MRM Partners Becomes MRM WORLDWIDE; Focuses on the Challenge of Helping Brands Succeed in a Customer Controlled World

Business Wire, Oct 26, 2005

NEW YORK -- Agency Network of Direct and Interactive Marketers Succeeds in Integrating Global Database and Digital Assets to Create Global Marketing Agency of the Future: MRM WORLDWIDE

MRM Partners, representing a collection of the most innovative thinkers in direct, interactive and relationship marketing, today unveiled its new MRM WORLDWIDE brand. The move caps a year of transformation for the company and positions MRM WORLDWIDE as a world class global agency network of digital and direct response marketing, strategy, analytics and database management professionals, with proven expertise in producing the most profitable and measurable marketing programs for its roster of Global 500 clients.

At the heart of MRM WORLDWIDE is a deep understanding of how brands and their customers relate to each other, recognizing that media consumption is becoming more fragmented and customer-controlled. MRM WORLDWIDE is focused on helping the world's leading brands create opportunities to better "engage" their prospects and customers wherever and whenever they choose to interact with the brand.

"We are very excited and proud to announce MRM WORLDWIDE, a company born out of an innate understanding of how customer relationship management has changed in the 21st century," commented Reuben Hendell, Chief Executive Officer, MRM WORLDWIDE. "Content is exploding through a number of new channels, giving consumers significant control over where, when and how they interact with a brand."

MRM WORLDWIDE has taken the foundations of customer relationship management - strategy, databases and targeted marketing - and built the company to provide clients with a global network structure ideal for helping them connect with their customer base.

A year ago MRM WORLDWIDE combined and integrated a set of complimentary CRM agencies that now operate as a completely integrated agency. The company also built a new senior global leadership team comprised of world class talent across all key company disciplines, and has become much more accountable to clients by clearly identifying client leadership teams that are singularly focused on the skills and passions necessary to help MRM WORLDWIDE's customers build platforms and programs that better connect them to their customers.

These teams are able to bring a media choiceful approach to targeted marketing and insure that MRM WORLDWIDE is using the full arsenal of digital and traditional channels to connect clients with their customers. This has driven an increased consolidation of direct and interactive assignments, resulting in double-digit growth over the last year for MRM WORLDWIDE.

"In today's customer-controlled world, MRM WORLDWIDE connects insights about what customers want, constructing a deeper understanding of where they are and how to reach them without wasting marketing dollars," continued Hendell. "This enables us to partner with our clients to initiate, build, and sustain more relevant and profitable customer relationships."

MRM WORLDWIDE's proprietary solutions are already helping clients such as Microsoft, MasterCard and UPS initiate, build, and sustain more relevant and valuable relationships with their customers. The company's work in the direct and digital marketing area for Microsoft was recognized for excellence in strategy, creativity and impact this year by winning the Cannes Silver Lions Direct Award for its OneNote viral campaign.

"Our partnership with MRM WORLDWIDE is important to our effort to drive world class customer and partner satisfaction. Their integrated approach with their McCann Erickson advertising colleagues, coupled with their strong worldwide capabilities, are key ingredients in Microsoft's global relationship marketing effort," said John Kahan, General Manager, Global Relationship Marketing Group, Microsoft. "The integration of these leading marketing agencies under the MRM WORLDWIDE brand further demonstrates their commitment to innovation, client collaboration and the development of cutting-edge programs."

"Achieving integrated communications is indeed a team sport. Our next great thing in marketing as MasterCard is to more tightly and more effectively leverage our brand idea at all points of target audience contact," said Amy Fuller, Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing, MasterCard USA. "Making that happen, whether it's one to one or one to many activity, is made possible by the partnership we enjoy with MRM and McCann. Complementary expertise along with genuine teamwork is a competitive differentiator...both for us and for our Worldgroup colleagues."

MRM WORLDWIDE has 2,000 employees in 67 offices in 34 countries, $1 billion in annual billings, and boasts a client list including blue chip companies such as Microsoft, General Motors, United Parcel Service, Intel, Nestle, Johnson & Johnson and Dell.

MRM WORLDWIDE

Integrated and industry-leading offerings include: Customer Strategy and Planning, Data and Analytics, Digital and Direct Response Marketing, Web Design and Build, Creative and Branded Content. MRM WORLDWIDE has the depth and reach to help businesses succeed in virtually any market in the world. As part of the McCann Worldgroup of companies, MRM WORLDWIDE partners with sibling agencies McCann Erickson, Momentum, Universal McCann, FutureBrand and Weber Shandwick to deliver the complete suite of marketing communications capabilities.