I was recently asked by the people behind RedCanary to answer a few questions for part of their blog called “Shop Talk”
A few of us talked about these subjects before I submitted my answers so it’s worth sharing our responses here. Please check out the Red Canary blog to see how a couple of other digital agency heads felt about the same subject.
What drove you to start or join your company and what has made you successful?
I joined Dashboard as a partner about 2 ½ years ago. I had reconnected with Barry Hillier (the founder of Dashboard) on Facebook after not seeing him for about 10 years. Barry had started this fantastic shop and was looking for a partner to help get it to the next stage. I was smitten from my first introduction. Dashboard is a mosaic of the most creative, innovative, and ingenious people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I feel lucky every day to be part of this team, they’ve raised my game.
I think the main reason we’re successful is our collaboration, both with the Client and internally across the team. We’re very integrated and push each other to drive the thinking as far as we can and most of our Clients want that kind of relationship. We are all very serious about the quality of the user experience and getting a Wow.
Buzz words like “New Media” and “Digital” are getting old. What would you call a bundle that includes Social Marketing, Video, and ON-line and Mobile?
I’ve resisted trying to define new channels, I don’t think that kind of terminology helps. It might even be a trap into old styles of silo media thinking. We think more in terms of engagement. What we know for sure is that consumers are in the driver’s seat more than ever. They’re increasingly nomadic, choosing where and how to get their news and information, and they’re contributing to the conversation about brands. We need to know where and how to create the most compelling experience to advance our Client’s objectives and that can easily change from one season to the next.
Our mantra is “Powerful Engagement for Powerful Consumers”. That’s the best definition of what we do.
How do you see your company’s approach to branding evolving, and what does that mean to your clients?
Our strategic approach to brands has two imperatives. No matter what else we’re doing, we pursue brand immersion and we pursue brand interaction. We like to surround the consumer with the brand by making them feel part of it and we like to get them to act or respond in a meaningful way. There is a lot more to it, but fundamentally, that’s what we’re doing for brands.
What traits do you look for in new Clients?
Our best Clients are the ones with the highest standards, and the highest regard for their consumers. We get along great with them.
What are the challenges of managing partnerships with traditional agencies and delivering your interactive services to the client?
We have worked with a lot of agencies. Most we love, some we don’t. If they bring us in early, respect what we bring to the table and collaborate, we do great work and everyone has a good time. I’m happy to say that these relationships are not hard to find.
Agencies win awards for their interactive look and feel, but clients are driven by ROI. What KPIs matter to you?
I don’t see a discrepancy between our goals and our Clients. What matters to us is doing great work that rewards the consumer and advances the Client’s objectives. You can’t drive ROI by boring consumers or treating them without respect, but if you ignore the goals of the brand, you’re just being irresponsible.
What are your thoughts on the future of video and mobile (and their successes) as a branding vehicle?
Both are really means to an end. They can be amazing tools for engagement and creating that immersive brand experience. Both can profoundly impact the way we reach out to and recruit consumers. The challenge in Canada is that the mobile marketplace isn’t priced or regulated to facilitate the kind of usage we see in other countries. We’d love to see that change.
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