The challenge for us is that such an investment would be a very bold move for an IT supplier. There is safety in numbers and the apparently high cost to target company ratio may be nerve-inducing; suppliers often prefer to hedge their bets.

But Tom very firmly advocates the view that the more generic any communication the less its value. In fact, in terms of direct marketing by email, you might say Tom is argueing that as soon as you target two companies with the same communication it becomes generic and the potential for it to succeed is radically reduced.

To invest in running demand generation activities at a one-to-one level – account-based marketing in its truest sense – requires strength of conviction. Instinctively it feels risky to put so many eggs (excuse the pun) in one basket. But in this case, as in many others, the evidence supports the theory.

I wonder, if we ask him again in a year’s time, which companies might be able to replace Sun and AIT as his favourites?