Today we announced the release of our ninth installment of the "Trends in HR Marketing" series of research reports: "Trends in HR Marketing: Where HR Suppliers Spent their Marketing and PR Dollars in 2008 and What's Ahead in 2009".
This latest report mirrors three previous based on surveys sent to HR suppliers. Since 2005, we have asked marketing professionals via online surveys to look in the rear view mirror and answer questions about where they spent their money and what of those expenditures was most and least effective. We then ask where they plan to spend "next year's" budget dollars.
As you would expect, Internet marketing and more recently, online social media, has played an increasingly important role in the marketing and PR mix of HR vendors and suppliers. Likewise, each year the most costly and least measurable of activities, in particular print advertising, continue to show declines according to our survey responses.
I'll be the first to admit that none of these finding constitute breaking news.
However, we get a genuinely welcome and appreciative response with each of these reports. After a few years of discussing these reports with many of you over the phone and at industry conferences, I've concluded one reason in particular makes these reports valuable. Opinions are nice, but unless you've got data to make your case, an opinion is all of you've got.
I once read about a saying made famous within the management corridors of GE that went something like "In God we trust, everyone else bring data." More like a directive than a saying I suppose...one that captures the spirit of many VP of Marketing to CEO interactions I would argue.
While the "Trends in HR Marketing" series may not offer groundbreaking news to most marketers in this industry (then again, it might), I've heard from many of you that it helps immensely to have an independent and industry specific source of data to help make the case for funding the particulars of your marketing budget. So on that point, this report may come too late to impact 2009. But, it may be just what you need to help prevent further mid-year cuts to your budget or to go back and get more dollars!
The 2008/2009 report will not disappoint. Grab it here. For those who prefer the Clif Notes version, Cheezhead offers a good summary.
And please, keep sending your feedback.
Labels: Trends in HR Marketing