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