/digobrands
@digobrandsHoliday Cheer & Holiday Beer At DIGO
Some more enticing details of the DIGO holiday goodies. That’s DIGO spelled “DiGo” in a festive script font.
Happy Holidays!
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DIGO brands the holidays.
The twelve days of the DIGO holiday party continue… kind of like an adventvertising calendar.
Like an Internship in the CIA, Plus Vodka.
My first day I sat down and I thought “I am a spy working for an advertising agency!”
Each week I am given a list of events for Double Cross Vodka. When I attend these events I make sure to write down how they set up, what the brand presence is and if anyone talks about the brand. I document the night by taking photos.
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DIGO Brands Indiana University
Recently received this picture from the wall of a freshman dorm room at Indiana University. The buzz from last year’s DIGO party seems to have penetrated the MidWest. Those who were there will not be surprised by the news! Looking forward to the 17th this coming May!
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DIGO Brands Account People.
Account People. I’m not going to say that account people have the hardest job in the agency, but I will say that there is no harder job in the agency that being an account person.
You are responsible for all the work you do — and there is a lot of it — plus all the work everyone else does. You are accountable to your teammembers, to the agency and to the client too.
When you’re great, you can make the difference between absolute brand, business, creative and relationship victory. When you’re not, it all can come crashing down.
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Let my people go!
Will any of you take me up on this? Unless your job is to operate a computer – get away from your computer!
Get out of the office, and leave it behind, chained to your desk where it belongs.
The best ideas have been received in bars and coffee shops, garages and showers, beds and walks and shopping trips. Digital tools are so seductive, our lust for seeing our idea produced is so overwhelming, we are missing the whole game. … Read more
Clients are people.
Phil Gable
Creative Director
It seems like a simple enough truth. It doesn’t take that many Venn diagrams to reach this conclusion. But it’s easy to slip into the pattern of viewing clients as just forces in nature that must be overcome, instead of seeing them for what they really are – human beings who happen to be paying us to solve a some of their problems. … Read more
The DIGO Standard.
THE DIGO STANDARD: HOW WE SUCCEED TOGETHER
PART 01 ABOUT US PART 02 HOW WE ACT PART 03 HOW WE WORK PART 04 HOW THIS WORKS
01 WHO WE ARE.
While we can be considered a thriving independent strategy/ research/ brand /design/ innovation/ advertising/ direct/ digital /social marketing agency, we prefer this handle: brand-driven growth network. We make things grow, from product innovation to every facet of promotion.
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.
Why Do We Say Client Fulfillment?
Because clients who are really fulfilled-fulfilled as people, professionals and clients too- will become lifelong clients and in turn, recommend us. That’s how we grow. Great Clients, Great Work and Great People.
Each of us is Responsible for Our Own Inspiration.
Don’t settle for less. Find, ask, challenge, orchestrate, search, revisit…do what it takes to get inspired to do your best.
We Are Smarter Together Than We Are Alone.
Bands are more successful when everyone knows their part. Let your band mates play their part.
The First Rule of a Judgment is Business.
We have an obligation to share our point of view, regardless of its popularity, both internally and externally. But once a decision is made, we are equally obligated to support it.
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.
We Are all in business development.
We provide value to clients and should charge a fair price. And should not be shy or subtle about it.
We Are a For-Profit Company.
We provide value to clients and should charge a fair price. And should not be shy or subtle about it.
Partnership
It’s what comes from investing in people and relationships, valuing them above short-term gain. Make your clients, your partners, your people feel that true partnership is possible. Invest beyond all calculation in people who inspire you. Be an honorable and generous partner at all times.
We Are One.
We are one firm: We have many different brand names on our business cards. We may work in different departments. But we are all responsible for the success of our clients, either directly or indirectly. There is no success apart from common success.
02 Listening is More Important Than Talking.
Remember That People Come Here to do and be more.
Don’t put yourself or anyone in a box. Expect creativity from “account people.” Expect strategic smarts from “creative people.” Expect management smarts from everyone. Collaborate with everyone you can. We play roles but if we wanted to be limited by them, we would be someplace else.
Clients Are People.
If you can get them to feel that you know that, the rest of your job gets easier. Treat them like part of the team, rather than a boss or an obstacle. Tell them what you really think. Joke and confide and take the risk of feeling comfortable around them. Challenge them to inspire you. Challenge yourself to inspire them. Be big enough to celebrate when they have a big idea.
We’re all smart (or else we wouldn’t be here) and it’s not a contest. Speak up when it’s right and listen well and actively.
