According to the a published by PRWeek/Manning Selvage & Lee, 28 percent of senior managers see increased spending in consumer generated media (CGM).

Marketers also view CGM as a tool for supporting brand and reputation. More than six in 10 say CGM is important for creating brand awareness (68%), building brands (64%), and being perceived as an innovator (60%). A sizeable proportion of marketers even tie CGM directly to ROI, with 43% saying it is important to sales.

In contrast, most marketers were unwilling to invest in CGM in 2007. Only 12% of respondents from last year’s survey said that CGM was very important to their marketing platforms, and just 22% said they were “very willing” to let consumers play a significant role in shaping their marketing programs.