Which 15% of the AdSpend will they cut?

Conventional wisdom suggests to us that when we are hit with a recession marketers cut and slash budgets before any other category.
All those great ideas, campaigns and projects that are nice-to-haves get the old "We'll call you" place in the marketing mix.
The question begging is obviously ...

''By how much will the cut be? and - importantly - in what area are they most likely to cut?"
As a marketing manager of a Brand what would you do?
Having read the results of your Brands latest "Overnight AMPS for TV" any vigilant marketer may well be shocked at the results of his overpriced ATL commercials. What Overnights are saying worldwide is the same!
With the advent of PVR's and a more discerning viewing public, advertising is fast becoming electronic wallpaper - and expensive wallpaper at that.
Outside of winning Advertising Awards, "what exactly is my ATL campaign achieving ?"our Marketer asks.
Traditional wisdom says:

"I use your Brand because I see your advertising" but more recent research would suggest rather that.....

"I see your advertising BECAUSE I ALREADY USE YOUR BRAND"

Where then should the hatchet be wielded?

How do I get people to use my Brand in the first place and why am I spending so much of my budget on campaigns that are being switched off at home, avoided in the malls and worst of all FORGOTTEN! - (Ask any ten people who the Rugby World Cup 2007 sponsors were!)

In fact our Marketing director starts to see ye old 360 as a whole new cake to be divvied up quite differently.

The ATL/BTL balance has turned and continues to turn and purging the odd 30 seconder could well liberate some much needed resources for true Brand engagement - the stuff real Brand relationship building is made of - especially during challenging economic times.

Reasearch abounds - People simply don't trust advertising anymore - But most tell us that they buy because of their Experience of Brands or because someone 'like me' told them about it AND 'I TRIED IT'

I never met anyone who ever bought a car from having seen it in an ad and I dont know anyone who didnt DRIVE the Brand first -!

As John Keats said........

NOTHING IS REAL UNTIL ITS EXPERIENCED