US advertisers to spend more on eMedia than print in 2010

We've crossed the Rubicon and there is no going back.

Research firm Outsell predicts that thanks to a 9.6% increase in digital advertising in 2010, US advertisers will for the first time ever spend more advertising on the web, search marketing, eNewsletters, social media, direct-to-customer communication, and mobile web than on traditional print magazine and newspaper advertising.

Significant? A game-changer for those of us who straddle the worlds of eMedia and Print media? No doubt. But also, no surprise. The momentum has tilted in favor of eMedia for the last 10 years, growing faster and picking up speed every year.

Thankfully for traditionalists, the value of print is still strong, borne out by Outsell's optimistic prediction that print advertising, too, will see an increase this year--of almost 2%. That's good news for publishers who have been slashing costs associated with our magazines, journals and newspapers to offset the declines of previous years.

My gut tells me that eReaders like Apple's new iPad will push the margin between print and eMedia even wider. I also think that colorful, graphic-rich devices like the iPad, Sports Illustrated's Tablet, Hearst's Skiff, and an new HP tablet, all due out soon, will either force current eReaders like Kindle and Nook to upgrade to magazine-like layout, navigation and multimedia or be kicked to the curb by the sexier newcomers.

And what of mobile reading? If you've tried it, it's not ideal for obvious reasons. Mobile works best for quick bites of information, not for a leasurly perusal of a magazine. And the advertising community--main source of revenue for all media--is voting with their feet, planning to spend 16% less on mobile this year than last. Maybe the financial model for mobile media is paid subscriptions or sponsored content, but ads just don't move me on my phone.

Conclusion: 2010 is a bounce-back year for most media and we need to take full advantage of the increased attention we are getting from advertisers to strengthen the bond with our readers to ensure a successful future, whatever the medium we employ.