McKinsey boosts digital marketing presence

7th April 2025 |   Nicholas de Cent

Marketing leaders who prioritize customer-first marketing capabilities to boost their understanding of customer needs can grow 28% faster than their peers, according to strategic management consultancy McKinsey.

The consultancy has stepped up its presence in the digital marketing operations and technology (DMOT) sphere with the acquisition of ET Medialabs (ETML), a leading performance marketing and analytics agency in India. The move follows the earlier acquisition of Latin American boutique digital agency LOBO, which is based in Buenos Aires.

ETML has helped drive growth for scale-ups and larger organisations by reducing ad waste and optimizing budgets and campaign impact time. McKinsey claims ETML’s approach offers immediate impact from digital marketing compared with a typical six to 12 months seen previously.

“What sets ETML apart is the speed and consistency of messaging across channels,” says Stephan Zimmermann, senior partner and leader of the consultancy’s DMOT offering.

“Automation alone isn’t enough,” he tells the Journal. “Using customer insights to effectively personalize and enable clients to connect with their audience is where we’re most excited to see rapid impact