If You’re Here, You’re Smart.
Don’t hold back. There are no bad ideas or dumb questions. Only the ideas you held back and the questions you should have asked but didn’t.
If Things Go Wrong, Speak Up.
If you need help, ask for it. It’s far better to raise an alarm before disaster strikes than after. Together we can solve almost any problem. Communicate early and often.
Great Work Wins Business. Great Relationships Keep Business.
We proactively work on relationship building. What are you doing this week to build and strengthen a client relationship.
In Running Meetings:
Start on time, end on time. Have an agenda and stick to it (unless there’s good reason not to). Agree to next steps and follow up.
Promise Wisely and Then Over-Deliver.
Make no commitment without consultation. Give clients something they didn’t ask for. Sometimes, deliver ahead of deadline. End a meeting early and give colleagues, vendors or clients the gift of time.
03 It’s the Work
While not every project presents an opportunity for greatness, every one is an opportunity to practice your craft. In the long run, those who work more, who try it more ways, who do something good and then do something better, who crank, will accumulate many years’ more practice more than their less prolific colleagues. This confers upon them an unmatchable advantage.
Take the Word Brief Seriously.
Let’s not ever make each other guess which part of brief is the important part. Let’s include the important part. Let’s make sure our briefs are simple, compelling and crystal clear. Nothing in an agency is more sacred.
Like + Trust = Business.
People hire people they like and trust. It really is as simple and profound as that.
Over-Collaborate.
Especially at the beginning of relationships, while you are earning the trust and admiration that will smooth the inevitable bumps down the road. While figuring everything out, and layering the groundwork for success. Get on more planes. Provide more options. Ask more questions. See the factory, meet the workers, go to the research, talk to the sales force, get a demonstration, sample the product, talk to a board member, brainstorm with the client. Over-communicate. Over-collaborate. Over-deliver. Time and energy invested in relationships pays us back in better work, business and results. Oh, yeah, and better relationships too.
This is a Relationship Business.
We’re small enough that we can manage personal relationships. So, honor personal relationships. Treat your commitments as sacred. Communicate. Never leave your colleagues in the lurch. Be the colleague you wish for.
Think.
A problem, project or opportunity well-defined is half solved. More time is wasted not thinking well at the beginning of projects than can ever be made up by speed, efficiency or piling on staff later.
Design In Context.
The context is the user’s or the audience’s experience. Design in context. Present in context. Evaluate in context. The first rule of design. And remember that everything that we do is design.
Agree on Strategy, A Budget and A Schedule.
Simple, yes. Always followed, no. Let’s remember the basics.
Meetings, When Necessary.
We’re in an over-meeting culture. Let’s make sure we really need a meeting before we schedule. If we do, let’s show up on time and focus. Time is valuable.
Great Presentations Tell a Story.
One thought per slide. Tell a complete story, with insights and ideas.
When Presenting Big Ideas, Don’t Sell Executions.
Countless ideas get killed because the client sees execution too early. We sell big ideas first. Then the execution. We like simple descriptions and key visual to buy a big idea. Nothing more.
Creative Work is the Product. Get Behind It. And Be Ready to Defend it When Necessary.
Choice is good. We almost always have three options to choose from. And never one we can’t get behind.
Client Presentations Are as Important as New Business Presentations.
No understudies on presentation day. Casting is important.
04 We Are All Responsible For Holding Each Other to This Standard.
When our colleagues succeed, we all succeed- so help one another exceed the standard. If a colleague is not living up to this standard we have an obligation not to let it pass. If you have an issue with a colleague, deal with it directly, privately and professionally before you escalate. If that is unsatisfactory, get help. Professional expertise is given around here; modeling the standard is the true path to success.
At DIGO, we have a standard to live up to. It’s part of our quest to build a great brand. Since a brand is an experience you can repeat, we need to be able to deliver an experience that is predictably great. That doesn’t happen by simply hiring great people and letting them do whatever they do. Yes, we hire great people. Absolutely, they get a great deal of responsibility and the latitude to do great and surprising things. But they do them within a framework that we all understand. A framework that says what we’re here for. Our why. And some of our hows too. The DIGO Standard. … Read more
DiMassimo of DIGO Brands Newt Gingrich on FOX
Mark DiMassimo sat down with Neil Cavuto for a one-to-one conversation on the fatal flaws in the Gingrich “brand.” DiMassimo argued that Gingrich is a “Challenger but not a Champion,” that the perceived brand negatives of “disloyal, devious and deviant” would ultimately undo his candidacy. DiMassimo concluded, “Newt is a historian burdened by his own history.”
