Online Advertising Budgets Increase

While automotive advertising spending dropped 14% compared to the same period last year, online spending increased. Except for one channel: online marketing. Internet spending was up 57.9% last year.

Why does this matter? Automakers are the biggest advertisers in the US. General Motors, the fourth-largest, spent $535 million in Q1 2008 alone. So it stands to reason as go the automakers so goes others.

Online marketing offers something other marketing channels do not -- an amazing level of measurement. And in an economy where purse strings are tight, it's better to beat on a known return.