“Direct marketing is highly targeted, but today, we’re able to do this better with technology and data than ever before. The key element of direct marketing is that it needs to lead to a sale, a lead or action on the part of the target. Today, it could also lead to an engagement for the purpose of having a relationship with your customer. While all of the original elements of direct marketing are still there, I think, because of the new tools and technology that are available, that it has become a much more robust process than it’s ever been.”
– Carla Hendra, CEO
Ogilvy North America’s direct marketing arm is one of the oldest and most storied direct marketing agencies in the American marketing landscape, launched more than 35 years ago by advertising icon David Ogilvy. Taking the lead once again, OgilvyOne was an Internet pioneer, launching an interactive practice in the 1980’s that is today a leading digital agency. Known as OgilvyInteractive, it is tightly integrated into all of the agency’s client offerings. Customer relationship marketing is another of the agency’s hallmark offerings, and includes a proprietary approach to CRM called Customer Ownership, which includes analysis, program development and measurement.
Year founded: 1972
Holding company: WPP Group
Headquarters: New York
Number of offices: More than 130
Web site: www.ogilvy.com
Major disciplines: Direct, digital, search
Key accounts: IBM, Cisco, Unilever, Kraft, American Express, SAP
Current agency challenges: Marketing in a recession
Biggest 2009 industry trends: The agency believes that free/earned/unpaid media will grow faster than paid media; there will be a greater use of analytics; there will be a growing use of e-mail marketing with video and more need for CRM.
Top executives: Brian Fetherstonhaugh, chairman and CEO, OgilvyOne Worldwide; John Seifert, chairman, Ogilvy North America; Harvey Kipnis, managing director, OgilvyOne; Marc Fleishhacker, managing director, Ogilvy Consulting; JP Maheu, chief digital officer, Ogilvy North America
