Internet marketing: previsioni per il 2006

Per farvi un'idea degli sviluppi dell' internet marketing leggete l'articolo di seguito riportato.

A strong merger and acquisition market for internet marketing firms has been forecast for 2006 according to investment bank AdMedia Partners, whose 12th annual "Merger and Acquisition Prospects for Marketing Services and Internet Marketing Firms" survey (pdf) found that M&A for "experiential marketing" companies, including buzz, viral, guerilla and event marketing firms, as well as database marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) firms, will also be strong. For the first time in five years, a majority (52 percent) now believes that the M&A climate is also favorable to sellers, not only buyers.

The valuation multiples that survey respondents anticipate for marketing services firms increased to 6-7 times pretax profit, up from 5-7 times according to last year's survey. The most notable increase was for internet marketing firms, with anticipated multiples 6-10 times pretax profit, up from 5-7 times last year.

Of those who identify themselves as prospective buyers, 54 percent expect to complete an acquisition during 2006, up slightly from 51 percent in 2005. However, fully 42 percent of those who identify as prospective sellers expect to sell all or part of their businesses in 2006, compared with 25 percent last year.

A majority of respondents (see pop-up chart) also foresee moderate to strong M&A activity in database marketing and CRM, marketing and strategic consulting, specialist advertising, direct marketing, media buying services, corporate identity, design, sales promotion and public relations. The only sector in which a majority (55 percent) of respondents expect deal-making activity to be weak is general advertising.

Some 69 percent of respondents said they are considering entering or expanding their presence in internet marketing this year, up from 64 percent in 2005. Nearly half (46 percent) hope to grow in experiential marketing, a sector which replaced event marketing in the survey this year. Only 28 percent of respondents said they were considering entering or expanding in event marketing in 2005.

Respondents to the AdMedia Partners survey consisted of advertising and marketing services: 52 percent are marketing services firms, 30 percent internet marketing firms, 26 percent ad agencies and 9 percent holding companies; 89 percent are private companies, and 11 percent are public companies.

[via Marketing Vox]