This morning we held a kick-off meeting for a new site we will be developing. I have to say, I am very excited about this project as this is one of the rare opportunities that DDA can truly flex its creative muscle. Many times with projects, whether they be a tradeshow graphic, brochure, or custom corporate and medical video, our creative freedom is limited to the clients comfort zone. But with this particular company and product, we have received the green light to strive for innovative and ground-breaking site concepts, animations, and interactivity that will lead the way for future site development.

It is a joy to watch the imaginative wheels turn.  The new ideas brought to the table push the boundary of the norm and open opportunity for immense success. Site interactivity, that employs the user’s involvement, is the answer to effective websites that inform, engage, and entertain, and DDA’s website development service is continuing to reach for the best methods of application.

Videos, 2d and 3d animations, site navigational elements and more, combine to make a user experience unlike any other. Excited?  Yes, I am.

Last night I watched Top Chef, a cooking competition show in which I’ve recently developed an unhealthy addiction. During each episode the chefs compete in challenges with hopes of impressing the judges, winning immunity, and passing through to the next round, inching one step closer to the grand prize. The reason I enjoy the show so much, and reserve an hour of TV watching every Wednesday, is because I love the creativity. The challenges are universal to all participants, but the way each chef approaches their meal varies drastically. Even more, the end results are always quite impressive given the amount of time they have to finalize their dish. There may be moments of panic, but inevitably the chefs find their inspiration and work vigorously to meet there specified deadline.

This atmosphere of creativity is not unlike the environment here at DDA. The graphic designers, creative and online copywriters, corporate and medical video production specialists, and programmers all have to work under a certain conceptual umbrella determined by the client’s needs. However, each individual has their own approach and style, imprinting their signature on the end product.  

This is what makes our staff here at DDA so great. If we only produced cookie cutter websites, brochures, and corporate and medical training programs, our business would not be thriving as it is now. Clients turn to us for our creativity and tendency to reach for the innovative. And with a staff comprised of creative individuals possessing various strengths, exciting websites, graphic designs, custom programming, and exceptional video development are guaranteed.

Creating a video is an arduous process that requires a constant dialogue between creator and client. The client often has a very specific idea of what they want their video to look like and what they want the video to say. It is difficult to accurately describe the look and feel of a video, so often it takes many versions before the video takes its true form. The creator offers suggestions and adds their own unique touch and then sends a proof to the client. The client responds promptly with feedback. The creator makes the suggested changes to the best of their ability and in a matter that will benefit the project the most. The process repeats until both sides are happy with the finished product. This constant dialogue between client and creator is so very important is creating a successful video quickly and efficiently. If there is no communication and the video begins to go in an undesirable direction, no one may notice until much precious time has been wasted. It is like paddling a rowboat with only one paddle. You’ll end up going in circles. Let DDA be your other paddle.

Before we moved into our new space, Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA) purchased 7 wooden easel stands to place in different locals around our office to enhance a client’s visit and provide some visual eye candy for our 20+ employees. The graphic design department was asked to create a set of 7 posters, one for each department - DDA Corp, DDA Video, DDA CMT (Corporate and Medical Training), DDA Medical, Graphic Design, Website Development, and Programming. It’s an exciting project and one that I hope to begin today; roughing out some preliminary concepts and conceptualizing on how they will all work together as a unit and then taking them “one step further.” This “one step further” idea is and has been a key philosophy at DDA. 

You ask for a poster design and we may deliver a poster design along with a corporate video for use on your website. You ask for a logo design and we’ll prepare 10 logos that can make choosing one quite difficult. You ask for a website and we may deliver an interactive, search engine optimized, expertly written and designed website experience.  So, as we begin the designs for this set of 7 posters I do know that they won’t be just posters. They will become a website, a video, an animation, and an entire new DDA Experience. 

When I write copy that is incorporated into a brochure design, website design, newsletter, direct mail piece, trade show display, or even when I create a script for a corporate video or voice over for a medical animation, I try to first think about the organization I am to represent, the product or service, and the target audience, and then develop the linguistic strategy that captures people’s interest at initial glance.

To promote an active response from the target audience, I might use strong verbs that convey the right “call-to-action” message. To encourage readers to reflect on what is being presented, I might ask questions that appeal to their wants and needs. To improve their memory retention, I might play on well-recognized words, phrases, sayings, idioms, and expressions that have evolved over time through regional dialect and colloquial vocabulary.

“Discover!” “What?” “Keep tabs on…” Each of these “strategies” works to the benefit of selling the given product or service. Words and they way in which they are used have an impact that can be negative or positive, subtle or obvious.

