Initiative Launches Performance-Driven Approach to Communications

Worldwide Director of Performance Role Created

Initiative, a media marketing and digital company, is rolling out a new, performance-based approach to communications in which every aspect of its process and product is measured and optimized for maximum return.

Performance sets Initiative apart from other media networks
Unlike other media networks which offer ROI measurement at the end of communications activity, this new approach leverages the availability of new data streams to integrate performance into insight, strategy, execution and the optimization of marketing activity.

This new way of working is supported by sophisticated proprietary software that provides comprehensive data and tracking for Initiative’s teams across the globe. The overall approach is being led by Jeffrey Graham, who takes up the newly created role of Worldwide Director, Performance. Reporting to Richard Beaven, Chief Executive, Worldwide, Graham will be based in New York joins Initiative’s Worldwide Leadership Team.

Performance — led by a global expert
Graham is a leading expert in helping companies transform the way they use analytics, consumer insight and strategic decision-making to increase the value and profitability of their marketing efforts. He joins Initiative from The New York Times where he was Executive Director, Customer Insight, responsible for corporate research, including marketing and web analytics, data mining and strategic research.

Graham has also worked at Starcom MediaVest Group, where he was Senior Vice-President, Director of Strategic Research and Accountability. Before that he was SVP, Research Development at Dynamic Logic, a marketing effectiveness research company. Graham was awarded a Ph.D. in Sociology from the City University of New York in 2009.

As Worldwide Director of Performance, Graham will be responsible for driving the rollout of the performance approach across Initiative. He will manage the process of embedding performance into Initiative’s planning approach, Exchanges, and will work with function and market leads to ensure that performance is integrated into the working culture of the network. He will also work directly with clients and planning leads, taking charge of delivering custombuilt data-driven performance solutions.

Performance — a unique approach to data management
Initiative’s performance approach is data-driven and enabled by powerful, proprietary systems. Initiative has spent the past 12 months developing a cutting-edge technology platform, called Planet, which provides clients with a wealth of business-critical information.

Guaranteeing speed and efficiency, Initiative’s Planet is an end-to-end dashboard system that provides continuous performance reporting including business and consumer insight, media and competitive activity, and marketing results. Planet reveals market-drivers, consumer response levels and ROI, in real-time, enabling clients to respond rapidly to the changing marketplace. Planet’s dashboards are modular and customizable, allowing the system to be populated from different data sources.

Initiative leads the way with technology solutions
The development of this innovative software was led by Chief Technology Catalyst, Worldwide, Karin Baatsch-Deboulet, and is part of Initiative’s ongoing commitment to delivering technology-enabled communications solutions for clients.

Richard Beaven, Chief Executive, Worldwide, Initiative said: “Making performance central to all phase of the process is a truly differentiating approach in the marketplace. Initiative’s vision is to be a world leader in marketing performance and our focus in this area means that clients can be assured of speed, efficiency and best results throughout the communications process.

“In Jeffrey Graham, we have an authority in insight, analytics and measurement. He has the vision and experience to lead Initiative’s performance-driven culture.”

Jeffrey Graham, Worldwide Director, Performance, said: “What’s most exciting to me about the systems that Initiative has developed is the way they break down silos—between online and offline, branding and direct response, and planning and measurement. They allow us to focus on the end goal every step of the way—maximizing marketing profitability. This unleashes enormous value for clients.”

About Initiative
Initiative (www.initiative.com) is a media, marketing and digital company that transforms media exchanges into marketing results. Owned by the Interpublic Group, Initiative is part of media management group Mediabrands and a partner of Magna, IPG’s centralized media negotiation entity. Initiative employs more than 2,500 talented professionals, working in 91 offices across 70 markets, worldwide. Initiative’s comprehensive range of marketing-led communications services include: research and insight, media planning and buying, digital communications solutions, content creation and evaluation and accountability services.

Primary Contact:
Tim Collison
Initiative
+44 (0)20 7073 7319
[email protected]