Many firms continued to increase their marketing efforts during 2009 despite the recession, new data has suggested.
According to recent findings from the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB), companies are allocating larger proportions of their budget to various marketing strategies.
The study revealed that online marketing continued to grow throughout last year, an area on which the economic downturn appeared to have little effect.
Alain Heureux, president and chief executive officer of IAB Europe, said: "We are at a crossroads for the online advertising market; we have a booming search market supporting traffic and sales and lead generation, and online display is ripe for further growth due in part to the success of video and social media."
He added that the development of new techniques and business models are providing the "perfect platform" for the next generation of online marketing.
The findings support the recent Econsultancy UK Search Engine Marketing Benchmark Report, which also suggested growth in the sector would continue.
According to the data, some 60 per cent of companies intend to increase their spending on search marketing during the coming year. 
