Fun at NDG » NDG Communications, Inc.

In celebration of National Bike Month, we wanted to recognize our resident cyclist and fellow NDG team member, Steve Wilk!

Steve first started riding seriously in 1988. Shortly thereafter he joined the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club, as well as the Snow Valley Spring Water Team.

Although he used to race, these days Steve prefers the occasional century ride. Last fall, he participated in the Sea Gull Century, a hundred-mile ride throughout the scenic roads of Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Unlike other sports, cycling doesn’t require a tremendous amount of skill or investment to get started, and it has great health benefits. It’s also an easy way to reconnect with the community, all while helping our natural environment by reducing our carbon footprint.

For Steve, the greatest benefit of cycling is being able to meet new people and see new things!

Click here to learn about other members of the NDG team.

With consistently warmer temps, sunshine, and blue skies, the plants here are blooming, and most of us here at NDG Communications are spending our time after hours outside enjoying this wonderful weather.

From taking walks with our pets, to barbecuing with friends, and shopping for beautiful flowers and fresh produce at area markets, the fun is really just beginning here in the Washington, D.C. area. And, being so close to our nation’s capital is a major plus this time of year as so many of us enjoy seeing the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin, in addition to visiting our bountiful area parks and museums, and even riding bikes along the National Mall.

Other NDG team favorites:

a nice picnic outside, complete with snacks, games, and best of all, kickball
golfing, fishing, and riding dirt bikes with the kids
going to the beach or pool
canoeing on the Potomac River
visiting wineries

What are your favorite things to do this time of year?

This year, Valentine’s Day at NDG had local florists working overtime to make their deliveries to all the lucky loved ones in our offices. We thought it would be fun to share snapshots of some NDG team members with their Valentine’s Day bouquets and see who got what.

NDG Junior Copywriter Sara Poynor also got roses! — NDG Junior Copywriter Sara Poynor got roses!

NDG Graphic Designer Cheryl Macatangay received roses too... — NDG Graphic Designer Cheryl Macatangay got roses too!

And NDG Accounting Director Tracy Stire also got roses!

Look! NDG Senior Designer Ashley Stuart also got roses!

NDG Interactive Media Specialist Cindy Mellot got roses! — NDG Interactive Media Specialist Cindy Mellot: ROSES!

NDG Creative Director Quintin Parrish DID NOT get roses...

As part of our annual holiday greeting, we wanted to do something different this year that our builder and real estate clients would get a big kick out of. We put our brains and hands to work, and developed the first-ever Sweetly Efficient house. Haven’t seen it yet? Visit EnergySweetHomes.com and check out all the sweetly efficient home features you’ve been craving!

The holidays started a little earlier than usual here at NDG Communications. Kicking off in early November, members of our team were busy writing scripts, shooting video, designing a website, and even “sweetening up” a dollhouse for what would become this year’s NDG interactive holiday greeting: the world’s first “Sweetly Efficient” house, from EnergySweet Homes.

For days, we were at work converting what once was a simple dollhouse into a mouth-watering masterpiece complete with graham cracker floors, chocolate solar panels, and a fruitcake foundation, among other scrumptious efficiency features. Click here to see the fruits—or should we say, “candy”—of our labor!

Beverly Kitchens, NDG Art Director

I recently attended Advertising Week DC 2011 where respected industry experts discussed topics such as mobile technologies and social networks as they relate to advertising and marketing. The biggest takeaway this year: the rise and coming dominance of mobile.

In today’s world, with increasing use of smartphones and tablets, people are always connected, making mobile advertising extremely important. And, it’s effective⎯mobile banners have a 10% higher click-through rate than online banner ads.

Some contributing factors: Many people are getting smartphones for the first time. They are downloading apps⎯the average user has 45⎯and they are rediscovering brands with their phone. And, instead of pulling out the old laptop, many are resorting to their newly-dubbed “couch companion,” their tablet, for email, social networking, and surfing the web.

A third of all Americans over the age of 13 own smartphones and more than a third of smartphone users check their phone before getting out of bed in the morning and climbing back in at night.

Check out AdWeekDC for more information about the event, and about mobile advertising.

Today we join our nation in paying tribute to the 25 million veterans that have so valiantly served our country and defended our freedoms, and we reflect on the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families.

Whether you display a flag, attend a Veteran’s Day Parade, or observe a moment of silence, please take a few minutes to remember those who served.

By Cindy Mellott
NDG Interactive Media Specialist

In today’s world, the smartphone is a multi-tasker’s dream. As life speeds up between work and play, your smartphone is there, with the option to stay connected regardless of where you’re at, all from the palm of your hand.

A recent staff survey at NDG Communications revealed that 11 staff members have smartphones—with a breakdown of 4 Android-based phones and 8 iPhones. 2 team members also have a Blackberry—and of course there are some us who have yet to buy into the smartphone craze.

While both the iPhone and the Android have a large number of applications which everyone loves—including social media apps, dropbox for work-related needs, and all those fun camera apps like instagram and snapbucket—the main difference between iPhone and Android users is that more than half of our staff with an iPhone are “Mac purists” as Tom Nelson, president of NDG Communications, described. They own Apple products at work and at home and want their products to work seamlessly together.

Droid users often selected models based on characteristics such screen size and operating system, but users of both systems enjoy staying connected with their social and work circles with smartphone apps for Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Google +, and more.

Whether it’s a Droid, Blackberry, or an iPhone, our staff agrees that a smartphone is a huge asset. Do you own a smartphone? What about it do you find to be most beneficial?

Tracy Stire,
NDG Accounting and Human Resources Director

I’m often asked what it’s like to work at an advertising agency, if it’s more like “Mad Men” or more like “Animal House.” I laugh and tell them it’s actually more like “The Office” but a whole lot faster.

The truth is, what we do is exciting, and creative, and, we believe, important. But while we are creative people doing creative work, we’re also real people with families, children, friends, and pets. We enjoy our work, and we enjoy our family lives as well. We work hard during the workday so that we can all leave at a reasonable time every day.

And we work together as a team—we simply don’t tolerate politics, cliques, or diva behavior. This is a place where we are all proud of our work, and proud to work together.

We’re an agency that seeks to build a family atmosphere, where employees want to stay for a very long time. We have a strong sense of team, and enjoy spending time together at work, and outside of work.

We’re also an agency that doesn’t just create pretty ads. Our creative is based on research and strategy, so that we can achieve real results for our clients.

And, most importantly, everyone at NDG is committed to honesty and integrity in everything we do here. We owe it to each other, to our clients, and to our industry.

Of course, there are many other benefits to working here at NDG, from some of the most competitive pay for our industry and region, to healthcare, retirement plans, and a generous schedule of holidays, sick days, mental health days, and vacation time.

If this sounds like the kind of environment you’d like to build your career in, make sure to check our current job openings at NDGcommunications.com.

From all of us here at NDG Communications, we wish you a very happy, healthy, and joyful holiday. We hope you can take some time to spend with family and friends, relax, and prepare for a brighter and prosperous new year. And if you’re ready to turn over a new leaf and GET REAL with your marketing and advertising, we’ll be here for you after the break.

We wish you the Happiest of Holidays, and a Happy New Year to all.

NDG Communications, Inc.

Category Archives: Fun at NDG

Celebrating National Bike Month

Warm-Weather Fun is just Beginning!

Somebody Loves Us

Happy Holidays from NDG & EnergySweet Homes!

Getting an Early Start to the Holidays at NDG

What We Learned at Advertising Week DC 2011

Salute to Our Veterans

What is it like to work at NDG?

We Wish you the HAPPIEST of HOLIDAYS