Interview with Digiscope Media’s charming project manager: behind the curtains talk and the importance of a brand
Digital presence and brand building have already been key factors for years, but in today’s economy the importance of those aspects are increasing even more. What goes on in the life of a project manager and why it’s important to focus on quality, transparency and content now more than ever, speaks up the project manager of Digiscope Media – Bertil Dobris.
Who are you and what is your role in Digiscope Media?
I am Bertil and I’m a Project Manager at Digiscope Media, which means that I manage projects related to digital marketing. I can also be called the so-called firefighter, because one of my tasks is to eliminate fires regarding projects as soon as possible.
Describe your typical day at work
First I deal with fires, exstinguish critical fires, try to find the best solutions for them as soon as possible and then move on to projects that are not that time-sensitive, in example in what stage they are currently and how to speed up the process if possible. Also, general development of my own projects – ideas how to be better at supporting the client, how to offer even better solutions and overall how to do better. It is important to never stop trying to do better.
Tell your story – what is your previous work experience and how did you end up at Digiscope Media
I was also a project manager in FCR Media. From there I moved to the sales world, one of the sales articles was also digital marketing services. Later on I joined a couple of startups and helped them with sales services as well. After that I continued with sales but as a freelancer in the digital marketing field and now I’m back to being a project manager in Digiscope Media.
I’ve been working here since November. Rainis called me on a Friday and asked me what I’ve been up to, where do I live and how am I doing career wise. At that moment I was a freelancer and operated in Tallinn. Rainis then immediately went straight to the point and invited me to join the Digiscope team. Of course I agreed and arranged a meeting as soon as possible. Well the next Monday we met, I came to the office by 10 o’clock, we made small meeting – we talked about work, action plans and so on. And well, by 2 o’clock I was already behind the computer working.
What is the true value of Digiscope Media in your eyes?
Flexibility. Especially flexibility between each other within our team. We do not necessarily have to sit in the office from 8am to 5pm, but we can do less or more, whatever is required to accomplish our goals. We are flexible also with our clients – we will find a way to carry out our clients’ wishes and try to find the best possible solution. Our team is a group of convergently thinking people.
“Digiscope Media is quick, flexible and supportive.”
Describe a moment you felt proud of Digiscope Media
Of course there are more than one, but I would like to point out one project in particular. We managed to create a global online business summit in very short time named Global Business Summit. It was an online event with participants from 41 different countries, who spoke about this solution against COVID. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized this event in cooperation with United Arab Emirates in digital form. For this project we had very limited timeframe and lots of changes were made in the process. The whole system had to be built up in a month. My role was to communicate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, divide tasks and oversee the digital side of the project. After the event I also did e-mail marketing, but essentially I was more on the livestreaming side of the project.
What has been the biggest challenge during your time in Digiscope Media?
A good challenge was when I came to work here at Digiscope Media. I got here at a very good time – I immediately got 4 or 5 projects to work on. Of course, a great part of the challenge was to familiarize myself with those projects as quickly as possible, so that the next steps could be taken. But looking back at it now, it was actually a good challenge for me. At first it felt like I was losing my head, but at the end of the day, when things started to run as they should, it was a great feeling. How else are you going to improve if you do not challenge yourself?
What has been the biggest surprise for you?
I’ve had more discoveries in the field of technology. Since the last time I worked in a digital marketing agency, which was two years ago, it is incredible to see how much digital marketing can change and develop in such a short time still today. Especially how easy it actually is to join platforms that make your work easier and more efficient. Nowadays working in the office is not essential because such solutions allow work to be done from absolutely anywhere. All thanks to video conferences and meetings, simple file sharing solutions, project management platforms and so on. All of those smart solutions we also use on a daily basis, which I like, because it makes the work process more convinient and also faster. These result in increase of efficiency.
“Increasing efficiency with efficient tools.”
What has been your favorite project?
