Moving forward, I doubt people and companies alike will be able to depend much on what the marketing norm used to be. In other words, this uncertain landscape that everyone thinks will end, won't. This is the new norm.

People and companies will spend money, albeit with hesitation and trepidation, because they have to. If they don't, they run the risk of letting the pipeline dry up. Is it risky? Sure. But the greater risk is in doing nothing.

This uncertainty can actually be a competitive advantage. How? Well, if your competition is frozen stock still like a deer in the headlights, you can be bold and move forward with the execution of your strategy. You may even reflect the marketplace's uncertainty in your messaging.

After 9/11, I predicted in this column that marketing messages would move to mirror the feelings and concerns of the marketplace. Family values, safety, peace of mind and fiscal prudence are now all major themes in the messaging we're seeing.

In the B2B marketplace, I see much of the messaging is about how to do more with what you already have, or how to work faster, cheaper and smarter with the products and services being offered. Gone are the motivational and inspirational messages that spout, "If you can dream it, you can do it."

The advertisers in Web Digest For Marketers are, for the most part, results-oriented. If they don't get enough "payback" from the money they invest by advertising with me, I don't see them again. So naturally, as publisher, it's in my best interest to make sure ads in this publication perform for them. I give them my blunt feedback on the direction of their copy, offer and call to action. It's an unexpected value-add they don't expect from a publisher... which is my way of making sure my pipeline stays loaded.