The IDC Executive Advisory Group forecasts that IT vendor marketing budgets will increase by 3.7% and vendor sales budgets (investment) will rise by 5.6% for the full year 2010.

"The recession has brought major changes to the level and shape of marketing investment," said Richard Vancil, vice president of IDC's Executive Advisory Group, who noted some key trends and offered guidance for the tech executives.

At the macro level, Vancil said overall investment is likely to lag revenue growth this year and this is the first 'watch-out' for executives, as IDC research consistently shows that marketing leaders tend to keep budgets in-line with revenue growth. The second factor is the major shift in the shape of the marketing mix. Traditional media spending has declined by 43% this year, and the category of digital marketing has grown by 53%.

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