THIS JUST IN: 36% of CEOs on the Tundra * are going to increase their Marketing Budget in 2009; 46% say it will Stay the Same.

A study conducted Last Week by Nicolet Bank Business Pulse© shows CEOs being very Bullish with their Marketing Budget this year: ‘half (46%) say budgets will Stay the Same; 36% will Increase.

Makes Sense! A study conducted in December by Nicolet Bank Business Pulse© found that Increasing Sales would be the CEOs’ TOP Business Challenge in 2009: 77% said Increasing Sales would be a Very Significant Challenge; 18 % said Moderately Significant; the rest said, Somewhat Significant.

NO CEO SAID Sales would NOT be a challenge!

Not only are CEOs are being aggressive with Marketing Budgets; they’re looking to:
Improve the Quality of their Marketing.

Makes Sense! The Nicolet Bank Study in December also found that Improving Marketing Quality was
a Very Significant Challenge for 30% of the CEOs; 45% said it was Moderately Significant; 19% said it was
Somewhat Significant.

Sounds like a BULL Market for Marketing Consultants! “Hey, all you bankInnovationDOT.net people out there…
IM available!”

* Coined by ESPN’s Chris Berman, The Frozen Tundra is a State of Mind. For purposes of the Nicolet Bank Business Pulse studies, The Tundra encompasses an area about 18 counties in the Northeastern Part of Wisconsin. North of Chicago; South of the North Pole, you can’t see Sarah Palin’s House from here, but it’s around here somewhere!

Nicolet Bank Business Pulse© is a Study of CEOs in NE Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan. Participants include: 28% in manufacturing; 25% in services; 18% retail trade; 5% wholesale trade; 6% finance, real estate, insurance; 5% in transportation, communications, utilities; 6% in construction; 7% in other industries. 19% have fewer than 6 employees; 33% have 6-25; 17% have 26-50; 8% 51-100; 16% 101-250; 3% 251-500; 3% 501-1,000; 2% have 1,001 or more.