A few sources have published data points highlighting the hiccup in the growth of online advertising. Mostly they are referring to 'traditional' online banner advertising, so whether that spend is now sneaking off to slightly newer 'online' channels and techniques isn't clear.

Also, just take a look at the chart below from Neilsen Co via eMarketer on US Ad spend growth. Yes, online display stutters downward by 3.4% but look at the state of everything below it. The B2B magazine figure is 29.9% down.

The most interesting thought is that this is never going to come back. This isn't a dip, it's a one way ride.

Traditional media - in it's traditional formats - is scuppered. The economy might turn a corner but marketers will have moved on to more accountable ways to spend their marketing dollars, and they won't be returning to the old world.

Things will have changed forever. The only direction is onwards into a digital based future.