Online spend is 'diversifying', with display advertising expected to grow by 20% this year fuelled by the FCMG and automative sectors.

These were the opening remarks made by UTalkMarketing chairman, Tim Brooks, at our annual Digital Brand Strategy Summit (DBSS) today (November 22).

Last year digital ad spend reached a total of £4.097bn, with 57% spent on paid for search, 23% on display and 18% on classified.

Consumers now spend 25% of all of their time online on social networks, while Facebook fans of a brand spend 4 x more than non-fans, Brooks told a packed audience at DBSS, adding that marketers in London are in a particularly fortunate position to take advantage of the rapid rate of change in the social media space because the city is "like a laboratory of interaction amongst consumers", whose findings "will be played out around the world".

Brooks went on describe that in the social media space the line between what is PR and what is marketing is blurred – using the recent Twitter row between footballer Rio Ferdinand and FIFA chief Sepp Blatter as a prime example of how mis-management of social media strategy can lead to disaster.

Rio "absolutely killed" Blatter on Twitter, said Brooks – referring to the way in which Ferdinand articulated himself when he challenged Blatter over his suggestion that racist abuse could be settled with a handshake.

"The interesting thing [here] is the way in which every brand is blessed with articulate stakeholders now, like Rio, that won't necessarily agree with the [party line].  And the danger of letting those that don't understand social media channels loose on it. Sepp thought he'd come out looking quite cool, but didn't," said Brooks.

"There are two parties in every organisation, the party of the past and the party of the future; the establishment and the movement", said Brooks, quoting famous 19th century American lecturer, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

"It has to be the movement in your organisation who are future facing and that are part of your social media strategy. If you leave it to the establishment – the Sepp Blatter's, it's like watching an outsider at a teenager's party," he said.

All day today (November 22) we will be reporting live from DBSS.

Check in for all the breaking news from the social business event of the year. We have top-flight speakers from Facebook, Living Social, BT, the IAB and giffgaff, and more, who will be imparting invaluable advice on how to embed social media within your marketing strategy.

Our team of reporters will also be tweeting live from the event all day. Be sure to follow us via #DBSS for real time access to the highlights from our speakers. We will also be running three panel sessions during which we want you (along with our delegates!) to tweet questions to our experts.

Speakers throughout the day include:

• David Parfect, agency group head, Facebook
• Peter Briffett, MD UK, LivingSocial
• Tom Rainsford, head of brand and proposition, giffgaff
• Sophia Haynes, director of marketing, IAB UK
• Russell Marsh, Group Strategy Director, RAPP UK
• Bian Salins, head of social media innovation, BT Customer Service

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We're immensely proud of the fact that our website is the UK‘s leading marketing website dedicated to client-side marketers, with 140,000 unique monthly users, and rising. And that's why you'll find a much broader and insightful range of content than in the traditional trade press. We're also renowned for our unique digital and marketing training programs that we create in the UK and overseas for leading agencies and clients. Fact is, as acknowledged leaders, we train hundreds of marketers all around the world every month. We think globally but act personally. It's just our way.

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