A recent survey by GlobalSpec, (a specialized search engine and information source for the engineering, industrial and technical communities), found that 56% of respondents are increasing their marketing spend in 2006, with only 7% planning to reduce spending.  In addition, 35% of respondents indicated that they will spend upwards of half of their marketing budget online.  GlobalSpec indicates that this shift towards online spending in the industrial sector is being driven by the need for ROI accountability.  The top marketing channels by this sector in 2005 were online directories/websites (64%), email advertising (54%) and SEM (53%).

This information indicates a shift in thinking for suppliers and manufacturers who, in the past, have relied primarily on traditional marketing channels.