The most exciting project was the Global Business Summit. On the same day that we went live with the event, they expected several hundred thousand people to join, so it was quite nerve-wracking for us to wait and see if the web we created would hold up to such traffic. At the end it was all worth it and everyone was happy. There will certainly be more exciting projects in the future and I look forward to work on them.
How would you describe our team?
Our team is very friendly, generous and supportive. All of us believe in quality over quantity and through our youthful thinking we try to bring our clients’ digital presence to the next level.
What was your first impression of Digiscope Media?
I immediately realized that this is a very young agency, but I saw it as a very good advantage point. Although the starting point was very hectic for me, didn’t really have time to settle in, I still noticed the youtful side of Digiscope Media. Being youthful and embracing that fact is what I think makes us unique.
Who inspires you?
I look up to people who have become successful and built themselves from the ground up. To have started independently from scratch and built something big, is admirable. I think highly of people who dare to be transparent and express their opinions and visions, both on the subject of their own companies and professions. For example I read a lot of opinion posts on LinkedIn. I am inspired by people who dare to discuss. People who are not too attached to their ego, but are open and engage with others.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Every project I work on is an accomplishment for me. And there’s is a simple reason behind that statement – if the project goes well and the client is happy with the results, I am also satisfied.
“Dare to discuss and be transparent.”
How would you define success?
I feel successful when I don’t have to worry about what day it is. Success comes from happiness and I am the happiest when I’m not anxious because another workday awaits. One shouldn’t be sad when the weekend is over and has work the next day. Work and personal life should be in harmony. It is important to me that there wouldn’t be no emotional connection to weekdays, instead all the days should be equally good.
What drives you?
I think to eventually achieve a level of mental state where I don’t worry about weekdays. The goal is to get good results at work as well as have time to enjoy personal life in one day. Also positive feedback from clients definitely motivates me.
Digital marketing in the year 2021 and the do’s and don’ts
What is the situation in digital marketing today and what new norms have developed in this industry?
I think digital marketing has reached the point where it will soon make one major turn towards more valuable content. In other words people should focus more on marketing communication. Simple ads, i.e. come buy this or that product or service, discount percentages and other such, are starting to reduce in value in the eyes of clients. That means call-to-action no longer works as before. Rather, we should start looking at the brand’s value, because today we can get quality products and services at a reasonable price, and we, as consumers, are not afraid to pay more. It is worth being honest and reasonable to show more brand than price.
3 common mistakes made in digital marketing
Recklessness. For example, the objective of the campaign, which is the goal of the campaign, is not really well thought out. The desire to make a campaign it set, but what is the purpose, to whom it is targeted and what is the main message, are not thought through well or at all.
Speed. Everything is often wanted to be done by yesterday, id est at the last moment. As a result, there will be costs that could be avoided with more thorough planning. Often people forget that quality also suffers from excessive rushing. Everything should be done within reasonable limits.
Lack of appreciation of the value of digital marketing. For example, some spend 10% of their turnover of marketing, while others do not even want to spend 100€ on it, because one unit of their product costs the same amount, so relative to the product price it would immediately seem expensive. We live in the digital age and company’s digital presence affects consumer’s purchase decision, so it is not worth the fear. In order to earn more, more must also be invested.
3 recommendations for successful digital marketing
Focus on brand building. It is an important part of developing a recognizable company, regardless of the size of your company. You may have an excellent product or service, but it’s not the key of long-lasting success. Consumers trust in the brands they know. When you achieve a connection with you customers and they understand the value of your brand, your products or services will have an even greater meaning to them.
Think through your ads. It is important to figure out who will see your ad. And from there on try and test which message speaks to them the best. Consumer psychology is key factor nowadays when creating ads. Think about the main message you want to say and to whom you want to say it to.
Valuable content. Valuable content will help you greatly with building trust and therefore will help you improve brand’s reputation. In today’s busy digital marketplace, it is absolutely vital to provide content that will actually give some value to your customer, otherwise your content will go unnoticed. Well thought out content will also help influence conversions and improve your SEO efforts.