By Pepper Parr
August 10, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Getting an award from Google is a big deal.
For a Canadian to get an award from Google is a pretty big deal.
For a Canadian to get the same award two years running is a really big deal
For the recipient of the award to be the co-founder of a company based in Burlington is awesome. The Mayor will be out to his office for a photo op for sure.
Direct Access Digital, a company that helps it clients figure out where they want to place their advertising to draw the clientele that want, is part advertising agency, part techies and strategic thinkers for their clients.
Co-Founder, Eric Rodgers, is one of 12 people in all of North America to be awarded Google’s prestigious Search Excellence Award. He is the only Canadian to have won the award twice. Rodgers is a pioneer of the digital marketing and paid search space.
The award, described by Google as recognizing the top search marketing talent across all of their partner agencies in North America, involves an elaborate selection scrutiny that uses detailed scoring and expert analysis to select the winner.
The wall with the ornaments is the “trophy” wall; beer prevails.
Google gives the award to recognize those who use the Google platforms best. Nominations come from within the Google organization and starts with recommendations by Google staff that are then filtered by a panel to get a short list and then judged by people who basically invented to placement of advertising on web sites.
Rodgers was surprised to find out he was a repeat winner, “While we aren’t privy to the precise reasons we won Google’s award, we do know that our numbers and our conversion metrics speak for themselves. It’s truly an honour to have our work recognized, like this.”
Orange is the corporate colour – the requisite pool table is done up in orange felt. An open space concept.
He and team are the digital agency of record for several Fortune 500 companies and other mid-to-large sized businesses.
Digital advertising has outpaced traditional media channels dramatically in recent years. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has forecasted internet ad revenues at 11% growth by the end of 2015, to $4.29 billion in Canada.
While traditional large-scale agencies are struggling to understand and keep up with growing commercial interest in digital advertising and performance metrics, this boutique firm has outshone and proven yet again that this specialized channel is best served by math men (and women) not mad men.
Direct Access Digital is a rapidly growing, full-service digital marketing firm. DAD’s team members are true experts in all digital marketing channels and platforms, as well as heavy analytics and project management. Rodgers says, “We’re very lucky to have such an engaged and brilliant team of digital marketers and the demand for our services is increasing day by day. We exist to help make sense of a complex marketplace, and assisting our clients with achieving and exceeding business goals. That’s what makes us the best at what we do.”
Rodgers will tell clients all they have to do is tell Direct what they want and they will get it done and at a better ROI (Return on Investment) than any other organization they are likely to find.
The bravado is typical of the high tech sector – but that Google award two years in a row isn’t the result of a popularity contest. You get recommended for the award if you are seen as a company that is consistently creative and deliver measurable results.
The work is exceptionally complex and calls for a mathematical bent of mind.
The staff of 28 – with four to six being added by years end is located in 4100 square feet of space on the South Service Road.
They will be moving into new digs at the entrance to Sherwood Forest Park where they will take up 6,000 square feet AND keep the 4200 they already have.
Strategy conversations with clients take place in a sound proof room.
Hiring the kind of people we want is a challenge but we are fortunate in that we draw from a labour pool that runs from Toronto, to Guelph and Kitchener Waterloo. “We draw talent from Toronto who find the opposite direction commute convenient, ” said Rodgers.
The “shop” is a pretty even balance between the genders with a very healthy diverse look to it.
Canadian marketers have been a little slower than Americans to adapt to what digital marketing can do for them – but the trend is now irreversible. The rate at which change in the technology takes place is equalled only by the speed with which Direct can change direction for its clients.
They gather information and apply what comes out of their analysis to the instant needs of their clients – and the do it in minutes.
They are in constant communication with their clients.
The company describes itself as an award-winning digital-performance marketing agency based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2011, they have evolved into one of Canada’s leading boutique agencies, and now serve mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
Known for their expertise in all digital marketing verticals, from search engine marketing (SEM) to search engine optimization (SEO), local search, social media marketing and more, their true hallmark is building strong partnerships with their clients and working diligently to deliver the tools, data and strategies that drive customer conversions and sales while aiding brand awareness.
Rodgers has found that people are better users of advertising mediums than the advertisers – those who are on line know how to find and take advantage of what advertisers are offering.
It is an exciting time.
The company describes itself as an award-winning digital-performance marketing agency based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2011, they have evolved into one of Canada’s leading boutique agencies, and now serve mid-sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.
Known for their expertise in all digital marketing verticals, from search engine marketing (SEM) to search engine optimization (SEO), local search, social media marketing and more, their true hallmark is building strong partnerships with their clients and working diligently to deliver the tools, data and strategies that drive customer conversions and sales while aiding brand awareness.
