Tribal DDB Spins Out Global CRM Group

New York-based interactive shop Tribal DDB has formed a customer relationship management (CRM) group to cull and analyze consumer data and then decide how to best apply it. Called Tribal Connections, the 50-person global team plans to use opt-in information from Web sites, online marketing campaigns and affiliate programs to help clients get and keep consumers.

The goal of the new branch is "to optimize the data," said Tim McHale, chief media officer at Tribal DDB North America. "Fish where the fish are." The CRM offering will include database management, data capture strategies, profiling and segmentation, customer care consulting and execution, e-mail marketing and technology recommendations and implementation.

Debbie Korono, director of relationship marketing, and Scott Koehler, director of knowledge management, will head the North American unit and will report to McHale. The duo joined Tribal DDB from Nexgenix, an Irvine, Calif.-based relationship marketing firm where Korono was national director of operations, relationship marketing services, and Koehler was director of information management. Finn Overgaard, managing director of Tribal DDB Copenhagen, will lead the charge in Europe. Overgaard will report to Johnny Henriksen, chief executive officer of Tribal DDB Europe.

While CRM has generated tons of buzz in the interactive community this year, analysts remain skeptical. "CRM is one of those terms that's sort of meaningless. It means different things to different people," cautioned Marissa Gluck, an analyst with New York-based Jupiter Research. As for Tribal DDB expanding into this realm, Gluck said, "[CRM] has never been the strength of an agency. Their strength is developing brands."

However, Tribal DDB promises to avoid common "CRM" traps, such as overgeneralizing consumer behavior. Instead, Tribal Connections will focus on accumulated actions over a period of time, explained Korono.

For instance, several online shoppers encounter the all-too-familiar scenario where an e-commerce shop recommends irrelevant items based on a single purchase. "You order a Beatles CD for your uncle. Then, you start receiving e-mails or product suggestions about every Beatles album in stock," said Koehler. Meanwhile, the consumer's musical allegiance lies with heavy metal kings Mötley Crüe, not the British rock 'n' roll band. "The company didn't bother to ask whether this gift was for yourself or a loved one," Koehler said.

Thus far, European clients for Tribal Connections include Sony, KPMG, Carlsberg, Canon, Dun & Bradstreet and Audi, among others. The group declined to name North American clients.