THIS JUST IN - More Trends to Watch According to CNN (Can you keep up?)

Ever wonder what the next best thing will be in terms of electronic communication? Well, this just in from CNN contributor and founder and CEO of Mashable:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/03/cashmore.web.trends.2010/index.html

One to keep your eye on, the up and comer Foursquare. They're coming out of the woodwork, my friends. How do we keep up? Better yet, how do we identify the useful and meaningful sites among all the 'me too' sites that crop up seemingly daily.

It's an excellent (and challenging) question.

Twitter has proven its worth in the minds of most as a great push mechanism. MySpace seems to have gone the way of the Beta tape and Facebook, well, it's turned the word 'friend' into a verb.

We wonder... when will it end? Will it end?

We'd love to hear from you? How do you use social media? Does it work?

Twitter Lists

An interesting take on Twitter usefulness:

http://mashable.com/2009/11/04/twitter-lists-uses/

Happy Birthday, Internet!

Warm birthday wishes to our dear friend, the Internet. Just 40 years ago today, you spoke your first word - Lo. We all start slowly... Soon, Lo became Login and look at you now!

Like all good friends, we count on your for assistance, we look to you for advice and sometimes you irritate us to no end.

But, Internet, what would we ever do without you?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/29/kleinrock.internet/index.html

Could this really mean the end of email?

What do you think?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/27/rasmussen.brothers.google.wave/index.html

Is it the next great technology or over the top?

dgs Retreats Into Creativity

dgs will be closed beginning at 2pm on Thursday, October 22, returning at 1:30pm on Friday, October 23 for our annual agency retreat.

We shall retreat into a state of pure creativity as we explore our talents and ideas.

AKA - Our super-fun annual agency in-service training and education event.

We will return to our regularly scheduled programming on Friday at 1:30pm.

Leslie (and Simon) Featured on CBS Evening News With Debby Knox

Check out this video of dgs' Leslie Galbreath and her Alaskan Malamute, Simon, on Friday's CBS Evening News with Debby Knox:

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/health/Stem_cell_therapy_for_animals_20091016

Over 1,400 Refocused. Rediscovered. And Reinvented.

Over 1,400 manufacturers from North and Central America attended it's 'Your Manufacturing Future? Refocus. Rediscover. Reinvent.' event which took place at Mazak's headquarters in Florence, Kentucky. Also known as R3, the three-day event introduced new technology and provided innovative strategies to help American manufacturers achieve success.

"We really believed that the manufacturing community would respond strongly to an event focused on positioning themselves for future growth," said Brian Papke, President, Mazak Corporation. "Our expectations for R3 were already high and we're absolutely thrilled to have them exceeded. A lot of manufacturers are recognizing that the market has changed and evolution toward a new level of manufacturing productivity is required for continued manufacturing success."

Kudos to Mazak for supporting its customers in such a meaningful way. We have the best clients! We at dgs were proud to be a small part of this event.

It pays to R3.

Time to Refocus. Rediscover. Reinvent.

Next week, Mazak Corporation will host a new event: Your Manufacturing Future? Refocus. Rediscover. Reinvent. Otherwise fondly referred to as R3.

This event couldn't come at a better time.

Focused on providing truly meaningful ways for American manufacturers to prepare for the UPTURN. Yes, the upturn. It's right around the corner, and now is the time to prepare. Not later.

During periods of recession, the common response is to stop investing, save money, be cautious. Of course, you have to be responsible and manage business wisely, but now is the best time to invest. Truth be told, it's critical.

Next week at R3, Mazak Corporation will feature more new machines than even appeared at IMTS 2008 in an effort to demonstrate the many ways that new technology can help manufacturers increase shop flexibility and productivity, broaden their capabilities and even adapt existing processes to apply to new, growing market segments like aerospace, medical and energy.

For more information on R3, please visit MazakUSA.com/r3

Celebrating Left-Handers Everywhere

Today is International Left-Handers day!

Cheers to our own Janae Cummings and all other wonderfuly creative lefties out there!

To the MAXIEM

Times are changing, and our clients have taken notice.

OMAX Corporation recently launched the MAXIEM line of abrasive waterjet machining centers to meet the growing demand for a basic line of waterjet equipment. OMAX asked dgs to develop the MAXIEM brand, including product name, logo, identity materials all the way to design suggestions for the machine line itself.

This was a challenging project, as we wanted to make certain that the positioning of the MAXIEM line accurately reflected its role in the marketplace as an entry-level line of machines. We endeavored to create distinctly different positioning to ensure that we did not set the groundwork to cannibalize OMAX sales.

With MAXIEM, we also knew we needed to create a new voice. We wanted to speak with an entirely different tone, to further communicate that this new line is very much separate from OMAX.

