Vienna, November 13th, 2024

Digitalwerk is a digital-first lead agency based in Vienna, Austria, that specializes in multi-channel creation, performance marketing, and classic advertising elements. The agency’s evolution over the past 13 years has been fueled by a dedication to innovation and agile processes, with a focus on technology, AI, and automation.

Michael Gattereder is the CEO and Co-Founder of Digitalwerk. In an interview with TIA, he shared insights into how the company has transformed from a purely digital agency into a hybrid space that drives comprehensive, cross-channel solutions. He also discussed the future of web design with platforms like Webflow, the impact of AI on creativity, and his advice for those aspiring to work in design and technology.

Let’s start with a bit about you. Where are you currently based, and what do you enjoy most about your city?

I live in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria’s capital and the fifth-largest city in the EU. Vienna is a vibrant, multicultural city that fuses history, art, and a dynamic foodie scene. The city’s Art Nouveau style defines the city – and inspires me. Some of my international friends even say it’s a more refined version of Berlin. I think I believe them. Our office is right in the creative heart of Vienna with a view over the Naschmarkt. At the weekends, I like to brunch in the 4th district, pop into the Museumsquartier – with around 70 institutions for contemporary art and culture –, browse and store avant-garde fashion at eigensinnig in the 7th district and end the day with a Negroni at Monte Ofelio in the 1st district. A little bit of Italy directly in Vienna.

Looking at the journey of Digitalwerk, what inspired the shift from a pure digital agency into a lead agency with a stronger focus on multi-channel creation and classic advertising elements?

We’ve evolved along with the challenges we’ve taken on, and every growth phase added fuel to our transformation. Thirteen years ago, we started as a purely digital agency, developing primarily large web platforms. Then we added performance marketing and social media services, and slowly we became a melting-pot of creatives with various backgrounds. This range of perspectives helped us expand our horizons and continue to take on new challenges. Energized by this, we created a hybrid workspace with a stunning office that was supposed to support our working culture – but then the pandemic hit.

Time for a brand reset. After a year-long brand development process, we shed our “digital-only” persona in May 2022, rebranding ourselves as a “digital-first” lead agency. We did this because we felt that we thrive most when guide projects end-to-end, from concept through execution, across all channels. We don’t need to have every discipline in-house, but our digital background and agile structure give us an unfair advantage.

What challenges did you face while making this transition, and how did you overcome them to stand out in such a competitive industry?

To be attractive to both clients and team members, we followed a dual strategy. Our 2022 rebranding was bolstered by a social-media-driven employer branding initiative, offering glimpses into our team, culture, and work. At the same time, we developed “New Werk Light,” an approach promoting flexibility and reducing work hours. We expanded our creative and strategy departments while intentionally scaling back on production-focused areas like video and performance.

What we didn’t anticipate was the time factor. The biggest challenge in all of this was conveying our new positioning to clients. We relied on showcasing, pitching, and networking – a more time-intensive process than we had previously planned. On top that industry silos kept reinforcing our image as a purely digital agency, which raised new questions in 2024. Our answer? After a launch, there’s a launch. So, there are big things to come for us in 2025.

Where do you spend most of your time, and what does a typical day entail?

I’m at the office almost every day. I just like it here. The people, the coffee, the energy. My door is always open, because creating a positive work environment is a priority for me. Hop in and ask away.

Typically, my day starts with the first of four coffees (I’ve already cut down by 50%!), checking Slack, LinkedIn, emails, and our agency tool Kanbert. Then, I review data dashboards for both our website and key clients to stay current. I like being close to the data.

Most of my time, though, is spent on acquisition, consulting, and networking, as well as financial and organizational planning with my co-CEO Christopher Röder, our CFO, and “minister of the interior” of the digitalwerk. I’m glad he handles a lot of the administrative work, freeing me to focus on my core skills. Because I also function as an internal consultant – especially for emerging technologies. I advise our teams and clients across industries but try not to meddle in daily operations.

Depending on the day, sales, strategy, alignment meetings, client workshops, or pitch preparations fill the rest of my schedule. I tend to skip lunch, so by 5 PM, I’m ready for the gym, where marketing and tech podcasts accompany my cardio sessions.

What are your main focuses at the moment?

If I had to categorize my work, it is usually centered around four areas:

I love questioning potential clients’ challenges, as solutions often hide within the problems themselves. Through building personal connections and asking pointy questions, my team and I aim to capture issues holistically. The perspectives that emerge lay the foundation for flourishing partnerships.

Innovation, AI, and automation are high on our tech agenda, so I tend to do deep dives into emerging technologies with my team. For example, in 2024 we experimented with AI supported processes in different fields within the agency. Eventually, every team member at digitalwerk gained their own “AI junior” – and uses it support their daily tasks. We’re also experimenting with Voiceflow to develop AI agents for future client projects.

As CEO, I work to understand market and client needs and enable solutions that not only meet but exceed their expectations. So you could say that I am looking for Client-Product Fits. One of these product-driven solutions is a low-code CMS from San Francisco: Webflow. At the same time, custom code developments, especially tailored APIs and individual landing pages, are becoming more significant for our clients to support their multichannel communication goals.

Last but not least, digitalwerk took its first step towards brand transformation to a lead agency in 2022. Now, we’re gearing up to continue the evolution in 2025. This takes considerable amounts of physical and emotional energy, but I am really looking forward to realizing our vision.

When working with a new brand, how do you go about unraveling its underlying values and beliefs that set it apart from competitors?

