“Direct marketing is about creating trust through relevant, coordinated messages that build from one interaction to the next. It’s about contacting customers the way they want to be reached so they feel valued and motivated to respond to timely offers.”
— John Meyer, CEO and president, Acxiom Corporation
Founded in 1969 and now boasting more than 6,000 employees, Acxiom is perhaps the largest processor of consumer data in the world. In addition to database management, the interactive marketing service firm specializes in direct marketing, customer data integration, IT services, digital marketing, risk mitigation and consulting.
Year founded or merged: 1969
Headquarters: Little Rock, AK
US offices: Eight
Web site: www.acxiom.com
Major disciplines: Digital advertising, direct marketing, creative and strategy, e-mail, search, mobile
Key accounts: HP, Rodale, Phillip Morris, Panasonic, Citibank, Capital One, General Motors, Conde Nast, Compucredit, AT&T Mobility, American Cancer Society.
Top executives: John Meyer, CEO & president; Michael Darviche, CMO; Chris Marriott, VP, global managing director, Acxiom agency services; Shawn Donovan, chief sales officer, Cindy Childers, SVP human resources; Tim Suther, SVP, global multichannel marketing services
Biggest current challenges: “Uncertainty in the market — the market is temporarily shrinking but no one knows by how much or for how long,” says Meyer. “This uncertainty is protracting client decisions, and eliminating some. At the same time, clients are much more cautious and seem to be shifting to more accountable, direct response, ROI-focused programs. Interestingly, this is our core competency. As a complete multichannel agency we are able to provide our clients with a breadth of proven solutions that best enables them to reach their goals.”
Biggest 2009 industry trends: “We’ll see increasing demand for marketing programs focused on accountability and results-oriented performance,” Meyer says. “We expect clients to increasingly demand specific measurement and hold us accountable for ROI. We should also see a growing consensus that remedial analytics just aren’t successful.”
