Marketers are on track to push through some major budget increases for '05, especially in their online spends.

Marketing and media budgets are to rise again in 2005, as 60% expecting to increase spend, with the online sector to show the sharpest growth, according to a study from market research group Millward Brown. Millward Brown found the online sector was found to be growing the most as a share of total budgets and marketers said that they expect this trend to continue. All channels of online marketing -- web advertising, search, email and promotion -- are expected to increase at a higher rate than other major media. There was other good news for the online sector as the research identified it as the most effective medium for acquiring and retaining customers and in offering efficiency. Direct mail was rated as most effective for reaching a target audience and providing measurable ROI. Almost all marketers, 89%, said that their companies run integrated marketing campaigns, but Millward Brown said that integrated marketing was defined in different ways.

Edward Kim, interactive media manager at Unilever said: "It goes to show that marketers across different industries are prepared to increase their online marketing budgets and view the internet as an attractive part of the media and marketing mix."