Marketing industry survey Agency of the Year to start this autumn in Finland

Alma Media     Press release                              13 September 2016

MARKETING INDUSTRY SURVEY AGENCY OF THE YEAR TO START THIS AUTUMN IN FINLAND

Alma Media will introduce Agency of the Year survey this autumn to shed light on customer satisfaction and the criteria behind customers’ buying decisions in the marketing industry. For customers who buy marketing services, the survey will provide information on agencies and their competencies. Agencies, in turn, will receive research-based data to support the development of their operations.

Based on a concept developed by the Swedish company Regi, Agency of the Year is a survey on customer satisfaction among the buyers of marketing, advertising and communication services, as well as the most significant criteria influencing the choice of agency and trends in the marketing industry.

The survey’s respondents will be the customers of the participating agency, who will evaluate the results and smoothness of cooperation as well as the agency’s ability to understand their operations and needs.

For agencies, the Agency of the Year survey will provide information on their strengths in relation to their competitors while also highlighting areas for further development.

The results of the survey will serve the buyers of services by providing a general view of the Finnish marketing industry. They will also obtain useful information for increasing and developing their cooperation with agencies, which will lead to more successful cooperation in the long term by improving the agency’s expertise and ability to serve its existing customers.

In Finland, the market research agency Norstat Finland will be responsible for collecting data and analysing the results, while the concept’s marketing and deployment will be the responsibility of Alma Media, the Association of Finnish Advertisers and the marketing agency selection consultancy Breezeway.

The survey will start in September and its key results will be announced in February 2017 at a gala event to award prizes to the agencies with the most satisfied customers in the market. The winning agencies will also be announced in Alma’s various media, such as Markkinointi&Mainonta and Kauppalehti.

Marketing is an engine of growth: better marketing helps customer companies achieve strong business results and financial success

Developed by Regi, Årets Byrå is the most significant and highly respected survey concept in the marketing industry. The survey has been carried out annually for the past 16 years, and the awards gala is the year’s most highly awaited event in the industry. In Sweden, the survey concept is seen to have contributed to an increased appreciation for marketing, which in turn has led to increased marketing investments and expedited business growth among Swedish companies.

The average marketing budget among Finnish companies is 2.0 per cent of revenue, a figure that is substantially lower than in Sweden or the United States, for example. Many international studies indicate that marketing is an important driver of economic growth. It can help increase the demand for—and trading and exchange in—products and services. This increased economic activity leads to the creation of jobs, growth, prosperity and wealth in society.

“Finland’s economic growth and the general atmosphere have been in the doldrums for a long time, and there has been too much focus on cutting costs. Many Finnish products and services have failed to break through due to the lack of adequate resources or competencies related to marketing and commercialisation. Finnish businesses need support in order to take a growth leap and create a better tomorrow. The Agency of the Year survey is one expression of how we at Alma want to be part of building a cycle of growth and support the growth aspirations of—and better marketing among—Finnish companies,” says Kai Telanne, President and CEO of Alma Media.

“There are already positive signs in the industry. The Advertising Barometer published by the Association of Finnish Advertisers points to a substantial upturn in advertising investment in 2017. It is now time to move from plans to action. Significantly increasing marketing investments is one way to build growth and success not only for Finnish businesses, but also the country as a whole. Marketing is an engine of growth,” Kai Telanne adds.

For further information:
Rauno Heinonen, Director of Communications, Alma Media, tel. +358 10 665 2251
Elina Kukkonen, Marketing Director, Alma Media Solutions, tel +358 10 665 2333

Alma Media in brief

Alma Media is a media company focusing on the service business and journalistic content. The company’s best-known brands are Kauppalehti, Talouselämä, Affärsvärlden, Iltalehti, Aamulehti, Etuovi.com and Monster. Alma Media builds sustainable growth for its customers by utilising the opportunities of digitality, including information services, system and expert services and advertising solutions. Alma Media’s operations have expanded from Finland to the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Central Europe. Alma Media employs approximately 2,400 professionals (excluding delivery personnel), of whom approximately 30% work outside Finland. Alma Media’s revenue in 2015 was EUR 291.5 million. Alma Media’s share is listed on NASDAQ Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.com.

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