A trip to New York last month for myself and the Digital Fire Commercial Director Nikki Ingwersen to see existing clients, potential new clients and to discuss an exciting new project Digital Fire will be working on with a rather cool guy, the Oscar winning actor Morgan Freeman!

Its inspiring to travel, it gets you out of your comfort zone, forces you to look at life in a different way;  to question what one takes for granted.

Similarly travel is a useful experience business wise. It’s easy to be set on a certain mind-set and approach in business especially when one is busy. To experience different business cultures is refreshing and can give one new ideas and concepts for one’s own business.

I like to listen and to observe to see how partners and competition operate. There is always something to be learnt.

In New York this time I was struck by the can do attitude of the people. On some new business prospect calls, clients were prepared to meet at 07.00 for a breakfast meeting or stay late in the office to make that first contact. I love that attitude, and it leads to success for those who champion it. SA digital industry could take a page from this book.

I think this attitude partly comes from the acknowledgement of the ferocity and volume of the competition. In New York, as in London, you get it right or you get eaten by the competition. There are a pack of other agencies ready to push you off the ledge and take your place at the head of the line if you don’t deliver. That keeps you sharp and where you want to be as an agency.

Whether your business is an advertising agency, a mining group or a milk bottle maker there are certain fundamentals which run true whatever your line of work. Be open to discussion, be willing to listen and have a can do attitude. Well done the New Yorkers in this respect!

So, back to the project. Morgan Freeman whom I got to know during the filming of Invictus in 2009 here is SA and his dynamic partner Lori McCreary are the owners of Revelations Entertainment an LA based Production Company.

We met and discussed the forming of a partnership to create an entity which will specialise in the marketing of movies and series through digital media. Not only Revelations’ productions but also other studios and production houses’ work.

One of the initial projects is particularly exciting. Morgan Freeman has a global following of 16,000,000 people. Digital Fire will be working on profiling those followers into segmented data bases, and then pushing relevant content to that audience. There will also be the opportunity to drive charitable donations through this exercise for select clauses.

We shall be looking for office space and team members in New York over the coming months.

We will also definitely be trying to blag our way into the Oscars……

Watch this space!

Thomas Boyd

Managing Director Digital Fire