<p>Big Blue is spending big to build up its marketing consulting business.</p><p>International Business Machines Corp. will announce on Thursday that it is investing $100 million into a recently formed division IBM Interactive Experience. The division pulls together IBM's digital marketing agency and its other marketing-related businesses such as data analytics and design, all of which are aimed at helping companies target and market to customers more effectively.</p><p>IBM said it plans to hire 1,000 new staff for the marketing consulting group, which already has over 5,000 staffers around the world. IBM also plans to open laboratories spaces specifically designed for clients to work side by side with IBM staffers in 10 markets around the world, including Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Shanghai.</p><p>One big focus area for IBM is data analytics, which is increasingly important to marketers. The company said that it is moving IBM researchers and data scientists into the new division to help marketers make sense of the enormous amounts of data becoming available through new channels, including social media.</p><p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2014/03/27/ibm-plans-100-million-marketing-expansion/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/ibm-ups-bet-on-user-experience-design-consulting-7000027708/">IBM ups bet on user experience, design consulting</a> (ZDNet)</p><p><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ibm-commits-100-million-to-globally-expand-unique-consulting-model-that-fuses-strategy-data-and-design-2014-03-27?reflink=MW_news_stmp">IBM Commits $ 100 Million to Globally Expand Unique Consulting Model That ...</a> (MarketWatch)</p><p><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/report-wikibon-ranks-ibm-number-one-in-big-data-market-for-second-consecutive-year-252716021.html">Report: Wikibon Ranks IBM Number One in Big Data Market for Second ...</a> (PR Newswire (press release))</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dlpRqzyrqr2d5VMiyA4mYOMmGuo3M&authuser=0&ned=us">13 additional articles.</a></p>
