the end of the tunnel

For the past 10 years people have been talking about the death of the :30 TV commercial. The doomsayers told us it was coming. In the first quarter of 2009, it look as if the storm they were predicting had finally hit. And, it wasn't any regular storm it was friggin' Katrina. 

There was wide spread panic. Everyday we were hit with news of another round of layoffs, companies not getting paid, corporations filing for bankruptcy, 50% cuts in marketing budgets. The end was near and no one knew what the future would hold. We hunkered down expecting the worse.

Eventually the rains began to slow. The winds subsided. Small breaks of sun appeared through the gray clouds. People rose from their shelters. As a community we had taken a beating but we were still standing. We began to assess the damage the storm left in its wake. There was talk of rebuilding. New ideas were being bantered about. All was not lost but it would never the same. 

Okay, maybe I'm getting a little heavy handed with the metaphor but you gotta admit this was one crazy year. 

As Thanksgiving has passed, it's now the official start of the year end evaluation season. It was unquestionably a year of transition. A year where many of us had to operate on the downside for the first time in our careers. A year where all the changes in media began to truly impact our core business. 

Leading up to the Christmas holiday, I'm going to try to take a look back at the past year and a look forward into the year ahead. Hopefully I'll cleanse my soul and start fresh having learned from the experience. I for one will be glad to turn the page on 2009 but not without getting more out of it than anxiety and stress. As uncertain as the future may still seem, I believe there is a light on the horizon. Let's start making plans to head towards it.