The Q2 2005 Bellwether Report, the quarterly survey of marketing spend, published today (19th July 2005) by NTC Research on behalf of the IPA, shows that marketing budgets were cut on average in the second quarter.
The trimming of budgets in Q2 reflected reports from surveyed companies of weaker than expected sales and profits, as well as growing concern regarding the economic outlook both at home and abroad.
Marketing budgets for 2005 had initially been set higher than the previous year, building on strong growth in 2004 (the latest survey shows that 2004 had been by far the best year for marketing spend since the survey began in 2000). However, the buoyant confidence seen at the start of the year has been eroded over the course of the first half of the year, with the Q2 survey signalling the first downward revision to current marketing budgets since the autumn 2003 survey.
The Bellwether report contains detailed analysis of the UK’s marketing economy, based on a survey of 250 companies, representing all key business sectors.
To subscribe to the Bellwether report please contact NTC Research on 01491 411 000, email
info@ntc.co.uk or go to
http://www.warc.com/bellwether.
Bellwether costs £500 per annum (£375 for IPA members) for the report, £650 per annum for the data (£487 for IPA members) and £1000 per annum for both the report and data (£750 for IPA members).