Ready to work together?

Call Lee at 212.253.7500

or email lee@digobrands.com

Author: Team DIGO

Intern Insights: A Day In The Life Of An Integrated Marketing Intern

It’s often said that if you choose a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Despite battling an army of pigeons and dripping air conditioners to get to the office this morning, I can honestly say that this quote resonates with me. As I arrive at DiGo for the third week of my summer internship, I grab a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and head to my desk in the cozy Creative Lounge, excited to begin my day.

image2[1]

9:10am: I start with a trip to Adage.com for an update on industry news and trends, hoping to pull some inspiration for today’s social media activities. As an Integrated Marketing Intern at DiGo, no two days are ever the same. My daily tasks range from creating content for our social media platforms to planning agency events with other interns, social ‘listening’ and monitoring, and crafting client profiles to leverage in our content marketing strategy. In lieu of coffee runs and dry cleaning pick-ups, my complete involvement in the agency’s Integrated Marketing efforts has made me feel trusted and valued in my three weeks here. Needless to say, I’ve learned more at DiGo than a textbook could ever teach me.

10:00am: James, my manager, asks me to gather some clips to be included in Mark DiMassimo’s sizzle reel. After Googling what ‘sizzle reel’ means, I get started.

11:30am: I’m working with Shelby, the Operations Intern, to film a video that perfectly captures the life of a DiGo Intern. We hope that by providing some insight into the work that we do, the people we work with and the environment in which we work, we’ll be able to leave the agency with a helpful tool to prepare future interns for their months ahead. In search of some great footage, we set off on a tour of the office to find our first subjects. Thankfully, in an agency as lively and creative as ours, we didn’t have to look far for some inspiration. For any future interns who may have stumbled upon this post, below is a sneak peak of what’s to come in our video.

image1[1]

12:30pm: Lunch at DiGo on Wednesdays is like a Michelin-starred meal. While I don’t generally get this worked up over salads, believe me when I say that the Wednesday salad bar, perfectly timed after the weekly meditation session held in our office, is the perfect mid-week pick-me-up. Between Wednesday salad bars and Friday bagels, there’s certainly no shortage of brain food here.

1:00pm: Back to work. Of the many projects I’ve been working on this summer, one of my favorites has been collaborating with three other interns to plan DiGo’s 20th Anniversary celebration. The creative ideas that have emerged from combining our different backgrounds in marketing, strategy, operations and design have taught me the value of working with people whose skill sets are vastly different from my own. Today, we’re meeting with the party committee- Julia, James and Kevin- to present our thoughts and receive feedback. Despite some of our ideas being wildly unfeasible (can we rent robots?), I’m grateful for a job that allows me to use my imagination.

3:00pm: After our meeting, I begin to think of some ideas for an exciting new podcast that James has been working on. For a change of scenery, I head to the beach. How many interns get to work from a beach inside their office? Pretty few. 10, to be exact, and I’m sitting beside them all right now. There’s nothing like dipping your toes in the sand to get your creative juices flowing, and I spend the rest of the afternoon brainstorming from my chair on the beach.

image3

One lesson I’ve learned over the past few weeks is the importance of being inspired by your job. How can you help to build inspiring brands if you aren’t inspired by the work yourself? For me, what I’m inspired by most at DiGo is the free cereal. Just kidding – it’s the people. Good people doing good things: from Jo who offered us donuts for breakfast, to Jeff, Antonio and Katie who took me out for buddy lunches in my first week, and my amazing managers, Julia and James, who make me feel like part of their team. The cereal is just an added bonus. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks have in store.

-Chloe Evans, Integrated Marketing Intern

 

Tom Christmann Joins The Don’t Get Me Started Podcast

Agency Partner and Chief Creative Officer Tom Christmann has been a busy man as of late. Aside from spearheading our awesome creative department, he’s been recording podcasts – and great ones at that.

Screen Shot 2016-06-14 at 2.16.39 PM

This time it’s the Don’t Get Me Started Podcast, hosted by Dan Balser, the advertising head at the Creative Circus in Atlanta. For a little over fifty minutes, Tom takes us through a timeline of his career, recounting pivotal moments and events that have altered his philosophy and the processes behind how he works. Other topics Tom and Dan discuss are subcultures and how they align with the advertising industry; the advantages of game theory; the importance of a work-life balance; how to review a portfolio; the Mad Men Bowling league; and the challenges facing the industry today.

