Drug marketers are missing out on the Internet, claims eMarketer, an Internet market research firm. In fact, the firm goes so far as to say the marketing departments “have a rigid view of the Internet” as a means of delivering info, even as consumers use the Internet to interact with one another and learn about brands. Why should marketers care? A consumer’s “online experience helps to build or break trust in brands and companies,” warns eMarketer.

In any event, some folks seem to get it. Online advertising spending by drugmakers and the healthcare industry will hit $975 million this year, a 19 percent increase over last year. By 2011, the pharmaceutical category will account for 5 percent of US online ad spending, or $2.2 billion, eMarketer predicts. (If you’re having trouble reading the chart, just click on it and a larger version will appear).