Reality Sinks in at Online Advertising Confab

"Reality Sinks in at Online Advertising Confab" is the headline of a new article on AdAge.com:

The reality for publishers is they're facing a flat market at best in 2009. Including search marketing, online ad spending will grow 4.3% in 2009, but display advertising will essentially be flat, growing slightly to $8.27 billion from $8.1 billion in 2008, according to Citibank internet analyst Mark Mahaney.

The good news, if there is any, is that Mr. Mahaney is expecting a 20% rebound in 2010, largely due to share shifting from newspapers, yellow pages, direct mail and local TV and radio.

Emphasis mine - but I think this is the real story here. In any recession, poor players and performers bite the dust, and the strong ones survive and solidify their businesses. Ad spending may be flat online, but it is way down everywhere else. The future is online.