After all the media hype, the advertisers should now sit back and revaluate their marketing strategies. Many have spent through their noses during the World- Cup. And what have they gained in return? As for the lull, yes there will be a seasonal lull in advertising. That's because of the monsoon. As usual, there will be low-level activities in the soft drinks andconsumer durables markets. The ads for soft drinks will go off the air. The consumer durable market will also be dull as no one will be in a tearing hurry to buy airconditioners or refrigerators. So there will be a seasonal lull like any other year in the markets.

Ajay Chandwani, president, SSC&B Lintas

Although advertisers are not dependent only on the World Cup, the high of the past two months will ebb. The quantum of ad-spend will come down in the next few months.

An event like the World Cup can cripple you unless you have very deep pockets. For one, it is easy for a small voice to drown in the din. Then again, consumer fatigue levels soar with the repetition of the same message day in and day out. I am an ardent cricket lover, but too much advertising can make even a mega sporting event like the World Cup a nuisance. Pepsi's World Cup campaign outshone the rest of the pack because it got colossal heavyweights like Sachin and Shahrukh to endorse its product. However, between Pepsi and Coke,the latter seems to have spent its ad monies more sensibly. Among agencies, HTA has made the most of the event with two leading spenders viz, Pepsi and Hero Honda on its client list.

Ram Sehgal, president, Contract Advertising

The mega bucks dished out by companies during the World Cup are not likely to impact business during the next few months in any significant way for agencies. Most companies had provided for the expenditure on the World Cup in their ad-budgets well in advance.

The World Cup certainly was a huge opportunity for the advertisers given the mammoth reach. However, it is possible to achieve very good results with modest inputs as well. For example, Bajaj stands second after Pepsi in brand recall surveys with less than half the budget of most bigwigs.

Kiran Khalap, chief executive officer, Bates Clarion

I expect, most big spenders would have planned their ad-budgets this year with the World Cup in mind. Then, since advertisers skimp on ad-budgets during the monsoonsusually, I don't expect that this year should not be any different.

Hoshi K Press, president (consumer products division), Godrej Soaps

I believe agencies are having a tough time considering that a number of companies are trying to cut down on expenditures. While there will be a slight slowdown after the World Cup, there will not be much of a lull as the economy seems to be picking up and companies are going to be leveraging on this to maximise their gains. I expect things to start looking up by July-end and August. And then comes the festive season.

Sam Balsara, chairman, Madison DMB&B

The few companies who could not participate in the World Cup for one reason or the other can go all out now. There would certainly be a lot of activity amongst these few companies.

As an efficient medium for advertising and selling of brands, the World Cup has proved a success.

The CTV manufacturers in particular benefitted a lot. Looking at the success, I am sure media will try to make theMillennium as the next big occasion.

Ajit Martis, accounts executive, Hindustan Thompson Associates

In the Indian advertising industry, there can not be a lull. We are all so busy with the advertising of our on-going brands. The World Cup was just an event that advertisers capitalised on, to promote their brands. Yes, some big players spent a large amount of money during the event. But our clients spent a reasonable amount for good, creative and effective advertising. And we got the results. Life goes on after the World Cup.

Jagdeep Kapoor, managing director, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt Ltd

There is not going to be a steep drop but yes, there will be a plateau for the next 45 days or so. After that, it will start picking up again. In fact, this time, it is a bonus for companies. The first burst was due to the World Cup. The second will start happening during the festival season beginning from Raksha Bandhan.

Even as we are talking about the best campaigns for the World Cup, theone that is most striking is the Bajaj Kawasakhi ad that was released the other day. It sums up the frustrations that the Indian audience is facing owing to India not winning the World Cup. The adline ``We shall overcome'' shows the strength and resilience of the Indian audience.

BVR Subbu, director, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India Ltd

If one-fifth of the money, which was squandered on World Cup advertisements, is used to foster talent across all sports, it might serve the country and marketers better. The clutter made mockery of cricket and served more as a spectacle for advertisers.

The reality is that cricket receives a surfeit of support from masses and offers enormous viewership possibility. But corporates need to look upon cricket not merely as a viewership possibility but also in terms of establishing a long-term, strategic association by investing in sporting infrastructure -- like MRF, whose MRF Pace Foundation has given us Srinath and Prasad, or like, the Tatas who supportfootball through their Football Academy.

It would be very disgusting if corporates now resort to securing media presence through Kargil and the sacrifices of Indian soldiers.