ROI (return on investment) is a phrase used very often in business circles, essentially referring to the bottom line:  was this direct mail piece effective, or this product launch a success, or this marketing campaign profitable? However, from the perspective of a good business owner, ROI should mean are the employees and the company in sync? Does the whole team have similar goals? Is each and everyone happy to work at the company in spite of the long hours, intense days, price of gas? Compensation after all should be more than about money.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, we all need to have enough in our bank accounts to pay rent or a mortgage and have full gas tanks, with a little left over for fun things like going out to eat and vacations, and we should be able to depend on the weekly check, so money is necessary. But, earning a salary should include the realization that “I matter,” my ideas and skills and work ethic contribute to the greater good.  I work here because I can stretch my creative muscles, I work here because management empowers me, and I in turn produce. 

At Dynamic Digital Advertising, it is a business philosophy David and I constantly strive to maintain. An example would be the wonderful team in the video department, but it took several years to fill those chairs, and I am sure Laurence who is our Director of Multimedia Arts probably had his doubts about ever seeing his department become real.  If you walk into the new video and photography studios and see all the camera and video equipment, the sophisticated dolly system, the new sound booth, the special lights, the green screen on tracks, the double or triple monitors on desks, it is hard not to be impressed. And Laurence is still shopping for stuff! 

From my CFO position, I know there will be GREAT ROI from DDA VIDEO.  And our business development team, led by David and Toni will fill that pipeline to overflowing. The main conference room is constantly booked with scheduled calls from new inquiries. Our production team is very busy doing build out for projects, Vinnie and Rob have their hands full with flash and animation projects, so clients are finding Dynamic Digital Advertising, listening to our proposals and signing on. As a financial officer, can I ask for more? Yes. Let’s celebrate our busy days, and not get complacent. Have a great weekend all.

It is hard for me to find the words or topic I would like to write about. Luckily for me I am not a copywriter here at DDA, nor do I fit the mold. That is what makes DDA such a great place to work! The fact that each person here possesses a talent or ability that is above average is truly amazing. Thankfully our coprwriters are gifted and have no problem when it comes to writing content for a brochure, website, trade show display, direct mail piece, etc. or perform any other task for which they are needed.

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.