaper.

Let’s take a look at how online stores can launch an offline presence to continue the trend of growing numbers of online shoppers, now that price is no longer a stark differentiator.

Web to high street
Taking a successful online operation to the high street seems to be a key move for fashion websites. Other sectors must follow surely?

You’ve just embarked on a marketing campaign for your website, the visitor numbers are going up but you want these users to engage with you in the future too. So how do you sign up visitors to register on your site or newsletter?

See my article on the Enterprise Nation website.

This is round two of marketing the L’Oreal brand to black women, who spend three times more on beauty products than their white counterparts – and with a growing black middle class on both sides of the Atlantic, it’s a target group not to be ignored.

Any number of entities could have been the target of vitriol after the release of the advert; Beyonce, the creative director of the advert or even the magazines which published it could have taken the hatred, but L’Oreal picked up this unfortunate tab.

This week on E-Consultancy I asked the question ‘Is the role of the SEO dead and should PRs own natural search?’.

This week on my Drapers blog you can read my views on celebrity fashion brands analysing online conversations.

Orange is now encouraging people to find their website by typing ‘I Am’ into search engines instead of advertising www.orange.co.uk.

At first I thought it was quite clever and innovative, but I am surprised that the only Orange presence for a search on ‘I am’ is in the sponsored listings.

Last week I was forwarded an email with various “mashups” of Cadbury and Nestle brands.

With everyone apparently “feeling the pinch” discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl have seen year on year sales rise by 13% and 20% respectively.

It’s the perfect time for Aldi and Lidl to increase marketing activity. With more of their shoppers coming from the middle classes, how can they market themselves to attract more of these affluent shoppers?

You may know James Layfield as one of the youngest ever Managing Directors in Richard Branson’s Virgin group.

James, named in the Top 30 under 35 UK Entrepreneurs by Growing Business Magazine, caught the entrepreneurial bug from Richard Branson and went on to found youth marketing agency The Lounge Group.

The best marketing agencies understand their client’s clients. With a network of 8,000 under 35’s, The Lounge Group has the upper hand on devising campaigns that work to the youth market.

In this interview I ask James what he learned from working with Richard Branson and how The Lounge Group fills a gap in the market.

You once worked alongside Richard Branson. Did any aspect of working for Richard’s Virgin group inspire you to set up The Lounge Group?
As Branson’s youngest ever MD I definitely learnt a few things. I was inspired by his ability to trust and give responsibility to good people, he taught me to have the confidence to bring in people to the businesses that are better than me. 

This week Emma Jones from home working website Enterprise Nation asked me “When marketing an online brand, should all marketing stay online?”.

See my response on the Enterprise Nation website.

Today was the Drapers online fashion conference at the Radisson Edwardian hotel in Mayfair.

As an online marketer having worked on fashion websites, one of the most surprising comments I heard was from Nick Robertson of ASOS who said “nobody searches for ‘black frilly dress’ [in Google]”.

Author of 12 books and an expert on everything to do with branding, Jonathan Gabay is one of the most respected names in the world of marketing.

This week I spoke to Jonathan about the re-launching of our favourite chocolate brands, how internet only players can compete with established names online and managing online reputation.

So what does Jonathan think about the return of Snickers and how the internet changes PR techniques? Click the link below to find out.

Read my article ‘How Asda’s George clothing will succeed online’ on Drapers.