Direct marketing in MENA region to grow by 6.7% by 2014
Direct marketing currently generates 10% of total GDP in the US, amounting to US $ 2 trillion in incremental sales across all industries. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, expenditure on this sector comprises less than 1% of total advertising spend. This illustrates the room for growth to global levels of MENA direct marketing in the next five to seven years. Translated into figures, growth predictions for share of advertising spend are 6.7% in the next five years.
This growth receives a further boost with Acxiom recently being ranked the number one advertising agency in the US. Acxiom is not a conventional advertising agency but rather a major player in data-centric customer relationship management and direct marketing (CRM/DM).
“This is an incredible set of achievements,†said Yousef Hamidaddin, CEO of Acxiom MENA. “There is a growing tendency towards direct marketing because of its appealing measurability and reliability in proving conversion and recall rates. The AdAge ranking recognizes Acxiom as an entity that can offer direct marketing across every channel, which includes audience engagement and personalization through pinpoint targeting and actionable results.â€
Advertising Age (AdAge) magazine is the leading global source of news, intelligence and conversation for marketing and media communities. AdAge ranks 883 U.S. agencies in its report.
To be ranked by Advertising Age as the largest marketing/advertising/CRM company is a significant achievement for Acxiom, solidifying its industry position, which it has been building for the past 40 years. It also confirms the direction taken by adding new capabilities to keep up with marketer demand and an increasingly fragmented media environment.
Yousef Hamidaddin further added that Acxiom MENA helped clients make smarter decisions on their marketing spend that in turn lead to significant growth in profitability and market share. “The AdAge ranking will certainly provide us with an opportunity to create broader awareness of the depth of services that we can provide not only in direct marketing but with digital marketing solutions across a broad spectrum of channels.â€
Other AdAge rankings for Acxiom, alongside the #1 US Agency, include:
#2 World Wide Agency CRM/DM Agency
#9 World Wide Agency – All Disciplines
#19 US Digital Agency
