UK marketers plan to boost online spend

Marketers are expecting their budgets to increase and are planning to spend more on direct marketing and the internet.

More than 56 per cent of marketers believe their budgets will increase this year, with only 18 per cent anticipating a fall, according to research conducted by Richmond Research, a subsidiary of Richmond Events, organiser of the Marketing Forum. The proportion of marketers expecting their media budgets to increase – 48 per cent – is appreciably lower than that anticipating an increase in marketing budget.

Television still takes the largest share of the marketing budget – 20 per cent – with direct mail coming a close second on 14 per cent. But over the coming year, internet and direct mail look set to be the most popular choices for increased expenditure: 58 per cent and 50 per cent respectively of respondents plan an increase in these forms of communication. Press is likely to be affected by the change, with 32 per cent of respondents saying they will spend less on daily and weekly titles and 26 per cent less on magazines.

Marketers were also quizzed on their advertising agencies, with only 25 per cent saying they are fully satisfied with the relationship. When asked to name their favourite advertising agency, from any they have ever worked with, McCann Erickson came out on top, followed by Bartle Bogle Hegarty and Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO.

Questionnaires were sent to 200 marketers for the research, which was conducted in July.