The Marketing Trends Survey, published by CIM, says that businesses are forecasting a 10% increase in sales in the coming year and that 30% of businesses expect to surpass their sales plans.
It found that marketing expenditure is expected to increase by 2.4% over the coming year, compared with a rise of only 0.3% at the last survey three months ago.
The findings come in stark contrast to those of the IPA's Bellwether Report, published mid-July. It found that marketing budgets had been cut to an extent not seen since the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that marketing managers were "treading cautiously".
Peter Fisk, chief executive officer of CIM, said that the survey was a reflection of the growing positive mood for business since the end of the war in Iraq.
"The marketing department is usually the first part of an organisation that can gauge an understanding of how the economy is reacting through its in-depth knowledge of sales activities and consumer preferences. It is a further indicator that it is vital to have marketers on-board who can create real business value for shareholders," he said.
The survey questioned 100 sales and marketing executives across a variety of industries, asking about sales growth, price changes, business confidence, marketing expenditure and marketing focus.
Andy Viner, a partner at BDO Stoy Hayward, a professional services firm, said: "Our marketing and communications clients are starting to report signs of optimism although it continues to be patchy -- some are budgeting for a slight upturn, while others are still suffering. We anticipate that there will be a gradual recovery in the sector in 2004, accelerating into 2005."
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