• Brandweek, Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:33 AM

Fifty-nine percent of 511 top marketing executives polled recently are more upbeat about the economy than they were a quarter ago but -- and you knew that "but" was coming, didn't you? -- offline ad revenue is still expected to fall 8%. Then again, spending on social media efforts is expected to surge by more than 300% (but obviously from a very low baseline).

"Overall, the study's outlook is positive," writes Elena Malykhina "particularly when it comes to turnover in CMO positions this year." The good news in this regard is the average tenure for top marketers remains unchanged from February at 4.3 years.

The study by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business for the American Marketing Association also finds that 47% of respondents are more optimistic about generating revenue from customers. When asked which companies have "exceptional marketing capabilities," they most frequently cite Apple and Procter & Gamble.

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