Brave is an adjective I would not use to describe myself. I’ve recently planned a trip to California and though I look forward to the activities, I dread the flight. I also have an unhealthy fear of stink bugs and as they are quite prevalent in the PA area, I have resorted to duct tapping my window and door crevices as a means to keep the scary creatures out. But I’ve come to realize, maintaining these fears are a hindrance to me. If I don’t fly, I limit my exposure to exciting places and people. If I duck and cover every time a bug is in my general vicinity, I miss out on my surroundings, not to mention, look quite strange to passersby. So, my goal is to try and conquer my fears, and if not conquer them, try my hardest to confront them.

This ability to delve into areas I may not be comfortable with is necessary to achieve. As a creative copywriter that generates material for brochures, medical and corporate video scripts, and online optimized pages of content, you must never hesitate when delving into a subject matter or genre you aren’t exactly at ease with. One day I may be writing content for jewelry, the next on building envelopes, but though a topic may seem foreign, with the proper research and attention to fulfilling the needs of the client and the market, your efforts will surely be successful.

The same notion applies to all associates here at DDA. As Elizabeth has stated many a time, “There is no shallow end at DDA.” You must swim and continue to swim or you may quickly find yourself sinking to the bottom of the pool. So confront your fears and you most likely will emerge unscathed and glad of the challenge.

How much can one man or woman carry?  Some of us may be well versed in taking on heavy loads without buckling under the immense weight, but others may crumble. At DDA we are expected to continuously support a plethora of tasks, and if not managed correctly, you may find yourself struggling to support the load.  

As a full-service advertising agency that specializes in all things digital, our tasks are varied. Graphic design, website development, custom admin and database programming, corporate and medical video creation, and training programs are carried out seamlessly under one roof.  One person may be working on several projects at once, each with their own importance and designated deadlines. Consequently the pressure at times can be great and if you are not well versed in managing your time, the pressure can become overwhelming.

This ability to multitask is especially vital for me as a Project Coordinator. I am constantly striving to improve my efficiency and continually look to my coworkers for ways in which I can improve. When you are the liaison between a slew of clients and DDA staff, and you must also allocate time for your own projects, whether they are optimized content for a new website or creative copywriting for a brochure, the work load can be heavy. Each Project Coordinator has their own methods of managing tasks. Some desks are covered in an array of Post-It notes and some allocate designated times for a variety of tasks per day. Whatever the means, managing your time is crucial, or else you will quickly find yourself buckling under the weight.    

America’s population is just over 4% of the world total. Americas economy is about 25% of the world total. Economic metrics more-or-less match the same period in 2007. Unemployment is about 5%. Inflation is under control. Real income is same as last year or slightly higher (up half  a percent).

OK, so the economy is not growing like China’s (which could be a blog post within itself), but things are stable and Americans are spending as usual. All a recession means is that there is not positive growth. This is not a depression and the sky is not falling.

DDA, DDA Medical, and DDA Video may truly be some of the nation’s best economic indicators. Business is steady. We continue to find new clients in all areas from website design, corporate and medical video production, photography, and custom programming, to animation, marketing and branding, illustration, graphic design, copywriting, and search engine optimization. We are growing. We are also preparing new ventures, new portals, and new business initiatives that explain, illuminate, highlight, and present who we are and what we do.

We are grateful for our long client list, and we are grateful for our new clients. Most of all, we are grateful for our country. The greatest country on earth that, while not perfect, is always trying to do the right thing.

David

Everyday is a new day here at DDA. I always have a variety of tasks to perform daily. This morning I will be updating some pages in our Actors Gallery in the DDA Video section of our website. This section of DDA Video showcases actors that are available for any type of video or voice over that may be needed to make a great Medical, Corporate or Training Video, or any other project for that matter! You can listen to each actor, read their resume and learn what they are doing right now by checking out their own blog that is accessible from each actors’ personal page. You will be amazed at the variety of Video Production services that we have available. Our Video Production crew is at the top of their game and the results are are always clean, professional and fantastic!

Well, today is the final day of March and it looks like we have some interesting corporate video production projects coming up for April. We have already designed video concepts for a marketing video and some catalog videos. That should keep us busy in the video department. The video studio is almost complete (since DDA moved into a new building) and the recent addition of the sound booth will definitely help with audio production. All that is left is the hanging of the green screen track and we will be ready to begin filming again. We also have just ordered a dolly and a crane which I am very excited to begin using. It should provide us with some stunning shots and allow us to expand our range of video production services.