We are still in the process of finalizing the first series of ads, which will have an edgy, modern feel. Be on the lookout for those in the coming weeks.

For more information on MAXIEM, please visit MAXIEMwaterjets.com.

Socially Networked

Have you checked out dgs on Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace?

If you have a minute, please visit our pages on these social network sites. We love to make new friends.

To Blog or Not to Blog...That Is the Question

At dgs, we have chosen the former. And, we've already seen results. So far so good - we feel we made the right choice. To date, all of our posts have been picked up by Google and other feeds, and we have a few followers.

So, this begs the question... Why do some clients resist?

Perhaps the main reason is the most obvious reason. With a blog in its purest form, you give up some measure of control. You allow comments from the peanut gallery, and invite discussion and potentially criticism. BUT, don't the benefits outweigh the risk? From a message standpoint, authenticity is key. If a blog is a blog in its purest form, don't customers and prospects appreciate the transparency?

Blogging is a hot topic. We don't have all the answers, yet. But, we're willing to give it a go to learn the dos and don'ts and reap the benefits along the way.

Let us know what you think.

Just a Click Away

dgs Marketing Engineers has launched a new and improved flash-based website that captures the our unique spirit and dedication to excellence. Live as of July 1, the new site not only details our capabilities, personnel and current client roster, but also provides snapshots of some our most resounding success stories.

dgsmarketingengineers.com

Please visit us often to check out the latest client projects and news.

How We're Helping to Make It Better

One of our long-time clients, GF AgieCharmilles, recently launched a web site dedicated to helping the struggling manufacturing industry get back on its feet - quite literally, they wanted to help Make It Better.

Together, all partners in this effort have created and gathered the tools, technology and resources you need to help your business survive these times and come out better on the other side. The heart of US manufacturing still beats strong. Together we can restore this country's manufacturing industry to what it once was, to what it deserves to be -- the cornerstone of innovation and progress for the global economy.

dgs Marketing Engineers recently had the opportunity to contribute an article to this site, and we appreciate the opportunity to participate.

Our clients really do the greatest things.

A Virtual Experience Like No Other

This was an exciting week at dgs Marketing Engineers. Not only are we preparing for one of our favorite holidays, but we launched the new Mazak Virtual Technology Center. Talk about cool...

The Virtual Technology Center is an innovative, new online resource that brings the latest advancements in machining technology, product development, training, service and support to the customer's fingertips. Developed in response to the ever-increasing challenges faced by manufacturers, the virtual site provides everything from machine demonstrations to application training to online Q&A sessions with Mazak Corporation President, Brian Papke, as well as MazakTV, an online video resource with channels for industry segment content, engineering insights and machine information.

Customers gain access to Mazak's Applications, Training and Services Departments, which feature a wide variety of content, including CAD images, parts and training videos and demonstrations, ranging from the simplest of machines to advanced multi-tasking and 5-axis machines. They can also visit a machine gallery that offers videos, machine specifications and 360-degree 3D models and animations of the latest Mazak machine tools.

The site is free to all users and can be accessed via MazakUSA.com or directly at VirtualMazak.com.

Check it out when you have a chance.

Creating a Campaign That Gets Inside Their Heads

When marketing to technically-minded people, it’s absolutely vital to understand where they’re coming from and what they want and need. Without that basic information and the resulting ability to talk in their language, any creative campaign will fall short of capturing their interest.

Once the appropriate research has been done, it’s time to move on to the fun stuff. A strong creative campaign can come from anywhere and the unlikeliest sources can oftentimes provide your best options. To capitalize on this, as many people as possible should participate in the initial brainstorming sessions for a new campaign. The entire team should be provided with an overview of the information gathered on the target market and then given a couple of days to see what they can come up with.

When it’s time to hold the first brainstorming meeting, a casual environment goes a long way in encouraging unbridled creativity. There are no bad ideas at this early stage. An entirely unrealistic, off-the-wall suggestion might be just the springboard needed to discover a truly unique approach. Maintaining a light air and allowing participants to throw out ‘bad’ options will go a long way in drawing out the highest possible levels of creativity.

As the brainstorming session draws to a close, the goal should be to have three to five solid concepts. As these options are evaluated, a smaller team of employees should explore what each of them would say to your audience. What ideas are most closely linked to the benefits you can provide to potential customers? Which will grab a target’s attention and pop into their head for days to come? Are there unintentionally negative connotations to any of the possible campaigns? Carefully answering these questions will draw you to the best option for achieving your goals.

Welcome

Welcome to the new dgs Marketing Engineers blog - Marketing Musings & Other Adventures. Please check back regularly for updates and new posts.