One of the reasons for this strong growth in a tight market is that marketing often gains in importance during a crunch. As an organisation we are primarily tasked with supporting brands and helping them build one-to-one relationships with consumers. And as the economy waivers, the building of these relationships becomes evermore important.

Typically 'tangible' media, such as print and TV is hit hardest in a crunch, while digital media tends to manage growth as it delivers measurable ROI.

Digital marketing also lends itself to loyalty programmes and loyalty marketing, which is ideal in these straightened times: gaining customers is hard and costly, but by using digital loyalty schemes, it is easier to engage them.

We are also expecting strong growth in the interactive TV market again later this year. The issues with TV voting that occurred in 2006 and 2007 have been dealt with and we have been very impressed by how the companies most criticised by Ofcom a year ago have worked really hard to develop and stick to the broadcast code on interactive TV.

Because of this we are expecting SMS based premium rate services to make a big come back later this year and we are working closely with the our broadcast and media customers to ensure this happens smoothly and successfully.

August has been a particularly exciting month marking the launch of New Toy - www.newtoylondon.com - an experience design agency for the digital world, at the MIG Summer Party which took place at Kensington Roof Gardens on Weds 13th August.

Headed up by Creative Director, Christopher Smith, New Toy will encourage interaction, play and engagement, delivering 'meaningful' sensory experiences and provide a platform for creation of unique content, all using every day and emerging technologies. Research also suggests that brand spend on experiential advertising is likely to grow by 75 per cent in the coming year.

On a charitable note, MIG are supporting The Makunduchi Project - www.makunduchi.com - in Zanzibar to help build a local, sustainable healthcare system for the Island. At present average life expectancy is just 49 years, 1 in 7 children die under the age of 7 and two thirds of these are less than 2 years old and one in 180 women die following delivery of their child!

To donate £5 to the charity and to learn more text FIVE to 60202 (txt cost 2 x std network rate)

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