MEDIA-I: Web advertising network morphs into Mezzo

<p>HONG KONG: Internet advertising network 24/7 Media Asia has </p><p>expanded into offline media with its transformation into a marketing </p><p>solutions company called Mezzo Marketing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move, which gives the rebranded and restructured organisation a more </p><p>holistic mission in the marketing communications world, comes amid the </p><p>continuing online advertising slump. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mezzo, a part of the Chinadotcom group, brings to marketers in </p><p>Asia-Pacific a range of new offerings, including integrated media, </p><p>direct marketing, database management, email and technology solutions as </p><p>well as online advertising solutions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The makeover has also sparked a change in the company's corporate </p><p>philosophy - from focusing almost exclusively on the internet medium to </p><p>becoming a marketing solutions provider. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mezzo chief operating officer, Stuart Spiteri, said: "In the past, we </p><p>were too fixated on the online medium. We had great tools to measure the </p><p>effectiveness of online campaigns; how to drive traffic to a website, </p><p>finding out the types of people going there and how there were </p><p>interacting with that site. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"But it didn't go far enough. Return on investment is what it's all </p><p>about now. It's important to find the people and get them to transact. </p><p>Before it was a case of 'look at what I've got'. Now it's 'look at what </p><p>I've done'," he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Regional marketing director, Helen Lee, added: "How much is spent in </p><p>terms of time and money is more important than the number of clicks and </p><p>unique visitors." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mezzo's main thrust will be in the field of CRM with the use of its </p><p>direct marketing and database management systems. It will also advise on </p><p>where ads should be placed. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>