I guess this is the thing to do this time of year – summarize the passing year and make predictions for the upcoming one – so I’ll put my two cents in. However, I w will stay away from the standard safe-bet predictions out there – the push to digital media will accelerate, social networking will continue to evolve, Apple will release its tablet computer, the economy will start edging up, etc. Rather, I’ll focus on what types of companies will be successful in 2010.

The biggest winners will be those companies who start ramping up their marketing now. Although we certainly won’t have recovered from the economic downturn, there are already signs up an uptick. Moreover, as we saw in the final week before Christmas, there is a growing pent-up demand by consumers that is starting to be realized. People will still be cautious and look for value, but more and more they will be ready to buy. Therefore, the companies who are out their increasing their presence will be the prime beneficiaries of the expanded spending. Similarly, businesses that have been holding off their spending will start to loosen their reigns somewhat, again giving opportunities to those who are ready to sell.

So, as an investor, look at which companies are already expanding their marketing. As a marketer, look at your own company. Have you already begun to ramp up your advertising, PR, and sales campaigns (both online and off)? Or are you going to suffer another disappointing year?

Domus, Inc. is a full-service marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.domusinc.com.