Investment in email marketing has increased as a result of the economic downturn, new figures have revealed.   A study by Marketing Sherpa has found that firms across a variety of different industries are allocating more money to their email budgets, despite the recession.

Companies in the business and financial services sector are leading the way, with 51 per cent spending more and seven per cent cutting their investment. A total of 47 per cent of education and healthcare enterprises have stepped up their expenditure in the area - compared to 11 per cent that have decreased it - while those in the retail, consumer packaged goods and computer hardware and software markets have also raised their spending.

Businesses involved in travel, leisure and hospitality have been the least willing to allocate a greater proportion of their budgets to email, with 29 per cent opting to do so and 18 per cent choosing the opposite.