Manufacturers Plan to Shift Marketing Focus to Online

Profitability for manufacturers is as elusive as it is for other business sectors this year. The GlobalSpec 2009 Marketing Trends survey found that 68% of manufacturing concerns expect a sales decline in 2009. To address the problem, many CEOs are planning changes to their marketing budgets and strategies.ShenZhen_china_104295_l

Here’s what manufacturers say their marketing goals are in 2009:

  • Customer acquisition 44%
  • Lead generation 29%
  • Customer retention 13%
  • Brand awareness 11%

Many senior executives also noted that they have begun the migration to online marketing and plan to use the following top channels this year:

  • Online directories/​Web sites 70+%
  • E‑mail using in-​house lists 70+%
  • Search engine optimization 60+%
  • Online newsletter sponsorships/​ads 50+%

Survey respondents also indicated plans to shift larger amounts of their marketing budgets to online efforts as necessary. Nearly 3 in 10 commit half of their budget to online efforts while about half expect to spend 1/​3 of their money online. These changes, executives hopes, will generate higher quality leads and eventually restore revenue levels and profitability.

[Source: GlobalSpec Industrial Marketing Trends Survey, 2009] 
Kathy Crosett

Kathy Crosett

Kathy is the Vice President of Research for SalesFuel. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and oversees a staff of researchers, writers and content providers for SalesFuel. Previously, she was co-​owner of several small businesses in the health care services sector.