Finally, we're seeing some early positive indicators among the headlines about the economic situation. They remind us that, eventually, things will turn around. When, how much and how fast are anyone's guess. And there may be more bumps in the road, depending on your industry and company health.

But as we make our way through 2009 and prepare for 2010, it's time to change our thought process from "marketing in a downturn" to "marketing in the recovery." But it isn't just about remembering what to do with a real budget.

Things have changed.

This recession coincided with other changes in the B-to-B marketing landscape. We think it has accelerated some changes and that the marketing landscape in the recovery will not be the same as the one pre-recession.

• The media have changed. Some of the changes are jarring - some storied print properties have gone out of existence. Others are more subtle, such as the emergence in B-to-B of online communities of practice. These don't generate the same buzz as Facebook, but they hold more promise for B-to-B marketers.

• The audience has changed, but perhaps not as much as it could have. Hiring of college graduates is at the lowest level in memory. And many older decision-makers in engineering and other technical fields have deferred their retirement plans until their 201(k) plans recover to 401(k) levels again.

• Your company, your market, or your competitors may have changed. When some of the most solid businesses of our time have been weakened or shuttered, is it realistic to assume that everything in your industry will be the same coming out of this recession?

Over the coming months, various Godfrey experts will share their thoughts on all aspects of B-to-B marketing. I will start out with thoughts about how you might want to revisit your company's brand equity, and that of your competitors, to see how you're coming out of this recession. Others will assess how the B-to-B marketing landscape has changed over the past year, and how B-to-B marketers should prepare and plan for 2010. We hope this will create sort of a "Marketing in the Recovery Playbook."

So check back from time to time. Or subscribe to Godfrey RSS feeds. Better yet, reply and let us know how you think the B-to-B marketing landscape has changed...and what you plan to do about it!