Cont'd: What happened at DM 06

(Ok ok so I couldn't help coming back and sharing the stuff that happened today. Will write some of it and continue the rest tomorrow)

Marketing is all about making profits.

Make no mistake about that. Some argue that its all about creativity. Or being clever. Or something else. No one ever says its about sales. The thing is, its all of the above, but beyond them as well.

Marketing's sole purpose of existence is to make whichever organisation or entity that employs it a profitable entity. If that entity is a consumer-driven one, it seeks to make money and its marketing department is given a budget solely to make money. If the entity is a socio-politial or religious entity, its marketing people are their to make human-profit. Money is a side effect there which is readily welcome. As it should be. Everyone needs it to survive.

That, folks, was the message of the DM 2006 Conference. Direct Marketing in the region - particularly Dubai - is an element that is just not being used in the right frame of reference. And if some smart company is in fact succeeding in doing that, then it is one of the few who do.

Wunderman, that great creative agency whose work I simply adore and rave about, (not particularly because its a place where many of my friends work but that is a plus point), scored a lovely goal this past week by winning the direct marketing gold award in Cannes, the first agency in the region to do so. And we were lucky enough to hear from them at the Conference, as they shared their knowledge and insight.

Sadly, as I pointed out earlier, none of the agencies in Dubai were present to witness it. Which could explain why they're terrible at it.

DHL, OgilvyOne, Airmiles, Emirates Bank, Xerox, the Direct Marketing Association and the Chartered Institute of Marketing were all presenting as well, along with many others. 100 people were there and it was on the opening day that Charles Prescott made the statement that SHOULD make ALL agencies and the Government of Dubai stand up and take note: the UAE's Direct Marketing industry - if it does its DM properly - can effect US$ 13 billion annually.

Anyone listening?