This podcast has been years in the making, but the conversation was well worth the wait. Listen to the the full episode below.

 

And, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out Tom’s last podcast appearance HERE.

 

Craft Your Questions

The following post is an excerpt from Digital@Speed, authored by digital marketing guru Mark DiMassimo. Visit the official website here to download your free copy today.

It’s not hard to find the smartest person in the room. Just listen for the best questions.

Take time and care to develop your questions. Think about what’s most important. You’ll get better answers. And more importantly, you’ll get answers you can use.

Ant think about using questions to create engagement in social and digital media. Questions are a great way to engage, and the answers can be surprising and valuable as well.

 

Simplest Possible Explanation – ANA’s Media Kickback Report

Our Chief, Mark DiMasismo, takes to the DiGo Beach to shed some light on the controversy surrounding the recent Association of National Advertisers (ANA) report on media kickbacks. To see the full transcript, scroll down below.

Mark DiMassimo On Media Kickbacks from DiMassimo Goldstein on Vimeo.

Transcript:

“So a lot of folks want to know what’s all this fuss about kickbacks – media kickbacks – that the ANA (the Association of National Advertisers) and the 4A’s (the American Association of Advertising Agencies) are squabbling about in public. In fact, the ANA, which represents the nation’s largest advertisers, is about to release a report that is predicted to say that most holding companies and agencies are taking kickbacks. Now I don’t know that that’s the fact, and I don’t know that that’s in the report, but that’s what’s being said in the press. And the 4A’s, which represents all the large agencies and holding companies, is coming back and saying ‘before you release your report, ANA, make sure that you have the facts’.

 So what is this? What do they mean by kickbacks? I wanted to talk to you about this. I care a lot about it because I run an independent agency. And Independent agencies aren’t necessarily represented by either of those groups.

 So we’re on the DiMassimo Goldstein beach here. Let’s look at these bowls of sand. Advertiser: let’s say that this is your media budget (holding bowl 1). And here it is again (holding bowl 2). And this is the independent agency bowl (bowl 1); as you can see, it’s transparent and nearly full. And that’s all your sand right there. In this other bowl, the holding company bowl (bowl 2), they’re probably going to tell you there’s more in this bowl than there is in the other bowl (bowl 1). But if you were to get really close, you would see that there is actually less – maybe 15% – 20% less – sand in this bowl (bowl 2). Why is there less sand in this bowl? I’ll tell you why. Because what is predicted to be finally reported by the ANA is that the holding companies are taking a little bit of the sand from each of those bowls and filling up their big, hidden crystal bowl that they keep in the back room, and are now challenging the 4A’s to prove that they have. But let me tell you, as an independent agency competing against the holding companies for years, I have long suspected and heard from many people on the inside that this bowl does, in fact, exist. And that while holding companies will promise clients ridiculously low commissions in order to get business, in fact, clients are paying bigtime in ways that they can’t track or see. Because the big bowls of media money are hidden, and the only things they see are the small bowls on their report. 

 So in short, since we don’t know all the facts and can’t know all the facts until this report comes out, and the lawsuits ensue, the fighting between the big advertisers and the big media companies works its way through the court, and there are decisions, etc. Since we can’t know, I would offer you this: in the meantime, there are many good independent agencies. DiMassimo Goldstein and our media arm, Proove, are completely transparent. Clients do not have to wait for a court to tell them where their money is, because it’s 100% evident and transparent, because there only is 1 bowl. There’s only 1 business here – only 1 bowl – and all of the sand that’s in it is your money, the client money. It’s all in there, 100% accounted for. So all of your money goes to helping you build your brand and sell in media. I hope that solved it.


