“Direct marketing is speaking directly to the consumer. It is about understanding how people want to get information and be talked to, instead of putting something out there and thinking that if you build it they will come. We see a definite trend to microsegmentation, and on one-to-one marketing on a global basis.”
— David Spurlock, partner, IBM Interactive
IBM Interactive began life as IBM Centers for Solutions and Innovation in the late 1990s. The idea was focused around building solutions for around the Web. This quickly morphed into a business that offers services across multiple channels. Since the original name didn’t quite define this extended offering, last year the IBM agency rebranded as IBM Interactive. The agency is known for its CRM programs and its technology that is poised to help build customer relations and offers services from strategy and customer experience design to technology planning and implementation capabilities.
Year founded: 1998
Headquarters: Armonk, NY
Number of offices: 4
Web site: www.ibm.com/services/customerexperience
Major disciplines/capabilities: Multichannel and interactive strategy, assessment and measurement (analytics), user research, customer experience design, online technology planning and implementation
Current agency challenges: IBM Interactive’s challenge this year is making sure that it can scale the business. “For me the challenge is making sure that I find the talent I need to handle the demand I’ve got,” says Spurlock. “It’s a knife fight with my competitors in terms of attracting the talent to satisfy the demand for our services.” Another challenge, he adds, is “to make sure that we clearly articulate our value proposition and focus on the things that matter from a customer perspective.”
