$1.5 Billion

So GM is telling the world they plan to shift half their $3 Billion ad spend into digital over the next three years, reports AdAge. A portion of Garfield's Chaos Scenario 2.0 is coming true -- money is flooding the market, regardless of whether the inventory or the capability exists. It's Gold Rush time for anyone with new ideas in online advertising, search, community, participation, etc. (Did I mention we're starting two new companies?)

Moves like this one are fantastic. They act as incubators as well as signals to other big companies that "the water's fine." Hopefully much more inventive and socially-respectable marketing is the result. Hopefully greater risks and more beta-testing becomes the norm, simply because there's more money in the entire ecosystem.

The news also bodes well for talent. $1.5B employs a lot of people. Hopefully we'll see a surge in recruiting to match the surge in media placements and digital production.

As the article points out, it'll be interesting to see if GM's dealers follow suit with their marketing budgets. But I'm not holding my breath.