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Team DIGO | 07/10/2014 | in
Richard Roberts, Business Development Executive at DiMassimo Goldstein
Zero. That was how much experience I had with advertising before walking through the doors of DiMassimo Goldstein back in April 2013. As a matter of fact, it the was first time I saw the inside of an ad agency other than while watching Mad Men, even though I was already a self-proclaimed Don Draper (could also be the hair or love of skinny ties).
I was interviewing for an “Account Executive” position, but hell, I would have interviewed for a position digging ditches for DiGo, if that’s what it took to get into this industry and more so with this company. The reason I was so adamant about getting into advertising is a story for another blog, but long blog short, I got an offer despite my lack of experience. My lack of experience began to show quickly, and the agency was changing just as fast. A few months later it looked like I was going to be walking out of those glass doors (which I think might look better with ‘Roberts’ added to them as well, just saying) for the last time… a short ride that started after a year of incessant emailing to Mark DiMassimo.
During my last week, Mark came to me with a project, “Build me a board, and if it goes well, who knows where this could lead.” Three people to start with would have been good, five would have been great. I built a board of 20 people, was loved by the client, and shortly thereafter was sitting down with my now mentor Lee Goldstein. I sold myself back into the company where I belonged in the first place, New Business. Everyday I come in I feel like I’m sitting down in the cockpit of a fighter jet (my chair swivels too), going Mach 5. The rush, and the glory of a victory – I was born for it. It was a hell of a comeback…and now I better get back to selling.
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Team DIGO | 06/26/2014 | in
How do you escape the shadow of an e-commerce colossus and find your company’s voice? We look at examples from Uncommon Goods, Hallmark Design Collection, UGMONK, Noon Style, Villy Custom, Very Pink, Think Geek and Betabrand to learn how the lowest price is not the only consideration when buying online.
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Team DIGO | 06/13/2014 | in
Kevin Still, ACD/Writer at DiMassimo Goldstein
I never wanted to live in New York City, frankly the idea sent chills down my spine so cold it froze my southern roots. All I heard growing up was how rude New Yorker’s were because they got mugged every single day. Plus, where do you even get real sweet tea in New York anyhow?
So, when I received an email from an old instructor and DiMassimo Goldstein creative director about visiting and checking out the opportunity to become a copywriter here, I thought, “Eh it’s a free trip to NYC, but working and living there? Not a Slurpee’s chance Hawaii.”
I have to say, no matter where you’re from; flying over the NYC skyline is breathtaking. You can see and feel the energy, even from the plane. And for the first time in my life, I was greeted at the airport with a driver dude holding up my name on a sign. I felt like kind of a big deal.
When I walked into DiMassimo Goldstein I could feel the energy. The air was electrified with creative excitement, bursting from a sleek and strikingly designed office. Complimented by the ultimate cherry on top: a Ping-Pong table! The next couple of hours were kind of a blur; I met with my potential partner (also named Kevin) and other amazingly creative and extremely talented people.
I felt my southern fueled aversion wall crumble and for the first time, could see myself fitting nicely in NYC and with these awesome people. I tossed out my engrained and utterly wrong preconceptions of NYC life, made the leap and took the job.
Now two years, a promotion, a broken arm, six improv classes, fractured leg, 2 squatters, a free tattoo and a cab full of amazing experiences later, I can honestly say taking the job at DiMassimo Goldstein and moving to NYC was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I wouldn’t trade it for 1,000 gallons of sweet tea.
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Team DIGO | 06/10/2014 | in
Photo by Merfam
The Inspiration
When Will Dean graduated from Harvard Business School, he faced a choice between helping the British Government catch terrorists or pursuing his dream – one that HBS called “too ambitious” when his business plan made the semifinals of the Harvard Business School New Venture Competition. Dean had soured on the corporate business world, and was in a mountain of debt upon graduating business school. He decided to focus on a building a lean startup, spending $300 on a basic website, $20 on Facebook ads and then worked hard to generate buzz for what would become the first Tough Mudder event.
The Leap to Greatness
The inspiration for Tough Mudder was the insight that, for athletes, the marathon experience can be quite dull. With over 500,000 people participating in marathons and 1.4 million attempting half marathons, the founders saw room to disrupt what were often poorly-run events with suboptimal experiences. As opposed to an individual event, they focused on teamwork. The result was a challenge that features a 10-12 mile course packed with 25 obstacles designed by British Special Forces to test the participant’s all-around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.
