Unproven strategies become more prevalent.

• Position: Marketing

In these difficult times, top marketing officers are turning to novel and often unproven strategies that focus on the Internet, partnerships, and new markets, products, and services to help their companies, according to a poll conducted by the American Marketing Association, Chicago. The survey indicates that 59% of marketers are less optimistic about the economy than they were, a reduction from the 77% of respondents who reported a decrease in optimism during 2008.

"While marketers in general remain unexcited about the economic situation, it is encouraging to at least see that pessimism is not increasing among the marketing community," notes Christine Moorman, who conducted the survey. "This could either indicate that marketers think the worst times are behind us, or they have simply adjusted to operating in an adverse environment."

Survey participants report their firms failed to reach their goals for marketing return on investment and overall profit during the past year (falling short by 0.6% and three percent, respectively), but they expect increases in both categories during the next 12 months. "Even though firms are experiencing some disappointment right now, their predictions for future return on investment, profits, and building knowledge are...