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Category : DiGo Culture

Buddy Lunch: The Best Things in Life Are Free

Starting out somewhere new is never easy. You’re tasked with figuring out a boatload of new information for yourself: what those acronyms stand for, which conference room you’re supposed to be in, or what your coworker’s name actually is because you’re pretty sure it’s Pat, but maybe you misheard him and it’s Matt, but it’s too late to ask now so you just decide to play it safe and avoid calling him anything at all.

It can be tough to navigate these new waters – unless that place is DiMassimo Goldstein.

I’ve had the privilege of being DiGo’s Client Fulfillment intern since December, and I can honestly say this transition has been seamless. From day one, I’ve been met with nothing but warm smiles, welcoming coworkers, and great opportunities to get to know them better. Perhaps the greatest opportunity of them all has been the Buddy Lunch.

I realize that this is not a widespread term, as I’m lucky enough to be at the company that’s at the forefront of the Buddy Lunch Revolution. To better clarify this DiGo terminology for our readers, I’ve created a definition:

Buddy Lunch (noun): a midday meal paid for by your company during which you get to  better know one or several of your coworkers, and thus, make new friends.

Example: “Hey, John. You seem like a really cool guy. Let’s go to Panera and chat it up!”

This might not sound typical, but keep in mind that nothing about DiMassimo Goldstein is typical. This is the same company where within my first two weeks, I experienced things like team karaoke, meditation, cats and dogs in the office (and no, that’s not a metaphor). So, a free lunch during work as a way to make new friends? That just seemed like classic DiGo – and I was all over it.

Unfortunately, my execution was not as effortless as my excitement. After several drafted emails later, I still couldn’t think of the right words. How exactly is the best way to say “Hey, you probably don’t know me, but that’s why I’m emailing you. Should we get some lunch so that we can learn each other’s names?” Didn’t exactly work. Luckily enough, some kind soul in the office saved me from my own awkwardness and invited me out to lunch. If you know anything about DiGo’s employees, you’ll know that this display of kindness is par for the course. To no surprise, it was a great time: flowing conversation and plenty of laughs over a pizza that was definitely fit for more than two people. Was I sure this was the dreaded “work” that all my employed friends were warning me about?

After that, I felt comfortable. I had a friend in the office, and I had the momentum to make some more. With every Buddy Lunch I went on, I felt like I became more a part of DiGo because I got to know the people who made it so special. Each person imparted their wisdom on me, wanting to give me the best possible advice on how to succeed at this company. Though I valued their input greatly, it was their willingness and enthusiasm to help others that most resonated with me.

I quickly realized that everybody at DiGo wanted the best for their peers, and the feeling was contagious. Whether it was pizza with someone from Studio, dumplings with the Account team, or salad with someone from the Marketing team, I felt such a strong sense of support from the people I was surrounded by, and it made me want to do the same for others. To me, that defines success at a company.

If that isn’t #InspiringAction, I don’t know what is. Power to the Buddy Lunch!

— Claire Holleran, Client Fulfillment Intern

A Day in the Life of a CRM and Email Marketing Manager

How do you describe your role at DiGo? 

I still remember when I first saw the job opening on LinkedIn; it described the CRM Manager as, “the organizational linchpin for the agency’s marketing efforts”. Now, six months in, I can see why.

With support from the rest of the Marketing team, I develop multi-channel and data-driven recommendations for lead nurturing and conversion. I analyze the different touchpoints and interactions of our contacts and build customized campaigns delivered to the right people, at the right time, through the right channels.

What’s your average day like? 

I’m sure more than one would say the same, but at DiGo, there’s not one day like the other. My days go from being in meetings, planning and launching lead gen campaigns, updating the database and connecting with prospective clients; to running ads, sending PR pitches, building integrated reports and reviewing tools to integrate with our CRM. Oh, and testing, lots of testing!

Do you have a morning ritual to get you in the zone? 

I love having everything ready the night before; it gives me time to slow the pace in the morning while enjoying my fresh brew of Colombian coffee with Nick, my husband. I wake up around 5:30 a.m. (when I decide to work out, which is not very often), then shower, coffee, breakfast, get a quick update on the news and leave. The ritual that gets me the most in the zone is probably during my commute. I always carry a book in my bag, listen to a podcast, read the Fast Company edition of the month, or listen to whatever playlist fits my mood — “90’s Hits” has been on repeat this last week!

What’s your favorite part about what you do? 

Being able to do what I love with so many amazing people! Everyone is passionate, welcoming and ready to work. Working on the Marketing team, for example, is exciting and challenging but it can also be unpredictable. When days turn crazy, my team works hard, runs around and get things done while having fun doing it. There have been nights when I go back home with sore abs, just from laughing.

What elements of your workday do you look forward to most? 

Besides working with a great team, seeing positive results is what I look forward to the most (don’t we all?). Launching successful campaigns, receiving positive feedback and seeing the hard work come to life will always be an energy boost. The baked goods in the kitchen, bagels, movies, ping pong tournaments and mimosas help too :)

What’s the most challenging part of being a CRM Manager?

Translating data into robust and customer-centric marketing campaigns. We are in a time when every user expects a completely unique experience and no two paths are the same. It’s a challenge, but I like it!

What’s your favorite thing about being a CRM Manager? 

Being at the center of it. You can do so much when you have a fully integrated CRM system. You have a full 360 view of your database, a thousand possible touchpoints and a different behavioral history for each contact. It’s like a puzzle!

If you could describe DiGo in a phrase, what would it be? 

