Future-proofing

We have long been pioneers in marketing services – and we want to remain as such. That’s why we are continually moving both Aegis Media and Synovate towards new solutions, new business areas and new ways of working.

Our markets have already changed appreciably in recent years, reflecting the combination of increasingly sophisticated consumers, new communications and entertainment technologies, the ability to capture and deliver data digitally, the rapid growth of emerging markets, and new market entrants. At the same time, our clients continually push for better value and productivity across the full range of our services. We anticipate significant further change to come in the months and years ahead.

Aegis Media

We were early to spot the potential of digital services in Aegis Media, and we have a world-class digital pedigree. In 2003 we committed to invest in building a leading digital presence in the world’s top 40 digital economies. Today that business is Isobar, ranked the number one digital agency network in the world, with a presence in 37 countries.

According to Carat estimates, by 2010 two-thirds of media will be delivered digitally. We are future-proofing our business by adding new skills and services, and refining our products and services, to ensure we are ready for that day.

In recent months, we have significantly expanded Isobar Global, a client service team established in 2006 to look after global pitches and account management for our international digital clients. Acquisitions such as Marvellous Mobile in full-service mobile marketing and Bluestreak in ad serving bring us unique platforms with the potential for global application. And the creation of Aegis Media Service Solutions, responsible for our future product offering and the development of integrated services across the globe, is intended to ensure that Aegis Media’s services remain at the forefront of the industry.

Synovate

Business transformation is equally important at Synovate, where it takes many forms. We are investing in a new Synovate-wide management information system and a customised research platform to support all our projects. We are actively pursuing a programme of ‘SmartSourcing’ to ensure data services and business services are delivered in a cost-effective way, in many cases from low-cost geographies. And we continue to experiment with new digital services, including digital data collection, analysis, delivery and modelling capability.

In both our businesses, our strategy is to make ongoing investments in expanding our agency networks, through acquisitions and greenfield investments alike.

This is an exciting time for our business, and we want to respond by being first-to-market with new solutions and services.