“Something that we saw is that experience is the new luxury good,” Dean said. “Memories, particularly shared memories, are this experience that, unlike an iPhone, appreciates in value over time.”
The Tough Mudder team tapped into several trends. People were becoming more interested in functional fitness.
The Result
With participants paying their $100-200 entrance fee in advance, Tough Mudder was in the black before ever building a Chernobyl Jacuzzi. Starting with the initial $20 investment in Facebook ads, the company has grown to a $70 million enterprise in just two years. While initially expecting 500 participants, they wound up with 5,000. Partnering with the right national brands was key – deciding to opt for the quirkiness of the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign sponsorship over Bud Light, which wasn’t a fit with the off-kilter brand.
The key revenue driver was Tough Mudder’s Facebook interest targeting campaign focused on people who liked physical sports such as ice hockey or extreme sports, resulting in 5-10 times return on advertising spend and 24 times growth in signups.
Beyond the Leap
The Tough Mudder founders have strived to create a unique corporate culture that’s not focused on “beer and foosball.” Rather, they send their teams on expeditions like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and African Safaris. “People really enjoy coming to work,” Dean said. “Having an organization full of people that enjoy their lives is probably one of the most rewarding things that I’ve done with my life.”
h/t Tough Mudder Conquering Obstacles Zooming from Zero to $70 Million in 2 Years – Inc.com
Playing With Fire, Barbed Wire and Beer – NY Times
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Team DIGO | 06/06/2014 | in
One secret of managing for growth is simply refusing to get clogged up.
You can think of this as never letting anything sit on your to do list.
But there’s still a problem:
Some of the most important things never make it to your to do list, because you don’t know what to do about them.
That’s why you need to start off by making a Worry List. What works for you? Talking? Doodling? Taking a walk? For me, writing works best. I’m uninhibited when I write. I just let my fingers fly and write any bullshit that comes out through my fingers. No one needs to see it anyway. At some point, I ask myself how I am. I ask myself what I’m worried about. I brainstorm concerns. There’s no bad worry here. I typically learn things I already knew, but didn’t know or remember I knew.
Think of great management as efficiently moving things from your worry list to your to do list to delegated, done or do-not-do.
I’m here to help you clear the blockages. The whole agency is. That’s what it’s an agent for!
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Team DIGO | 05/29/2014 | in
Gina Sund, Operations Manager at DiMassimo Goldstein
When people ask what my favorite thing about working at DiMassimo Goldstein is, I always reply with no hesitation, “the people.” The people, along with the quirky and bold work on the website, is what initially drew me to DiGo. And to this day, it is the people that make working here so engaging and enjoyable. Something I find not a lot of professionals can say, no doubt.
When I began at DiGo, the company was a fraction of the size it is today. We could fit the entire staff around the conference room table. Since then, the company has grown rapidly. Naturally, a lot of positive change has come with the explosive growth. But of all the things that have changed, one thing I can always count on staying very consistent is quality of the employees.
I like to think we are a tribe made up of people that dance to their own beat, and wouldn’t have it any other way. We are the misfits. All incredibly different, while sharing the unique traits that allow us to fit the DiGo mold and enjoy every crazy minute of it!
I’m proud that I’ve proven to myself over the years how much I can grow with DiGo. I too have evolved, changed and grown hugely since my first day as a delightfully clueless intern wearing a highly flammable shorts suit. From the FIM to the Operations Manager, I’ve seen up close what goes into an expanding company and sustaining that growing power. I’ve learned so much, and enjoy seeing the Operations team expand and develop as well.
I’m proud to be a misfit, and very fortunate to have chosen the perfect company and tribe to grow with.
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Team DIGO | 05/22/2014 | in
Marc Lefton, Growth Strategy and Brand Integration at DiMassimo Goldstein
When I started 9th grade, my first venture into graphic design was an ill-fated attempt to create my own report card. I did not succeed – part of my punishment was helping my mom around the ad agency she worked for during my school vacations. I discovered the creative department, where I put my self-taught graphic design skills to more productive use: making advertisements. I was immediately hooked. I found what I wanted to do for a living and never looked back. I loved advertising. Seeing something I worked on yesterday in the paper today was exhilarating.
