n many ways 2009 has been a defining year because after years of smooth sailing, there came a road bump called slowdown. This resulted in a year of extreme caution and some extreme measures. It was time to do a reality check and go back to the basics. It was also a year of unlearning and relearning as most of the things that had worked before didn’t deliver. The bottom line was that 2009 was a year of taking some much needed corrective measures. It has been heartening to see India continue on its growth trajectory even as the ‘super economies’ around the world have been crumbling under recessionary pressure.

In Rewind 2009: On Road to Recovery, we bring to you a snapshot of the major developments that took place in the advertising and media industries, how agencies and media houses coped with the turbulent times and brought about a turnaround. It was a year when hope blossomed amid the general gloom of pay cuts, downsizing, freeze on hirings and expansion plans put on hold. All these make for some really interesting read.

Anurag Batra dons the role of a storyteller…actually Mediateller in Only good lies ahead: says the Mediateller.

Pradyuman Maheshwari writes that the media is not down and out yet in Rewind 2009: A reality check on the year gone by.

Noor Fathima Warsia does a bit of serious crystal gazing in Rewind 2009: Five things to watch out for in 2010.

Print media remains strong despite ups and downs, reiterates Nitin Pandey, stressing the fact that while the beginning of 2009 might have been a little frustrating for the print industry, the year ended on a positive note.

Indrajit Gupta, Editor of Forbes India, highlights a few do's and don'ts from his experience of launching a new magazine during a downturn in The Magazine is dead! Long live the Magazine!

When the going gets tough; the tough get going is where Tuhina Anand recaps the year 2009 for the advertising industry.

Tasneem Limbdiwala gets some ad industry stalwarts to choose the best works in The three best ads of 2009 are...

Thomas Xavier, Chairman & NCD ,Orchard Advertising, does a bit of memory recap in What I remember about 2009.

Recessions are good for creativity says Ali Shabaz, the Chief Creative Officer at Grey Group, Singapore.

For media service brands, 2009 was a year of new media agencies and new structures for industry leader, says Noor Fathima Warsia in Media service brands – of new players & a host of global pitches.

Laura Desmond, Global CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, looks at the future and the evolution of the media service brands in The Future is Calling.

Jasmin Sohrabji, Managing Director, OMD India, emphasizes on Bringing efficiency into focus.

Robin Thomas advocates Digital proving to be a hope in turbulent times.

A mixed bag for FM players, but industry optimistic about 2010 is how Robin Thomas sums up the radio industry, which he says was least affected by the slowdown.

Ashish Pherwani, Associate Director, Media & Entertainment, Ernst & Young, talks about the Lessons the Indian radio industry can learn from the slowdown.

Paul Chantler, Senior Partner at United Radio, shares his Growth mantra for the Indian radio industry.

In Outdoor: looking forward to winds of change, Pallavi Goorha Kashyup gets industry leaders to share their views on the year gone by and what to expect in 2010.

OOH in India & China: The paradox of contrasts that’s similar is where Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India, and CEO, South East Asia, Aegis Media, puts forth his views on the OOH sector focusing on the two Asian giants.

Sunder Hemrajani, MD of Times Innovative Media Ltd, shares his views in 2009 – Turnaround after turbulent times.

Rajesh Kamat, CEO, Colors says 2009, was special… A year when television had grown up in Remember 2009. The Renaissance year for Indian Television.

Television – of new leaders, new partnerships, new challenges - Noor Fathima Warsia recounts all the action in the broadcast industry in 2009.

On a different note, the Southside story remained a lacklustre affair, says Judy Franko, with few new launches and only a handful of media companies going ahead with their hiring and expansion plans.

R Sridhar, CEO, brand-comm, gives his perspective on The South still continues its struggle to get national recognition.

Catch up with all that happened in News Recap, including people movement, account movement and the e4m Conclave.