MARKETING experts at North West companies have described their sales plans as realistic and challenging, according to new research.

That was the verdict from the Chartered Institute of Marketing's (CIM) spring 2002 marketing trends survey, which examines confidence levels among marketing companies nationwide.

Half described their sales plans as realistic and the remainder said they were very challenging as opposed to unrealistic, over-achieved and over-achieved by a margin.

John Hartley, UK director of regions for the CIM with specific responsibility for the North West, said this region's marketers were realistic about their future.

He said: "Although none of the respondents in the North West believe that their plans for sales growth are unrealistic, there is still a strong perception that achieving the company's sales plan is a significant challenge.

"Nationally, the spring survey seems to indicate that the economy may be starting to improve but respondents would like more evidence before they believe it."

The survey is the 31st of its kind and is targeted at UK members of the CIM and other marketing professionals. The North West area surveyed includes Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.