For us, a brand’s value can come from different sources, which aren’t always based on values and beliefs. Depending on the context, we explore and leverage a brand’s potential for differentiation and distinction. Then again, we have a strict code of conduct of who we want to be in business, so we use values to screen who we want to partner with.

That’s why we place a lot of importance on a deep understanding. We usually kick off with chemistry meetings to get a feel for the brand, its products, services, or experiences – and, of course, the people behind it. At the same time, we analyze various data sources, from fiscal reports and performance KPIs to customer reviews, to get a complete picture of the customers, the category and business model. A strong brand can only be built on the value it generates for a potential customer, cause or solution to a problem, all of them are at the core of our branding process.

We’re interested in your latest project with BYD and UEFA EURO 2024. What was the vision behind redesigning the brand’s digital presence, and how did you ensure that the website would serve as Austria’s largest BYD electric car showroom?

We aimed to establish the BYD website as Austria’s largest digital showroom for BYD electric vehicles, laying the foundation for BYD to invest in brand awareness in the Austrian market. Within just three months, we developed an agile, technologically advanced platform with Webflow that met the marketing department’s demands for efficiency, flexibility, SEO, and maintainability. Thanks to cross-channel campaigns around UEFA EURO 2024, we massively boosted the brand’s visibility – leading to immediate increases in website traffic and demand for test drives. Within six months, BYD became one of the top five providers of electric vehicles in Austria.

Webflow has played a crucial role in enabling your work with small marketing departments. Could you share more about why you chose Webflow and how it’s helped optimize the workflow for your clients?

We’ve embraced Webflow because it bridges the gap between design and development, making it a perfect fit for small marketing departments needing agile, manageable solutions. Its intuitive CMS and visual editor enable non-technical team members to quickly update content. Webflow’s No-Code capabilities have allowed our clients to focus more on strategy and less on technicalities. And we think that’s a good thing. For us, tech should be an enabler, not a hurdle.

As Austria’s leading Webflow agency, how do you see the platform shaping the future of web design, especially in terms of efficiency and scalability?

Webflow eliminates traditional development bottlenecks and speeds up projects without sacrificing cost-effective scalability. Its continuous improvements in localization, security, and SEO tools are positioning Webflow as a valuable choice even for complex projects. We see it shaping a future where designers take on a more active role in development, creating seamless workflows that meet high-performance demands without code-heavy processes.

What are the biggest trends you’re noticing in the digital world right now, especially for agencies balancing between traditional advertising methods and digital expertise?

2025 is going to be a year of realignment – old formulas are losing their punch. As data-driven marketing approaches their limits, the demand for genuine, emotional brand experiences is growing. Those who want to succeed in the future can’t just focus on empty KPIs; they need to tell stories that truly reach people and shake them out of their indifference. Important to remember: Consumers create their own meanings with a brand. It will be crucial to steer these meanings in a favourable direction. Modular designs and dynamic branding systems are essential for this, especially on fast platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and LinkedIn. In the same breath, Tools like Webflow or AI assistants and agents provide the necessary flexibility for creative, efficient communication, allowing marketing teams to craft messages faster and more personally. So, the challenge for 2025 is to find a balance between the new and old. Have the courage to question what’s tried and true, and be ready to look toward the future with a spirit of experimentation.

For those aspiring to enter the design experience arena, what crucial advice would you offer as they embark on their journey?

Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability—design tools and technologies evolve quickly, so staying updated is essential. Prioritize understanding user needs and mastering tools (like Webflow) that enable you to quickly bring ideas to life. Balancing technical know-how with creativity will set you apart, especially as No-Code platforms demand versatile skills that combine both design and a basic understanding of development. Above all, remain curious and open to collaboration; the design experience is about creating value, and creative inspiration often comes from unexpected perspectives.

What are your thoughts on A.I.?

Humans and machines constantly find new ways to collaborate. Since 2024, AI has become deeply embedded in agencies, almost like the new Junior staff that support the entire workflow. It’s all about efficiency boosts. But even with this support: creative excellence comes from humans not machines. While AI can handle repetitive tasks and processes, our value lies in human creativity, strategic thinking, empathy, and the ability to shape complex ideas into new concepts.

In 2025, the question will be how to enhance human creativity with tools that promote divergent thinking – like AI designed to be experimental. However, in times of recession and crisis, automation tools like Salesforce are gaining ground in marketing. But they remain just that – tools that lay the groundwork for human-driven results. Excitingly, these SaaS tools will soon face competition from AI agents in the coming years, bringing even more possibilities for human-AI centered cooperation.

How do you unwind after an intense workweek?

On weekends, I like to switch to “analog mode” with my wife. I enjoy a well-paced run (5:25 min/km is my comfort zone) in Vienna’s most beautiful park, Schönbrunn. I also love a nice dinner with friends – no business talk – a classic coffeehouse visit with traditional Viennese pastries, or a short trip to the countryside. Especially delightful is a vintage car trip through the Austrian “Indian Summer” to one of the fantastic wineries in Burgenland.

Is there a genre or artist that inspires your work or helps you focus?

HVOB (Her Voice Over Boys) is an Austrian electronic music duo from Vienna and is internationally recognized. While Austria is often associated with “The Sound of Music,” I’d say Vienna, with artists like HVOB, feels more like a “more beautiful Berlin.”

Can you share a little known fact or secret talent about yourself?

As a teenager, I attended a kind of high school for art and dreamed of becoming a car designer or game developer. Ultimately, I ended up studying business. Still, my passion for design and technology has stayed with me, even if I’m no longer designing or coding myself. But it’s never too late to learn something new – stay hungry!

Thanks Michael!

Learn more about: Digitalwerk

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