(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors) It was Liza Minnelli in the musical 'Cabaret' who told us money makes the world go round.
These days in the global village connected by the Internet there is possibly a more valuable commodity one which oils the machinery of commerce. And that commodity is data.
We hear a lot about it. Big data niche data market data…the list is endless.
Finding the information that will allow firms to make the correct spending investment or marketing decisions is one thing. It is quite another to be able to interpret it.
AIM-listed Ebiquity () does just this making sure companies are getting enough bang for their advertising and marketing buck as well as showing them how they can improve that return on investment.
It works with 1100 clients worldwide in 20 markets and counts among its roster 90 of the top 100 advertisers globally.
It has two main divisions – Media Value Measurement and Market Performance Optimisation - that work across a range of industries including retail financial services and pharmaceuticals.
“The growth of technology particularly the Internet has empowered consumers which makes a marketing director’s job very difficult in terms of engaging with customers” explains Ebiquity chief executive Michael Greenlees.
“The good news is the market is throwing off tons of data; data to do with how customers are choosing where they sit on an airline to how they buy their groceries to how they feel about particular brands.
“This allows brand owners to target more effectively forecast more effectively track their consumers more effectively and optimise their investment more effectively: so spending where it has more impact.
“That’s the solution we deliver. We offer it end to end. We understand the landscape how to invest more efficiently and how to choose the right mix [of marketing and advertising]. Not just that we are able to track those customers.
“Marketing has become more like a science than simply being a case of making the right judgement. It has become data informed and we live right in the middle of that landscape.”
Around 90 per cent of Ebiquity’s business is repeat and since taking the helm around seven years ago the CEO and his team have quadrupled revenues.
This has been achieved via a combination of organic growth and well-judged acquisitions including the most recent China Media Consulting for up to £6.7mln which took the firm into the People’s Republic.
Greenlees said the company will look at “opportunities that will enhance and widen our skills base”.
Its competition includes market researchers AC Nielsen and Kantar Worldpanel and Accenture and Adobe in media analytics.
None does the end-to-end job performed by Ebiquity while remaining completely independent from the media buying process.
Its trading update last month revealed the group is trading in line with expectations.
Its broker Numis is forecasting pre-tax profit will grow £1.2mln to £11.4mln in the year ending April 30 on revenues of £72mln with profits hitting £12.3mln in 2016. It forecasts net debt will be £22.5mln at the end of the 2015 financial year.
November’s trading statement hinted the firm may start paying a dividend – the plans will be revealed next month alongside interim figures.
Based on the current share price of 115p the company is valued at £82mln or just 10 times prospective earnings. Its potential doesn’t seem to be widely understood by London investors.
Continued strong growth combined with a solid re-rating could be transformational for the share price. So too could merger and acquisition activity.
“We are also very conscious this market is going to consolidate” says Greenlees.
“And we want to be part of that consolidation. We really don’t mind whether we lead or follow it.”
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