The next few years were a whirlwind. Skipping college, I bounced around a few small places on Long Island before I reconnected with the art director who had taken the time to mentor me. He told me I should be an “ad creative.” I had no idea what that was. I visited his new job at seminal NYC ad creative shop of the 90s, Mad Dogs and Englishmen. There I learned that there was a job beyond just laying out ads: people came up with crazy, funny, exciting ideas as well. And they got paid for it!
When I was just 20, I was already working at one of the largest agencies in the world – BBDO, helping work on Super Bowl Commercials for brands like Pepsi and Visa. I spent my early 20s at big agencies in NYC before moving to Massachusetts. At the end of the two years I spent up there, I saw a drastic shift happening towards digital and the beginnings of social media. Realizing things were changing faster than anyone could keep up, and always trying to learn what’s next, I immersed myself in everything new and different. To that end, I started one of the first business social networks ever, Adholes.com, which for some advertising people in 2004, was the first social network they ever experienced.
Upon returning to New York, I still sought the safety of getting a job doing traditional advertising. I still liked the idea of writing a funny commercial or headline for a print ad. I wanted to switch to being a writer full-time and started to shop my portfolio around. I got Mark DiMassimo to meet with me. He looked at my portfolio and said “You’re a good enough writer, and I could hire you to do that – but everything you’re doing with social media and experiential is really exciting – you should go pursue that.”
That’s exactly what I did, becoming a creative director at a small experiential marketing agency where I worked on integrating all the crazy things I could come up with into campaigns for Coke Zero and Samsung. However, that all ground to a halt in 2009 when the recession was in full effect. I lost my job after spending 5 years working on all the experimental media that typically involved leftover budget drippings that clients had to play with after paying for their traditional media addictions. I was no longer in demand at all. Larger agencies still hadn’t figured out how to make money off of these new media opportunities, and I hadn’t worked in traditional media for half a decade.
My only option was to start an agency, because I realized that while agencies didn’t want to offer new media opportunities to clients, clients were still demanding it. My goal was to create a small network of niche agencies that would help growing brands in ways large agencies could not. For almost five years, I ran a hybrid consultancy and virtual agency specializing in digital and new media.
The problem you face when you start an agency with your two weeks severance and no clients in the worst recession ever is cash flow. The profit from one new client was always funding the next new one. The process of finding enough clients, managing cash, and working with talent that could come or go at any time was just too much to manage. After ten years of being out of larger traditional agencies and sapped for resources to make the ideas I loved to come up with come to life, I no longer enjoyed advertising. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew it wasn’t this.
Then I realized that there was something I did love about the business: coming up with great ideas. I just didn’t want to do all the other stuff like sales and finance. Of course, the first foray back into the ad world job market, even on an upswing, was difficult. I worked out of a small agency that again had few resources. I interviewed at big agencies that had no idea what to do with me. “We don’t understand. You’re creative, but you also do technology and understand data?”
Once again I was feeling like advertising wasn’t for me. Then one day, I happened upon an article about how some of the failed business models of the first dot-com boom were starting to come back. One of the clients, Kozmo.com had been a DiMassimo Goldstein client and I sent the link on Facebook to Mark DiMassimo. We decided to catch up and he outlined his vision for the agency, which was the same micronetwork idea I wanted to build. The difference being that it was actually built. I lit up with the possibilities. I knew I could be a big part of its success. “I bet you need someone to help integrate all of this together,” I said. I started freelancing immediately and was hired a month later.
I realized that only Mark DiMassimo and Lee Goldstein had the courage to hire me without having a specific idea of what to do with me. We all just knew that as entrepreneurs, we’d figure it out together. My title is “Growth Strategy and Brand Integration.” Every skill I enjoy doing that I’ve learned since I started my career, plus the new ones I’ve quickly figured out have been put to use in my first six months here. It’s truly a place where every day is different. You have no idea what you’ll be working on – but the best part is you can do what you love, with other people who love to do the part that you don’t enjoy, in a family-like environment with exciting, fast-growing clients. And yes, I love advertising all over again.
