Its latest Marketing Trends Survey, which questioned 100 sales and marketing executives, paints a far rosier picture than the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising's Bellwether Report, which forecast ongoing budget cuts.
The CIM found the number of businesses forecasting an increase in their sales and marketing departments has leapt from 5% three months ago to 39% now.
Similarly, marketing expenditure is expected to increase by 2.4% compared with a rise of only 0.3% in the last survey.
The CIM added that businesses are predicting a 10% increase in sales in the coming year and 30% of businesses expect to surpass sales plans.
Peter Fisk, chief executive officer of the CIM, said the survey was a reflection of the growing positive mood for business since the end of the war in Iraq.
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