Digitas
Encyclopedia
Digitas is an integrated advertising agency and a member of the Publicis
Groupe. The company currently has over 3,000 employees in 32 offices in 19 countries. Digitas also owns The Third Act: (a brand content platform), Digitas Health, (healthcare marketing), Prodigious Worldwide (global digital productions company) and Solutions | Digitas. Other sister agencies include: Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia, Denuo, and Razorfish, all of which are members of Publicis Groupe's
VivaKi.
that grew to become one of the leading traditional direct marketing agencies in the United
States. In 1995, BSH spun off a subsidiary, the Strategic Interactive Group, to expand into digital marketing. In 1999, these two agencies were combined to form Bronner.com, and shortly thereafter renamed to Digitas. “Direct marketing had accountability, but not mass reach,” said Laura Lang, in an interview with Promo Magazine. “The emerging digital space was not disciplined the way DM was, but my God, it had reach. Each one needed the other.”
In January 2007, Publicis Groupe
purchased Digitas for $1.3 billion. The acquisition took Digitas from being a predominantly U.S. company to a global firm, expanding into areas such as China, France, India, Singapore, Brazil, Sweden, and Australia.
In 2009, Digitas launched an augmented reality campaign for Procter & Gamble’s fem care brand, Always Infinity. The augmented reality technology allowed consumers to create interactive 3D images using webcams and a printed symbol. Consumers downloaded the ad, printed it out, held it up to their webcams, and watched a white rabbit pop out of a magician’s hat.
Later that year the agency launched another campaign for its Buick client. Digitas created MomentOfTruth.com, a website where consumers can view, share and post their opinions and reactions to Buick's newest car, the 2011 Regal. The website aggregates real-time social media and blogosphere commentary for all mentions of the Regal, pulling content from YouTube videos, Flickr photos, comments from Buick's Regal tab on Facebook, and Twitter, automotive reviews, consumer blogs and more.
In 2011, Digitas released its own "It Gets Better" video, with LGBT employees discussing their own experiences and what they would tell other teenagers in their place.
Digitas’ healthcare focused brand, Digitas Health
has also become well known for creating campaigns that draw on user-generated content. In 2009, the agency won a gold Webby award for its work on the Leading Ladies Perspectives campaign, created for AstraZeneca’s breast cancer drug, Arimidex. The campaign featured a video-based web site where real women who were diagnosed with breast cancer could submit their stories about coping with breast cancer, with videos on everything from dealing with treatment to breaking the news to your kids.
, an event meant to explore and help evolve the brand content and distribution landscape. In 2009, the conference’s keynote speaker was former Vice President Al Gore, who spoke about sustainability in the future of advertising. The 2010 event keynote featured Martha Stewart
, Arianna Huffington
, and Kara Swisher.
In 2008, Digitas also launched its first annual edition of The Film Preditors: A Dating Game at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The event used a dating game format to match brands with potential content creators. In 2009, it gave Subway’s brand director, Jeff Larson, the chance to “date” content creators such as Justine Bateman (actress from Family Ties and co-founder of FM78.tv) and Deepak Havar (producer of Bend It Like Beckham and founder of Filmaka). The Digitas 2010 Cannes Lions event focused on brand content as well, but took a new direction by asking panelists to debate "cage fight" style on brand integration versus brand content.
Publicis
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and communications company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is one of the world's three largest advertising holding companies . Its current president is Maurice Lévy. Publicis Groupe S.A...
Groupe. The company currently has over 3,000 employees in 32 offices in 19 countries. Digitas also owns The Third Act: (a brand content platform), Digitas Health, (healthcare marketing), Prodigious Worldwide (global digital productions company) and Solutions | Digitas. Other sister agencies include: Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia, Denuo, and Razorfish, all of which are members of Publicis Groupe's
Publicis
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and communications company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is one of the world's three largest advertising holding companies . Its current president is Maurice Lévy. Publicis Groupe S.A...
VivaKi.
History
Digitas was originally founded in 1980 as Bronner Slosberg Humphrey Inc. (BSH), a companythat grew to become one of the leading traditional direct marketing agencies in the United
States. In 1995, BSH spun off a subsidiary, the Strategic Interactive Group, to expand into digital marketing. In 1999, these two agencies were combined to form Bronner.com, and shortly thereafter renamed to Digitas. “Direct marketing had accountability, but not mass reach,” said Laura Lang, in an interview with Promo Magazine. “The emerging digital space was not disciplined the way DM was, but my God, it had reach. Each one needed the other.”
