Rick's year end post 2007

Good Morning folks!! 

2007 has been a great year. The challenges came from every direction and we emerge stronger than ever and ready to tackle 2008. It's still a couple weeks away but 2008 is already in full swing. In the first few weeks of the year we will hear how the experts are surprised about how strong online spending was. The experts are really no experts at all or they would have predicted what is coming not reacting to it.

The same may be true of the Presidential primaries that in the next few weeks may change the entire picture as the nominees from each party emerge. In all my life I have never seen a more interesting race and be prepared for some surprises. I have no idea how it will shake out. What are your thoughts?

2008 won't be without its' challenges. The economy is in a bit of turmoil but unlike past economic woes this time employment is very strong so the dynamics may be quite a bit different.  We are at a teeter totter point and I am not sure if we will teeter or totter. We just might squeak through but not without some real pain scattered through the economy. Then again it could get very ugly as we really are in uncharted territory. The saving grace may be the Internet. But if the folks begin to run scared and pull back, it will lead to a self fulfilling prophecy and they will be responsible for their own undoing. In slowdowns you don't pull back. You gun the engine and hope you can minimize the impact as opposed to pulling back and let the tide be your destiny. You fight to stay even or you lose very big.

Personally I am looking forward to the coming shakeout. There will be all types of opportunities and bargains spread throughout the business spectrum. Many things may manifest themselves in an unpredictable manner. As Steve Forbes told us directly in October, be prepared for a "Roller coaster" of a ride. The key is having CASH to swoop down and score big. 

Like many of you I am going to unwind and enjoy the next few weeks. I will return in mid January ready to go for 2008. Until then I invite you to go back and read my 52 posts that I made in 2007. Most will pay you dividends the minute you read some of my points and think about it. Even if you disagree, I force you to engage. I force you to reconfirm. I force you to take a second look at something that you may think complex and actually find out it is quite simple.

To get you started here is a list compiled by someone as 5 of the top 100 domain blog posts this year. I encourage you to read all my posts like they were chapters in a book. With the exception of a handful they are all related and entwined. 

The Line in the Sand

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/04/the_line_in_the.html

Truth to power

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/04/truth_to_power.html

The "C" word exposed:

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/07/the-c-word-expo.html

How Madison Avenue let corporate America down

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/04/how_madison_ave.html

Domain "type ins" represent more eyeballs than American Idol

http://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2007/04/domain_type_ins.html

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, GOOD HEALTH to all and see you when there is something to say.

Have a GREAT day!!
Rick Schwartz

Comments

[Donna Mahony]

Merry Christmas to you and Alina and the VERY Best for the NewYear!

[David Wrixon]

My prediction is that there will be no slow down in online advertising spend. The tougher things get the more important advertising becomes. It will be increasingly important to buy effective advertising which will increase the online share of the cake, but companies will dig deep to keep the product moving. Lets fact it factories working at capacity don't need to advertise. Working significantly below capacity is very harmful as you fixed costs are spread very thick on reduced output. It is better to keep output high and break even than to cut back on advertising and make a huge loss on reduced through put because you cannot cover your capital costs. For this reason Advertising is actually a contra-cyclical industry. Madison Avenue will be rubbing their hands already!