Companies adopt positive outlook: Report

The survey showed that online marketing budgets have returned to growth, though all other budget categories are still on a downward trend.

The overall reading for the proportion of companies revising their third quarter marketing budgets up or down was -15%, an improvement on the last quarter's -28% and the record low of -42% in the fourth quarter of 2008.

It is the eighth consecutive quarter of downward revisions, suggesting that spend will fall in 2009, for the second year running.

However, marketing executives indicated the strongest degree of optimism about their financial prospects since the end of 2006, with 47% reporting improved prospects and 17% reporting worsened prospects, giving a net balance of 30%.