This IDC study discusses IDC's 2012 CMO Tech Marketing Barometer Survey, which analyzes the level and direction of overall tech marketing spend to help guide IDC clients in their marketing investment and allocation decisions. In 2011, IDC observed an unprecedented level of marketing organization change and marketing budget disruption across the tech vendor community. We expect much less new "drama" in marketing organizations and operations in 2012, though there is plenty of existing or leftover drama to grapple with. IDC's 2012 CMO Tech Marketing Barometer Survey will assist marketing executives in navigating the current marketing climate by providing trends and essential guidance on marketing investment strategies, marketing automation, social marketing structure and proficiency, marketing priorities, sales and marketing alignment, and sales enablement.

"The marketing budget investment trend of the past three years, wherein marketing budgets are growing at about half the rate of revenue, could be with us for a while, until real confidence returns to top-line growth and the underlying investment to drive that." — Rich Vancil, VP, IDC's Executive Advisory Group