Speaking at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting, Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP chief executive, said that direct marketing currently accounts for around one third of WPP's $6bn (拢3.7bn) annual revenue and Sir Martin wants to increase that to more than 50%.
The shift will not just include traditional forms of direct marketing, but the fast-growing interactive area as well. Sir Martin said that the internet will play a key role in this growth.
"There's a greater demand for quantitative justification of the effectiveness of campaigns. Direct marketing and the internet are much more measurable than other forms of advertising," he told Dow Jones.
The comments follow those last week when Sir Martin reiterated his view that 2004 will bring a significant recovery in advertising, even if there is a war in Iraq.
WPP has won a number of significant new business wins recently, including the Oil giant ChevronTexaco, which consolidated its $150m global creative advertising business into WPP advertising network Young & Rubicam.
Sir Martin said that he was sticking by his forecast of improved adspend in 2004: "That was always taken into account." His forecast is largely based on the impact that Athens Olympic Games and the US presidential elections will have on advertising and spending ratchets up.
WPP's below-the-line operations include OgilvyOne Worldwide and Harrison Troughton Wunderman and Black Cat.
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