In January 2007, Publicis Groupe
Publicis
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and communications company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is one of the world's three largest advertising holding companies . Its current president is Maurice Lévy. Publicis Groupe S.A...
purchased Digitas for $1.3 billion. The acquisition took Digitas from being a predominantly U.S. company to a global firm, expanding into areas such as China, France, India, Singapore, Brazil, Sweden, and Australia.
Notable campaigns
In 2008, Digitas Greater China launched a digital campaign for Blackmores Power Bottles, bottles with personalized color-coded meters chosen by consumers to reflect their top three health concerns. Each health concern on the bottle has its own blooming flower. The campaign’s web site allows users to create log-ins, find their friends on the site, and offer them virtual “health boosts” – a way for users to connect with one another and offer support for each other’s health concerns. In October 2009, the campaign advanced to the final stages of the China Internet Advertising Contest.In 2009, Digitas launched an augmented reality campaign for Procter & Gamble’s fem care brand, Always Infinity. The augmented reality technology allowed consumers to create interactive 3D images using webcams and a printed symbol. Consumers downloaded the ad, printed it out, held it up to their webcams, and watched a white rabbit pop out of a magician’s hat.
Later that year the agency launched another campaign for its Buick client. Digitas created MomentOfTruth.com, a website where consumers can view, share and post their opinions and reactions to Buick's newest car, the 2011 Regal. The website aggregates real-time social media and blogosphere commentary for all mentions of the Regal, pulling content from YouTube videos, Flickr photos, comments from Buick's Regal tab on Facebook, and Twitter, automotive reviews, consumer blogs and more.
In 2011, Digitas released its own "It Gets Better" video, with LGBT employees discussing their own experiences and what they would tell other teenagers in their place.
Digitas’ healthcare focused brand, Digitas Health
Digitas Health
Digitas Health is the largest interactive marketing agency catering exclusively to healthcare and pharmacuetical companies. Founded in 1990, Digitas Health is a unit of Digitas, and a member of the Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A.'s, the world’s fourth largest communications group, second largest...
has also become well known for creating campaigns that draw on user-generated content. In 2009, the agency won a gold Webby award for its work on the Leading Ladies Perspectives campaign, created for AstraZeneca’s breast cancer drug, Arimidex. The campaign featured a video-based web site where real women who were diagnosed with breast cancer could submit their stories about coping with breast cancer, with videos on everything from dealing with treatment to breaking the news to your kids.
Global management team
- Laura LangLaura LangLaura Lang is the CEO of Time Inc. She was the CEO of Digitas, a global integrated brand agency from 2008 to 2012.-Career:Lang was raised in Warwick, Rhode Island. She graduated from Tufts University and went on to get her MBA in finance from Wharton School of Business...
, CEO, Digitas - Stephan Beringer, President, Digitas International
- Mark Beeching, Chief Creative Officer
- Seth Solomons, Chief Marketing Officer
- Colin Kinsella, President, Digitas North America
- Joe Tomasulo, Chief Financial Officer
- Tony Weisman, Global Client Leader and President, Digitas Boston-Chicago-Detroit Region
- David Kramer, CEO, Digitas Health
- Judy Jackson, Global Head of Human Resources
Executives in the press
Digitas executive leadership is frequently featured in the press. CEO Laura Lang made BtoB Magazine’s list of Who’s Who in both 2008 and 2009. Digitas Chief Creative Officer Mark Beeching was named an Agency Innovator by The Internationalist in 2010. CMO Seth Solomons discussed marketing in an economic downturn with DM News, and Marketing News (the American Marketing Association’s newsletter) identified Tony Weisman as a “renaissance marketer”.Digitas events
In 2008, Digitas and its brand content entity, The Third Act:, launched its first annual Digital Content NewFrontDigital Content NewFront
The NewFront is an annual event that takes place during Internet Week New York. Hosted by Digitas and its brand content entity, The Third Act, the event brings together content creators, distributors, talent, and brands to harness creative media opportunities made possible in the age of digital...
, an event meant to explore and help evolve the brand content and distribution landscape. In 2009, the conference’s keynote speaker was former Vice President Al Gore, who spoke about sustainability in the future of advertising. The 2010 event keynote featured Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, and Kara Swisher.
In 2008, Digitas also launched its first annual edition of The Film Preditors: A Dating Game at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The event used a dating game format to match brands with potential content creators. In 2009, it gave Subway’s brand director, Jeff Larson, the chance to “date” content creators such as Justine Bateman (actress from Family Ties and co-founder of FM78.tv) and Deepak Havar (producer of Bend It Like Beckham and founder of Filmaka). The Digitas 2010 Cannes Lions event focused on brand content as well, but took a new direction by asking panelists to debate "cage fight" style on brand integration versus brand content.