Grey accelerates pace in bid for interactive excellence with GRM

<p>Grey Worldwide has set up Grey Relationship Management (GRM) ahead </p><p>of the expected convergence of new and traditional media. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move - which utilises the resources of Grey Direct, Grey </p><p>Interactive, Beyond Interactive and Web Insight - gives the agency a </p><p>more holistic approach to advertising in the new world order. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Viveca Chan - Grey Hong Kong and China chairman and CEO, and Beyond </p><p>Interactive Asia-Pacific co-founder and CEO - who has been spearheading </p><p>Grey's drive for interactive excellence in the region over the past few </p><p>years said that GRM was more than a simple play on words. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"CRM is too wide a concept because it includes hardware and </p><p>software. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>We need to focus on communications, which is what we know best," Ms Chan </p><p>told MEDIA. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This includes understanding CRM, tailor-making campaigns and programmes </p><p>leading towards a full CRM strategy and on and off line strategic </p><p>consultancy." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>While convergence might seem some way off for Asia-Pacific, Ms Chan has </p><p>been instrumental in putting into place resources before they were </p><p>needed such as Grey Interactive and Beyond Interactive in order to keep </p><p>pace with market developments. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In the West, however, convergence has begun. In the US, for instance, </p><p>there is TiVO - a 'black box' connected to the Internet which acts as a </p><p>super VCR machine. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The UK has a similar service offered by iTV. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In effect, this means that a growing number of people will be able to </p><p>pick and choose their own shows to create their own television </p><p>channel. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But the killer application, according to Ms Chan, is that people can </p><p>screen out the advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Multinationals, therefore, have to work closely with the TV stations </p><p>since research shows that two-thirds of ads are ignored in the </p><p>traditional media anyway. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Because of this, Ms Chan declared that "mass marketing is dead". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We need to think how to personalise and customise because people are </p><p>expecting offers for 'me' and not for everyone else," she said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Branding originally was about creating awareness and interest. Then it </p><p>was about promises. Now it's all about solutions and experiences." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The result of this was that there must be a strong focus on customer </p><p>relationship management to ensure best practice at all levels in order </p><p>to deliver what Ms Chan described as "lifetime value" for consumers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It comes down to tracking, optimisation, delivering relevant offers to </p><p>individuals and, most importantly, to maintain continuous dialogue," she </p><p>said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, Grey Worldwide's Asia-Pacific income in 2000 was higher than </p><p>at any time in its 37-year history. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Compared with 1999, its income last year jumped 20 per cent to USdollars </p><p>92.4 million. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Driving this growth were new assignments from existing clients such as </p><p>British American Tobacco, Mars and Seagram. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency also won more than 100 new accounts, including Swire </p><p>Coca-Cola's non-carbonated beverage portfolio in Hong Kong; Founder </p><p>Computers in China; The Lippo Group and five of its companies in </p><p>Indonesia; Nissan and Del Monte in the Philippines; BPL Mobile in India; </p><p>Sizzler in Thailand; Time.com in Malaysia; and Unisys for the entire </p><p>region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Asia-Pacific president Eric Rosenkranz attributed the company's growth </p><p>to two key factors: its expertise in integrated communications and its </p><p>strong and growing reputation for creativity. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"As one of the earliest proponents of this strategy, we've built a </p><p>network of nine partner companies which are successful, long-standing </p><p>practitioners of the art - and science - of integrated marketing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>(See also page 14.) </p><p><BR><BR> </p>