Trio set up breakaway firm

Twenty founders (from left) Simon Breed, Hamish Travers and Mark Wilson hope to take direct marketing to a new level.

Three former managers at New Zealand's biggest direct marketing agency, AIM Proximity, are setting up a rival company, the latest in a series of developments in the sector.

Simon Breed, Hamish Travers and Mark Wilson launched agency Twenty to specialise in data-driven direct marketing.

Breed, who was group account director at AIM Proximity, said direct marketing in New Zealand was under-developed and there was room for more intelligent use of data.

"Direct mail's share of advertising expenditure in 2004 was 13.4 per cent in the UK against 1.6 per cent in New Zealand. The value of direct mail certainly does not represent direct marketing ... but it does, however, provide the best benchmark for the development of the data-driven sector."

He said Progressive Enterprises' use of information gathered from customers' Onecards for store planning - as well as targeting mailers - was a good example of the direction in which the sector was heading.

AIM Proximity chief executive Darryn Melrose said more companies were using direct marketing, and digital technologies meant better information could be collected.

The launch of Twenty followed the creation of Connect Communications in May.