Paris, January 3rd, 2018

DISKO offers real time marketing, social activation, and digital communications for leading brands on the web and mobile. The French digital agency has developed a particular methodology that not only changes the way the agency works internally but has also opened doors internationally. Its latest office is in Shangai, China.

DISKO uses the skills of some 400 digital experts from 20 different countries on three continents.

Founded in 2010 DISKO’s clients include renowned companies such as LVMH, Saint Gobain, Chopard, Carrefour, McCormick, Warner, Crédit Agricole Immobilier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Société Générale.

To its clients DISKO offers: speed, simplicity, quality of execution, cost reduction and digital transformation.

Damien Paques, DISKO’s Account Executive, Head Of Content and Associate has been in the company for three years. His career started in the political realm, working for a couple of years in the PR Team of a French candidate running for Presidential Election. After that, he joined an Advertising Agency as a Strategic Planner. Before joining DISKO he worked as a freelance consultant for a few years.

At DISKO, Damien manages top accounts with great skill and strategic thinking. He tells us more of what it takes to crack the account and project management conundrum in the digital age.

What is the best way to earn trust from customers?

That’s a three-way equation:

• Be honest in your relationship.
• Be pragmatic and solutions centric in your management.
• Be ambitious and enthusiastic in your business vision.

Can you give an example of when you have worked with multiple clients at the same time and how did you managed?

We are based on a start-up as a service model and define ourselves as makers in a digital age. This means that nobody is there only for managing or supervising. We all have an expertise and we deal with at least 6 to 10 projects at the same time. That’s our everyday life.

The key factor of success is the ability to go fast and play smart, to reach our clients’ business goals. You need to get the “switch”. Have a bright organisation that is capable of constantly move from strategic roadmap to actions plan for all its clients. Multitasking is our daily challenge.

We have a small team, but we make a huge impact. That’s our way to meet this challenge.

Can you share an example where you have had to resolve an issue between a creative team and a client? What did you do?

Our methods are made to make the business of our clients more valuable. That’s why we really invite them to be part of the team. All of our clients have direct access to their team, and we use Slack as a permanent link.

That’s the best way to partner the client in its digital transition: we are an open kitchen!

Because 70% of DISKO clients are using all our squads, our revolutionary marketplace contributes to provide agility, transparency, feed-back and kpi’s driven. For instance, our clients can rate the work of everybody in their team by using animated gif (having fun is a motto of ours) as the team can evaluate every projects they work on.

So I don’t have an example of an issue: everything is dealt in cooperation and with direct talks between all parts involved.

How do you ensure that you and your team delivers or exceeds customers’ expectations?

We strive to achieve innovation everyday.

We draw a clear roadmap for each project.

We use an efficient Staffing Management Tool, with real time notifications to all resources affected to a project.

A good Quality Control Process ensures excellent outcomes.

And, of course, enthusiasm.

What is the communication style within your team? Do you use any apps or tools?

We use collaborative tools like Slack and Google Suite, connected to our Marketplace. All the team affected to a project can be notified with status all along the production, and be reactive at the good time.

What tools do you use as a manager to plan your activities as well as that of your team?

DISKO’s home made extranet, made with love.

How do you communicate bad news to a client or a member of your team?

The key words are “Assertivity” and “Solutions Centric”.

Bad news are key moments that reveals the quality of the relationship manager. As I said, we have to be pragmatic and solutions centric. Clients are aware of the fact that bad news are part of a project life. If you think at first about the project stakes, finding relevant solutions to reach it, your client will stay focus on the most important. How to reach goals, in the best timing possible, in the most efficient way.

Name a challenge your team is currently facing

DISKO is currently growing fast, deploying agencies all around the world. We have to deploy our model and secure the homogeneity of the process, methods and tools to achieve top performance.

What piece of advice would you give a recent grad looking to work in digital marketing?

Be brave, humble, enthusiastic, and don’t be afraid to break the rules through innovation! Make your everyday work a constant challenge, get out of your comfort zone, constantly think out of the box, and you will take part of a bright and wonderful adventure!

Are there online publications, professionals, industry leaders you follow?

Helge TennØ for strategic inputs.

I like his own graphic way to modelize concepts. But I’m also loyal to PSFK for innovative tricks and trends, and Fubiz, for design inspiration.

Please list a few of your favourite digital brands:

• Amazon, biggest potential to change the world
• Netflix, most powerful game changer to reinvente entertainment
• Navya, most advanced tech brand in autonomous cars

What do you like doing in your free time?

When I leave the office, I turn off my emails and I switch off.

I like paragliding, running, playing percussion, and leaving in road trips.

To be honest, I spend a lot of time watching series on Netflix too.

Thanks Damien !

By Geny Caloisi.
genyc@topinteractiveagencies.com

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