Most predictions are either easy, safe, or just wrong. So why not add a few more to the list? I dare you to go on the record on which ones of these are wrong.

1. Mobile Web will become even bigger.
2. The kids will continue to text at an alarming rate – it’s private you know.
3. Social media will become more important to businesses – especially B2B, entertainment, and high-involvement products and services.
4. Television will still be very important to consumer marketing.
5. SEO will still not be understood by many ad agencies, nor will they care.
6. Flash will still be over used.
7. Bad ads will be ignored even more easily.
8. Tribilization of users, listeners, and viewers will further fragment audiences and confuse marketers.
9. Boomer execs will struggle with understanding social media, much less understanding how to implement it strategically.
10. “Guru” will become a four letter word when put after “social media.”
11. Clients will still not buy your best ideas but you’ll still be pressured to present it.
12. Agencies will be slow to hire, even people they need.
13. Web video will continue to blow up and frustrate old school production companies trying to make a profit.
14. Begrudgingly marketing executives will accept that Twitter isn’t a fad but still think it’s stupid – then turn on their NASCAR.
15. “Microsite” will be removed from the urban dictionary for lack of coolness.
16. Foursquare will create real returns for smart business and some guys in New York.
17. That Apple tablet will finally appear and so will another iPhone that will make you want to throw away your lame and old 3GS.
18. Interactive agencies will leverage their bandwidth and expertise to wrench away agency of record agreements from traditional shops – especially in B2B and tech categories.
19. Very-small agencies will be at a disadvantage pitching accounts since most clients will be looking to see strong and expansive digital capabilities from their agency partners.
20. Very-large agencies will have a hard time changing course to create true digital capabilities and still meet the new, tightwad, cost expectations of clients.
21. Agency people will still be prattling about how cool their iPhones are.
22. Same agency people will still be presenting “iPhone App” ideas to clients using Blackberries, Palms, Microsoft, and Google smart phones.
23. 13% of Art directors will burn out and start presenting the same layouts in different colors for all concepts, clients, and mediums.
24. Salaries will remain flat.
25. Your boss or client will buy a Porsche but feel the need to make excuses about how it was too good a deal to pass up.

Posted on: December 29, 2009, by : Jimmy Gilmore