Our Top 8 Takeaways From The New York Festivals

Last week, we attended the New York Festivals – World’s Best Advertising creative sessions and awards show. Going in, we didn’t know what to expect. Throughout the day, we listened in on four panel discussions and saw an inspiring award show in the evening. By the end of the night, we felt extremely motivated to create work that will positively impact and change the world.

danerica

The 4 panels:

Content Disruption with Beth Collins Ellard (AdCouncil), Maya Draisin (WIRED), David Angelo (David & Goliath), and Jennifer Bremner (Unilever)

Is Content Marketing the Only Marketing Left? with Andrew Hanelly (Manifest), Duncan Milne (Imprint), Jacquie Loch (St. Joseph Communications Media Group), and Rachel Jo Silver (Love Stories TV)

Pushing Buttons – and Cultural Boundaries with John Mescall (McCann), Gary Osifchin (Mondelez International), Josy Paul (BBDO India), and Jenna Young (Weber Shandwick)

Beyond Your Portfolio with Raj Ramamurthy (Ogilvy), Jessica Shriftman (Weiden & Kennedy), and Nick Smatt (BBDO)

What We We Learned:

1. Know Yourself: In the first panel, Jennifer Bremner, brand director for Dove Beauty, said “If you know what you stand for, it’s easier to take risks.” If you don’t know who you are, you can’t create anything with real confidence. It’s okay to make mistakes along the way, but strive to always be an authentic brand, agency, or individual.

2. Matching Values: “When an agency and a client understand their core values, and share in these values, genius and magic happen.” – David Angelo, founder of David & Goliath. Agencies and clients who are driven by the same purpose will naturally create awesome work together. If values do not match, relationships will inevitably suffer.

3. The Moment: Not every moment is the right moment. Put your idea out into the world when it makes sense, and has the potential to inspire change. Jessica Shriftman, art director at Wieden & Kennedy, waited for the perfect opportunity to share her creative idea for Father’s Day with the right client at the right time. And Delta thanked her for it. You can watch the finished product HERE.

4. Smart Decisions: Jacquie Loch, vice president of content solutions at St. Joseph Communications Media Group, said, “Don’t feel the need to cover every social channel. Find the ones that work for your brand identity and own them.” Rachel Jo Silver, founder of Love Stories TV, also stressed the importance of brands keying in on social media that fits with who they are and reaches their audience: “Think small when selling on big social media.”

5. Channel Emotion: “Goosebumps good” – David Angelo. Content that stirs an emotion you can’t put into words, but can feel, indicates greatness. Underheard in New York, made by Jessica Shriftman and team, is a perfect example of creating lasting emotions and all the feels.

6. The 70/20/10 Rule: This applies to the usage of advertising budgets. Spend 70% on traditional advertising, 20% on nontraditional advertising, and 10% on experimental advertising. This allows for growth while maintaining stability. The 10% may not work out all the time, but when it does it will certainly pay off. And if an agency believes enough in a new idea, it shouldn’t be afraid to financially pitch in to bring that idea to life.

7. Don’t Be Afraid: “At the core, there is a force of courage in all of us and shame/guilt/fear suppresses it.” – David Angelo. Don’t simply look at numbers. If 20% of people hate your campaign and 20% love it, remember that positive reception almost always outshines negative reception. “Without hate, there’s no love.” – Gary Osifchin, VP, Global Brands and Communication, Biscuits Global Category Team, Mondelez International

8. Live Your Truth: It takes bravery and effort to live your truth. “Staying true to yourself will inevitably alienate people. This creates room for the people that support you for being you.” – Gary Osifchin. See how Gary and his team helped Honey Maid live its truth HERE

More Inspiring Work We Saw

Touch the Pickle: watch HERE

McWhopper: watch HERE

Love Has No Labels: watch HERE

Today I’m Brave: watch HERE

Winners from the 2016 NYFA awards show HERE

blog_stitched_photo

Being in the presence of these great marketing minds reinvigorated our purpose as creatives. We aren’t here just for the sake of making print ads and TV commercials. We are here to change society and impact the world for the better. We are here to inspire action.

– Erica Grau (Art Director), Dan Hickey (Junior Copywriter)


Great Work Wins Business. Great Relationships Keep Business.

We proactively work on relationship building. What are you doing this week to strengthen a client relationship?

IMG_6813

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.


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.

6997c7a1-b888-4362-836c-07fdde69948e

To read the official Press Release just click HERE.

 

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 your colleagues, vendors or clients the gift of time.

IMG_6810

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.