Read the transcript here.
DIGO Brands Superbowl Shock Spots
TheStreet.com spoke to Mark DiMassimo about the kinds of SuperBowl spots we can all expect to see again this year. Most comments concur that he managed a tightrope dance of remaining eloquent and on point and still slipping in the word “scrotum.” Enjoy.
DIGO Brands a Conference Room
“Our designers love to design!!!”
DIGO Brands Work Style
Despite a large and sprawling office space that buzzes with activity, this Instagram digital snapshot shows just how much DIGO people love working together. And they look good doing it too!
Friday Reads – 12/02/11
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: A Grab Bag of Good Stuff
Friday Reads – 11/18/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Google+ Brand Pages
Friday Reads – 11/11/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Mobile First
Take Social Notes
If you’re normal, you think that because you’re noting everything important that’s said and agreed in a meeting that you’re taking notes in the most effective way. But the normal way of doing it is a drag. It misses one of the greatest kicks that note-taking can give a team. … Read more
Friday Reads – 10/6/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Steve Jobs
We wouldn’t be us if there were no Steve Jobs. The machines, the experiences, the example… more than anybody, Steve demonstrated what we value, sell and strive to create. The product is 360 degree sensurround inspiration. Every day is an art project … Read more
DIGO Hearts The Middle Market
The Middle Market. We love it. Agencies seem to all dream the same dream. Do some great work for smaller clients and then win a bigger client, and perhaps another until you are huge enough to sell out, if you haven’t already. Just another scheme for using … Read more
Friday Reads – 8/26/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Steve Jobs
DIGO Brands Digital
We don’t just do digital. We seize the opportunities of the digital age. We test and measure much more because it costs less to test than to fail to test. We use direct response results to inform not just direct tactics but the brand.
We believe that the user experience – of the product, the service, the website, the app, … Read more
Friday Reads – 8/19/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Design (Too easy?)
This week’s challenge: All links posted are culled from Twitter feeds (Still too easy? Yes.)
Friday Reads – 8/12/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Changing Consumer Habits
Friday Reads – 8/5/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Business Leadership
Friday Reads – 7/29/2011
A weekly post on some of our favorites from around the Web.
This week’s topic: Brand Driven Growth
DIGObrands.com Goes Offline a Day Early
Website Absorbs Atmospheric Jolt. We’re going offline for Yom Kippur, but digobrands.com will be up and running. However, we were down overnight after last night’s freak storms. As of this morning, we’re back up and denizens of the Internet can now go back to their usual routine. No kidding, we’re one of the most trafficked agency websites, so we figure there are a number of you who make us part of your regular surfing routine. Have we told you we love you. W-E L-O-V-E Y-O-U. And not in a Platonic way. In a juicy, enthusiastic, smile when we see you and warm hugs sort of way. We’re sorry we weren’t there for you last night. But we’re back. Want a back rub?
DIGO Outgrows Its Britches – Adds Business, Space.
DIGO, the agency that builds brands and businesses, is now getting to build out some new space due to building its own business. The lease of new space contiguous with the current agency offices at 220 East 23rd Street has both architects and agency team-members delighted. The new space will contain more offices and project rooms, a common area. Rumors of a wet bar are all wet, however the agency ping pong table will remain. Clients and visitors will enjoy a new reception area, and Lee will finally achieve his dream of a state-of-the-art conference room. If you haven’t been to the space lately, may we suggest stopping by for a visit and a tour in the next few months.
DIGO Brands Get Offline!
Mark DiMassimo, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of DIGO and Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, talk about their new movement, Offlining on ABC TV.
NEW YORK (WABC) — A new campaign to spend more face to face time is called “Offlining”. Eric Yaverbaum is a PR head, and Mark DiMassimo is a marketing executive. They frequently work together, but these days, they are the client. “We got together and said what’s bugging us about the world, and we said the off button. No one is selling the off button,” Yaverbaum said. In other words, everyone is yapping, texting and typing away. So, Eric and Mark are spending their own money to get people to turn off those devices, they call it Offlining. “We would like to accelerate a conversation of building offline time into life, that’s basically it,” said DiMassimo. To read more click here.
DIGO Brands Team Follicularly Dominates
There’s not really much more to say here… the mustaches have an eloquence beyond our poor power to add or detract. But I suppose I will add that it’s not everyday that you can fight prostate cancer with something you grow on your face. So, when the opportunity came along, … Read more