A new report shows that confidence amongst global marketing leaders is high, with 81 per cent believing they can drive top-line growth and improvew their market share in 2014.

But while 54 per cent expect to increase their general budgets, only 48 per cent will be increasing mobile spending, a considerable slump from last year.

The report, by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, surveyed 525 global marketers regarding their views on the global marketing economy, and showed that as the financial world shows signs of finally emerging from the downturns and recessions that have plagued the last few years, marketers are poised to take advantage. However, enthusiasm for mobile is waning as marketers seek better value for money and more guaranteed, quantifiable results.

Last year, 62 per cent of marketers planned to increase their mobile budgets, but this year, that figure drops to 48 per cent, representing a considerable loss of confidence in mobile as a marketing channel. However, there was growth in other channels, with 71 per cent of marketers planning increases to both social media and video budgets.

General confidence among marketers is on the rise. Among the results reported by the CMO Council, the study showed that 55 per cent of marketers planned headcount additions, compared to 22 per cent who were expecting reductions, while 75 per cent received a salary increase or bonus in the past year, with 83 per cent expecting one in the next fiscal year if they perform well.

“A big benefit to marketers is the growing level of collaboration and interaction with functional heads and line-of-business leaders,” said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. “This is giving marketing more weight in strategic decision-making and also ensuring organsiational alignment around the customer experience fiven marketings increasing ownership of customer data and insight.”

Millennial Media comments:
“The CMO Councils annual State of Marketing report is a must read, in particular how the investment in mobile marketing activities is changing,” said Stephen Jenkins, vice president of marketing in EMEA for Millennial Media. “With UK mobile adspend expected to double this year to £2bn, this report provides a clear sign that, whilst the dynamics of the spend change, mobile will continue to be a bigger part of the marketing mix.

“Furthermore, the report has found that two other areas that will experience the largest change in spend over the next year are social and video – both of which should be inextricably linked to mobile, as the most intimate and immediate media channel available to marketers.”