With over 40 years in the industry, Suzi Sutton-Vermeulen, DMG Strategic Lead, and Jason Williams, Director of Client Service, discuss the genesis of DMG Communication, our marketing approach, and what makes us different!
How did DMG Communication get started?
Suzi Sutton-Vermeulen: After 25+ years in the agency world, I suspected there was a different agency model that would work better for clients and be more fulfilling for the agency team. DMG Communication was born out of trying to give both sides more of what they value, and less of the inefficiencies that seem to plague ad agencies regardless of size, industry or experience.
What do you think DMG offers that makes you different?
Jason Williams: Like Suzi, I’ve worked on both the agency and client sides of the business, and we both understand that clients want experience, industry knowledge, strategic thinking, creative talent and, quite frankly, be easy to work with. With the team we’ve put together, we’re able to offer a complete solution for clients without the baggage that many agencies bring — lots of ego, crazy hourly rates, lots of turnover and junior people on their accounts. Since we’re a “virtual agency,” we don’t have to charge our clients for our overhead or bury our team in agency processes. We’ve tried to build something that is completely client-focused, which most agencies struggle to achieve. And, the fact that our people are contractors means that they are truly doing what they want to do.
Why focus on the agriculture industry?
Suzi Sutton-Vermeulen: Simply put, it’s what we know, it’s what we love. Everyone on our team has been connected to agriculture personally and/or professionally for most of their lives. In my case, I grew up with beef cattle, majored in ag communication and then worked on a variety of agricultural accounts over the years. I know that agencies do their best work when they can focus, and we have an entire team that knows ag — the industries, the customers, and the influencers — no onboarding required.
How would you describe your marketing approach?
Jason Williams: Suzi and I both believe in letting market and customer insights really shape marketing strategies. That sounds cliché, but there are many clients and agencies that don’t ask or listen to the customer. They don’t have time or money, or they think they already know. We realize it can take some extra time, and money, but there’s always a way to do it. And, it always pays off. So, great creative, and innovative tactics — yes, we want those too — but our marketing approach is built around understanding our client’s customers and markets and then building strategies, campaigns and creative that can truly speak to and influence customers. Again, it may sound simple and common, but it’s neither. It’s what could take their efforts from good to great.
What type of people do you look for at DMG?
Suzi Sutton-Vermeulen: We want people who are a good fit with our team. So, they need to have an “I’m going to figure this out and get it done” mentality. We’re not a big agency, so we all have to be very accountable — there’s no hiding! We also want people who work hard, are humble and play well with others. Since everyone is a contractor, and most everyone works remotely, it has a different feel from typical agency life. We don’t care if you work in your pajamas and have to get your kids on the bus, as long as you can deliver with quality, on time, on budget and meet client expectations. We don’t require the layers of agency process or operational meetings, so again, there’s more focus on the clients and the work. We have exceptionally talented people who really get after it and support one another and the quality of our work reflects this spirit!