Most major advertisers remain committed to aggressive...

Most major advertisers remain committed to aggressive marketing support this year despite the October stock crash and worries about a recession, a survey by a leading advertising company said. D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles said it based its findings on a survey of 127 major national advertisers in December. Twenty-six percent of the companies surveyed said they would emphasize advertising more heavily and about a fourth of the respondents said other long-term activities such as product research and development and new product introductions will weigh more heavily in their plans. “These are not the actions of decision makers who see a recession on the horizon,” DMBB President Roy Bostock said.