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Team DIGO | 05/20/2014 | in
Apple. Virgin. Southwest. JetBlue. Crunch. Snapple. Groupon. BlueFly. Zappos. The Motley Fool – what do these brands have in common? They’re challengers, and successful ones at that.
They’ve mastered the art of zagging where others tend to zig. They’ve taken on the goliaths in their industries and have come out on top. The truth is, it’s a tough world out there, and every marketer these days needs to be a successful challenger or go down trying.
Market leadership doesn’t create an exception. Look at Citibank and IBM. By becoming their own best competition, they look like ready challengers, reinventing their businesses and continuing to grow.
Here’s what challengers do differently:
The top dog is INVOLVED – intimately.
Some folks think the reason they got degrees and big titles was to independently run their own empire. Some of these people are actually pretty smart; but nine times out of ten, this attitude does them in.
A boss is not a meddler to be avoided. If you were playing chess, you wouldn’t leave your queen in the background and try to fight it out endlessly with your lesser pieces. Or would you?
Forget the org chart. Every player on the board is on your team. Use them!
If you want to make things happen @speed, you must leave the least distance between you and your boss. And you will want to access the power your boss has to smooth over situations and parlay good tactical decisions into great strategic initiatives. Plus, you want the power to change things you’re not personally responsible for, as this will make all the difference in your ability to create success. So, you bring the boss in as a collaborator and ally. As much as possible, you lead together hand in hand. It’s the challenger’s way to use every last person available.
The advertising conversation and the business conversation are THE SAME CONVERSATION.
Don’t separate what you’re doing from why you’re doing it, even for a moment. You never want to be the one saying, “we failed with work that was the strategy we were given!” This entails a level of responsibility, but it’s the wrong level.
You want to be responsible for the success of the enterprise. You want the brand and business to reach its full potential. You want to use not just your authority, but your influence because nothing beats being part of something great—and you don’t want to leave it to chance.
In this context, great advertising is one that works for the business and the brand. It brings a business strategy to life; it creates the connection that reflects the intentions of the business while simultaneously suggesting and fulfilling its promise.
This is the point where experience meets selling meets branding.
The work is seen as the ultimate weapon for conquering the competition.
Where is the unfair advantage to be found? You are not in a position to outspend. You’re not going to break the law–or try to change it to your favor. But you can pack more power into the product, packaging, service, story, and propaganda. You can be smarter about technology and the testing strategy, and more ingenious and industrious about the optimizations.
You can win in the marketplace of ideas. So, do it!
The brand is seen as a precious asset and the ultimate defensive fortification against copycats and commoditisers.
Challengers build unique brands and value them above all else. Customers are intensely loved, but they come and go. Employees are highly prized but the sort attracted to a challenger business can only be held by a great brand. A unique culture and point of view are often the only way to hold onto assets in the perfect storm of growth.
A brand is like armor and a full tank of gas. A brand is everything and you only need a business to build one!
The VISION of the top dog drives the advertising.
Steve Jobs met every other week for intensive sessions with Lee Clow, the creative chairman of his advertising agency. In the most successful challenger businesses, the vision for the brand and advertising comes from the top. No question about it.
This kind of courage and purity of vision can’t be bought; it can’t be outsourced. No committee can sustain it. The vision must be owned and driven from the top.
The vision of the agency and the vision of the client are complementary and synergistic.
The mutual inspiration society should include the client and agency, vigorous discussions, sharing of ideas, lots of choices, and plenty of
going back to the well.
The most sophisticated team wins.
Decisions get made in meetings, not just in between.
In big, bloated bureaucracies, meetings only ratify decisions that are made elsewhere, which is why most people in these places feel time is wasted in meetings–because it is.
You don’t have time to waste. So you’re not going to protect your own ego or anyone else’s by pretending for a second to agree with something you don’t. You’re want real conversations in front of whoever is there. When some people complain and try to negotiate with you to stop the open, inclusive, challenging, passionate dialogue, you are going to say, “I understand how you feel, and no, absolutely not. This would be replacing occasional discomfort with the endless pain of mediocrity and failure, which you wouldn’t tolerate for long–you’d be gone. So, no! Let’s just agree to be respectful of each other, put the good of the work first, and say exactly what is on our minds.”