An inspiring combination of originality, diversity and hard work!

– Daniela Arevalo, CRM and Email Marketing Manager

Welcome To The DiGo Beach

Thousands of New Yorkers will escape the city to be liberated by the beach this weekend. We would join them, you know, if we didn’t already have a beach in our 23rd street office.

You heard that right. DiMassimo Goldstein is the only agency in the world with its own beach.

When we said a couple of months ago that we would build a beach in our office, we really meant it. But everyone knows that saying something and actually doing something are two very different things. We’re an agency full of doers. It’s what we’re all about, taking an inspiring idea and putting it into action.

Check out the video below to see how we brought the beach to our Gramercy Park office.

Behind The Scenes #digobeach from DiMassimo Goldstein on Vimeo.

Whether it’s for a nice lunch, a meeting, or just pure relaxation, the DiGo Beach is officially open for the summer. It’s the perfect environment to nurture creativity; a seaside oasis that encourages free-flowing thought. We wanted to build a paradise where ideas could come to life, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

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To read the official Press Release just click HERE.

 

Happy Agencies Mean Happy Clients

It’s no secret that working in advertising can be hard. We want to bring our clients the absolute best work possible, and sometimes that can mean working late nights. It’s what we signed up for, and we love it. We love the smile on our clients’ faces when they see the finished product. We love to hear about the winning results. And we love to see that those extra hours really made a huge difference. In the end, it’s always worth it. It makes it so much easier when the work is fun. When the people you’re collaborating with are not just your team members, but your friends as well. We inspire each other everyday, and through that inspiration we are able to create inspiring work. It’s a cycle that never stops, and we’re really lucky to have it. We’re a happy agency, and because of that, our clients are happy.

Life at DiGo from Ericagrau on Vimeo.

 

We Exist To Inspire

Our clients, consumers, one another, the world around us. 

Clients need to feel our passion and enthusiasm for ideas that can build their business. We didn’t sign up for boring cubicles and never-ending meetings. Let’s make the time our clients spend with us meaningful, fun and inspiring.

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At DiMassimo Goldstein, we put our values in a document we call “The DIGO Standard.” It doesn’t just hang on the walls and sit on our desks and desktops. We use it every day. People who visit often ask for a copy. Here’s yours, and you didn’t even have to ask.

We’re Here To Make Things Grow

Movements. Ideas. Products. Brands. Companies. 

If we can’t get excited about growing them, we shouldn’t be working on them. The work we do has a purpose and fits into a larger whole. By maintaining that perspective, we make success more difficult. But in facing the extra difficulty, we earn our integrity, self-respect and market value.

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At DiMassimo Goldstein, we put our values in a document we call “The DIGO Standard.” It doesn’t just hang on the walls and sit on our desks and desktops. We use it every day. People who visit often ask for a copy. Here’s yours, and you didn’t even have to ask.

 

INSPIRE ACTION

Key #9 of 10 to Inspiring Action: 10 Keys to the Future of Marketing. Download our summary poster of the 10 Keys here

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Every business and brand that grows has a Golden Goose.

Sometimes that’s sales. Sometimes it’s direct mail. Other times it’s e-commerce and a digital, affiliate network. Sometimes they tell me it’s “word-of-mouth.”

For a while, whatever it was, it produced the Golden Eggs. It worked. And the Goose’s enemies were marketing and branding. Or perhaps they were the Goose’s servants, such as when the marketing team was really the sales collateral team. Or the direct mail team. Or the in-house studio.

“Our salespeople sell and they’re starting from zero.” “We’re the leader in our category, but no one knows it.” “This channel is just getting too expensive – we need what’s next.”  The Inspiring Action Moment is launched with sentences like these.

Our clients have some things in common. They can’t wait two years or even six months for “the brand campaign” to start working. They can’t tolerate poorer sales numbers while they invest in getting more famous. And they aren’t willing to match large advertisers dollar-for-dollar in order to capture a share of the market.

The kind of brand building they need is the kind that makes the selling more efficient right away. They need the kind of brand building that improves their return-on-marketing-spend right away, and then just keeps getting better.

And often they need more than a marketing revolution. They need at least an internal culture evolution as well. They need a team with a new common understanding of what it takes to succeed at the next level today.

This is what we mean when we say “inspiring action.” The great thing about an Inspiring Action Moment is that it can lead to the most exciting and impactful era for a business. Are you ready for yours?

-Mark DiMassimo, Chief

 

We Got Fired By Santa

Inspiring Action

Happy Holidays 2015 from DiMassimo Goldstein on Vimeo.

In many ways, Santa was the perfect client for DiMassimo Goldstein. We specialize in direct-to-consumer, life-changing brands. That pretty much describes jolly old St. Nick, right? He sees you when you’re sleeping, for crying out loud. It doesn’t get any more direct-model than that. And, every December 25th, he changes lives all over the world in one night. (We still don’t know how he does this, by the way.)

We advised him against Twitter. We think every action a client takes should be on brand, if it is to inspire. And our research showed that Santa’s brand was more inspiring when he stayed mysterious and never spoke to his customers through technology. But he saw some internet guru talking about “if you’re not on Twitter, you don’t exist” and he mandated it. Thanks, Vaynerchuck.

Yes, we were fired by Santa. But look on the bright side: now we have room for a life-changing, direct-model client. The new business elves are standing by.

And, for a stocking stuffer, here’s a behind the scenes look at how it all went down.

Digo Holiday Video 2015 BTS from Tom Christmann on Vimeo.