GERRY THORLEY
CEO EYE GROUP

Advertisers need media that can sell, has a proven ability to connect directly with consumers, provides competitive value amongst other media options, is flexible and agile, and offers a high degree of accountability. This is particularly the case during periods of economic constraint.

On all these fronts, this is a time when EYE can stand out from the pack, create real impact and deliver results for our clients around the world.

Due to the nature of the market, and like our colleagues at Network Ten, the key priorities for EYE during the year have been to achieve operational efficiency while ensuring we remain focused on building and marketing our exciting offerings to clients.

A great deal of work was done to ensure our businesses in all markets are both streamlined and agile so that they are able to withstand the current demanding external environment and to ensure we are well placed to benefit strategically and financially when more favourable trading conditions return.

A rigorous review of non-essential expenditure delivered a double-digit cost reduction on the previous year. This level of efficiency was achieved while protecting our revenue-generating activities and continually enhancing our capacity to build enduring client relationships. This was reflected in the positive earnings contribution from EYE, despite the difficulties encountered in the sector.

We remain, as ever, close to our clients so that we can help them achieve their business goals and respond to their expectations of us, which include robust audience measurement and audience insights, standardisation of formats, and greater ease of planning and buying.

Our work and investment with Salesforce, the world's leading customer relationship management (CRM) and strategic sales management system, now sees this product deployed across EYE's sales teams in all major regions. This advanced sales tool provides secure, online, centralised CRM and highly effective and efficient prospect management for our media sales teams. It is supported with real-time analytics for our management group, including response times that can now be tracked and, as a result, we are better able to effect lasting cultural change. EYE's highly regarded marketing activities are also integrated into Salesforce, ensuring maximum consistency, accountability and speed to market.