According to Global Insight as reported by BusinessWeek, the following chart delineates U.S. advertising expenditures in 2007:
Category Billions +(-)
Internet $21.0 +25.6%
Out of Home $7.0 +6.3%
Cable TV $26.0 +5.3%
Magazines $14.0 +4.5%
Direct Mail $61.0 +3.6%
Miscellaneous $39.0 +3.2%
Overall $295.0 +2.0%
Trade Journals $4.0 +0.3%
Yellow Pages $14.0 +0.1%
Broadcast TV $46.0 -1.5%
Radio $19.0 -2.4%
Newspapers $44.0 -6.3%

Combine this with the recession and you start to have a big ouch for traditional media.

At Ad Tec 2008 this week a couple of notable quotes that just pile on the hurt.

Curt Hecht, Executive VP, Planworks/Starcom- "In a recession marketers move $$ to new media that tend to be less expensive"

Jennifer Moyer, Chief Operating Officer, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive "the accountability you get with digital content could expedite the shift from traditional to digital advertising."

All signs are pointing in the same direction, and that direction is towards a substantial spending shift in advertising towards interactive media. The company that can land the plane on what engagement means for advertising within interactive media is a company worth working for.