DATA POINTS: MARKETING RATIOS.

Marketing budgets for software companies tend to reflect wide variations in sales channels and promotional strategies, so industry-wide averages usually don't provide meaningful benchmarks for individual companies. But the averages sometimes reveal interesting patterns and trends. According to the new 1998 Price Waterhouse Software Business Practices Survey, Web-related spending (for advertising and direct site costs) now takes 13% of the promotional budgets of 668 participating software companies. At the same time, the study reports, spending on traditional "face-to-face contact between buyer and seller" has actually increased. Another key finding: Internal staff salaries represent only about 11% of the total marketing budget; most of the balance is spent on advertising, printing, and other outside services.

Ned Pendergast, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 68 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, Calif. 94025-3669; 650/322-0606. E-mail: Ned. [e-mail].