New research has found that almost half of asset managers in the US expect to hire dedicated marketing personnel, while 41 per cent expect to hire dedicated sales personnel in the next 12 months to support alternative investments.

Research from Cerulli Associates has found that almost half (47 per cent) of asset managers in the US expect to hire dedicated marketing personnel and 41 per cent expect to hire dedicated sales personnel in the next 12 months to support alternative investments, showing the importance of these sectors.

The November 2013 issue of The Cerulli Edge-US Asset Management Edition looks at product management teams, alternative investment staffing needs, and asset managers' use of resources to target third party intermediaries.

Firms have hired more dedicated sales professionals than any other alternatives-related position in the past year. The number of sales personnel dedicated to alternative products increased 54 per cent from 2012 to 2013 among managers that distributed alternatives to both retail and institutional clients.

"We've seen an increase in asset managers capitalizing on investor interest in alternatives by broadening their product lines," Pamela DeBolt, senior analyst at Cerulli, said in a statement about the report.

“Alternative products can be complex and hard to understand for both advisors and end clients," DeBolt said.