I’m Ricardo Pereira, Founder and CEO of comOn Group, who is know mostly because of it’s digital agency: comOn
So… why are some guys from an agency talking to lots of vibrating and skillful entreperneurs who are already digitaloids and aware of some tactics to help them grow
To start… we’re facing the merge...
We’re all facing the same challenges, hacking them with the same tools and with the same mindset
But each project, each startup has it’s own reality, I’ll share with you our example,
In 2000 the idea was to build our startup around one virgin product: One Students Platform with a Portal as its core asset
We decided to quit our jobs and build it
In the middle of the proccess… bumm... One new platform with the same approach was launched with lots of support from investors... and the state.
Now what?...
Then we had to be agile… and moved from the product centered approach to service centered one.
Elemento Digital was launched in 2001 focused on Web Development and Web Design
We kept always trying something new, and we were pioneers in adopting webpromotion tools, who would later be also known as e-Marketing, and finally Digital Marketing.
But soon we realized that alone, those tactics were or useless or inefficient.
We had to define the path, the plan that help us create value and critical mass from one action to the next
We invested on strategy, and we started to sell it also
Strategy became our objective, not technology, who became the tool, as transparent as it can be
Also, our target shifted from the IT director to the Marketing Director, who was now in charge of managing the growing peace of budgets
Then we became obsessed with metrics, so that we can analyze and optimize everything
From tactics to the strategy.
And we started to give this service to the market… more and more
Some of the tactics require Media planning, media buying and Campaing optimization, so we created also a Media Agency inside comOn, focused on digital media micromanagement.
Then to grow the earned media, we had to invest in social skills to deal with all the Social Networks and new collaborative Paradigms
All of this with more noise and less attention by the user.
Creativity is more and more important, but for us creativity is not one department
It’s a mindset that should be spread all over the entire team in all the departments.
To make sure all our team keeps sponging and agile, we implemented a knowledge share strategy.
Each one of us had to have at least one training session per week.
We adopt the “fridayschools” policy… and we still do.
With clients: Hackdays, content, workshops, talents with strong personal brands
To make sure we keep our services inline with the opportunities and needs of the user and consumer, we created our ThinkTank, with some of the major senior and creative talents of our team, who also contributes to the strategy of the group
Being so, we are in constant WIP
Merge departments; Invent Jobs; Recycle skills;
Challenging, retaining and renewing talent
Questioning everything… everything
Also, innovation is opened to all of our team, and also with clients
Always identifying, experimenting, prototyping and analysing
New Services… new products
In one of those hackdays we incubate what ended to be OK! MUV the first auto insurance specific for young
In 2013 we launched our own Venture Builder: comOn Labs
Already incubated some products, some of them were killed fast, one is on it’s way to traction and other to its exit
Rui will talk about it later today
This quarter we launched one production center to serve priority markets like Portugal, UK and US
On 3rd December we’ll be opening the Lisbon New Creative Hub
Just a few meters from here; Space with over 1.300square meters;
Will host the entire group but also creative & talented teams with their projects
For us… digital stands for mindset and attitude, not scope, channel or tools
We also think big, start small and try to grow or kill fast
We also don’t believe in “one fits all”
Also, for us it’s not a race between performance and branding
It’s about matching the performance with the power of a brand… and that’s for the long run
We see it not as tactical mushrooms or ad hoc testing
We conect the dots... with strategy and proccess
At the end… we build relationships
But... More than the product... The most important relationship is with and between the team
Not only recruiting but keeping them motivated... Talent is not infinite
We always go for people, instead of just skills.
Without great human quality, we have no Team
Praise and evolve them
Search and incentivize the following softskills
Discourage people to whine
Always focus on solutions
Avoid saying the two most common words in portuguese offices: “É só!”... Or “It’s only...”
... and learn with it
... Like the shower
Everyone should use both
Everyone should use both
Everyone should use both
Everyone should use both
... Like the shower
... and learn with it
Avoid saying the two most common words in portuguese offices: “É só!”... Or “It’s only...”
Always focus on solutions
Discourage people to whine
Praise and evolve them
Search and incentivize the following softskills
We always go for people, instead of just skills.
Without great human quality, we have no Team
Not only recruiting but keeping them motivated... Talent is not infinite
But... More than the product... The most important relationship is with and between the team
At the end… we build relationships
We see it not as tactical mushrooms or ad hoc testing
We conect the dots... That’s strategy
It’s about matching the performance with the power of a brand… and that’s for the long run
Also, for us it’s not a race between performance and branding
We also don’t believe in “one fits all”
We also think big, start small and try to grow or kill fast
For us… digital stands for mindset and attitude, not scope, channel or tools
On 3rd December we’ll be opening the New Creative Hub
Just a few meters from here; Space with over 1.300square meters ;
Will host the entire group but also creative & talented teams with their projects
This quarter we launched one production center to serve Portugal, UK and US
In 2013 we launched our own Venture Builder: comOn Labs
Already incubated some products, some of them were killed fast, one is on it’s way to traction and other to its exit
Rui will talk about it later today
In one of those hackdays we incubate what ended to be OK! MUV the first auto insurance specific for young
With clients: Hackdays, content, workshops, talents with strong personal brands
fridayschools
Then we had to be agile… and moved from the product centered approach to service centered one.
Elemento Digital was launched in 2001 focused on Web Development and Web Design
In 2000 the idea was to build our startup around one virgin product: One Students Platform with a Portal as its core asset
We decided to quit our jobs and build it
In the middle of the proccess… bumm... One new platform with the same approach was launched with lots of support from investors... and the state.
Now what?...
our example
Hacking its growth with different roadmaps
And now I’ll pass to João Vitória, Chief Growth Officer of comOn Group, who has the mission to hack comOn group’s growth