In 2009, the financial crisis and the search for more efficient types of advertising brought a significant boost to online marketing. In 2010, we will see this trend strengthen with a recovering economy. According to a study by Sapient, email marketing is still calling the tune (54.2%), followed by Search Marketing (38.5%), digital advertising (32.3%) and community marketing (25%).

However, the topic, which the industry is currently contending with, is social media. Communication between people and brands is changing. Social media is much more than a corporate Facebook page with 71 friends or the social bookmarking of newsletters. The commercialisation of social networks and the opening of interfaces for external services will now really start to make marketing possible. You can look forward to an exceptional innovation in the area of social networking for your direct marketing, when we present the fifth generation of the ELAINE Suite in 2010.

Another challenge, which will become a must in marketing in 2010, is the correct communication with mobile target groups. Mobile internet is taking over – with email being the most important application. In addition to mobile email marketing, marketing via mobile phone apps will become a vital channel. Apps will enable the distribution of information in a new way and at the same time pose a challenge. RSS will develop to include further tasks, for example, to transmit news services or service information into apps. And it’s good to know your RSS subscribers…

Whatever your plans are, we wish you a successful 2010 and always look forward to an exiting new year!