Cardinal Management Group Launches New Website


Hilary Suskey,
NDG Senior Marketing Manager

We are proud to announce our client, Cardinal Management Group, launched their new website on July 5.

The new website designed by NDG offers web users information in a simple, user-friendly format, making it easier to find things like resources, documents, and more.

NDG was truly grateful for the opportunity to work with the wonderful team at Cardinal Management Group on their website re-development project and we look forward to many future successful collaborations.

Post to Twitter

Posted in articles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Now Hiring at NDG: Art Director


Quintin Parrish,
NDG Creative Director

Finally had enough of working too late, making too little, and going nowhere?

If you’ve worked in advertising before, you may have worked at one of those agencies—you know, the kind where everybody is miserable, overworked, underpaid, and nobody stays for very long.

Well, we don’t roll that way. NDG Communications is an advertising and digital marketing agency located just outside Washington, D.C. in La Plata, Maryland. NDG offers a work environment where creatives are truly respected and appreciated, where schedules are reasonable, where compensation is competitive, where the office is usually empty after 6pm, and where your career can grow as fast and far as you can.

  • COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION
  • GENEROUS BENEFITS PACKAGES
  • WORK WITH A TEAM YOU’LL LOVE
  • WORK WHERE YOU’LL TRULY BE APPRECIATED
  • FAMILY ATMOSPHERE & LIFE-WORK BALANCE
  • TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL

What’s it like to work at NDG? Click here for some insights.

NOW HIRING: Full-time position

ART DIRECTOR

We’re looking for someone with strong and tested skills who wants to take their career even further, learn more, achieve more, and create truly great work with a great team.

  • Lead designer for all assigned projects
  • Collaborate with creative director, art directors, copywriters, designers, and programmers
  • Mentor junior designers and help ensure quality and consistency
  • Strong Adobe Creative Suite skills / Mac OS platform
  • Portfolio of advertising agency or similar work
  • Minimum 5 years professional design work experience
  • Mastery of communication, conceptualization, and visualization skills
  • Focus on the details, efficient time management

TO APPLY PLEASE INCLUDE cover letter, resume, required salary range, and URL link to samples or include a brief PDF portfolio in order to be considered.

LEARN MORE and apply online at our website:

www.NDGCommunications.com

No calls or recruiters, thank you.


Post to Twitter

Posted in Careers at NDG, NDG Family, advertising, work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tweets = Testimonials?


Hilary Suskey,
NDG Senior Marketing Manager

In today’s world, people place real value on feedback. Potential customers want to hear what your customers have to say; they want to see testimonials—endorsements for your products or services—from REAL people. And, Twitter can help! Tweets make good testimonials. First of all, they are short and sweet and to the point, often written in a moment of excitement and specifically for public view.

Twitter makes it easy to capture Tweets by marking them as a favorite. From there, you can create a Twitter widget to display on your own website. You could call it “See What People Are Saying About [Insert Company Name],” if you like, and Twitter will update the widget as often as you add a new favorite. Twitter widgets are compatible with any website and Facebook.

What do you think? Have you tried the Twitter Favorites Widget? How do you display and promote testimonials on your website with social media?

Post to Twitter

Posted in articles, e-marketing, social media | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What is it like to work at NDG?


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.

Post to Twitter

Posted in Careers at NDG, Fun at NDG, NDG Family, advertising, work | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

750 Million People Were Just Invited to Video Chat


Sara Eckel NDG Director of Account Services

Sarah Eckel,
NDG Director of Account Services

Nearly a week after the launch of the new Google + social network, Facebook has just unveiled its anticipated Skype-powered video chat feature.

Skype CEO Tony Bates described the new Facebook video feature as a “mini-Skype client”—built right into chat, easily accessible with the click of a button at the top of your chat window. And if the person you’re calling doesn’t answer, you can even leave a video message.

Unlike the Google +Hangouts” feature, which allows up to 10 people to engage in video chat, Facebook’s video chat offers free one-on-one capability only. So why didn’t Facebook launch group video chat from the start in effort to stay head of Google +? Facebook responds that one-on-one chat on Skype is more popular; however, it’s worth noting that Skype currently charges for group chat and relies on this feature for revenue, indicating that Facebook is unlikely to offer group video chat capability anytime soon.

All in all, both social networks’ video chat features are useful for entirely different reasons: Facebook’s Skype-powered video chat is simple, direct, and easy to use, while Google +Hangouts” offers a number of social options for connecting with various groups of friends or colleagues in different ways, in any combination you like.

Do you use video chat now? Will you be more likely to use it on Facebook or Google +? And do you anticipate incorporating this capability into your company’s public response, just as “live chat” has become a necessity for many websites?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Post to Twitter

Posted in e-marketing, social media | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Independence Day!


From all of us at NDG Communications, we wish you a happy and safe 4th of July holiday. We hope you can spend it with friends and family celebrating this wonderful country we live in, and the freedom we all enjoy. Thank you to the brave patriots of our military who are standing watch in harm’s way across the world, so we can enjoy our freedom and celebrate with those we hold dear. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Post to Twitter

Posted in NDG Family, articles | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Google Launches Facebook Competitor


Sara Badr,
NDG Marketing Manager

Big news in the social media realm: No longer are the days that you must share information in the form of status updates with hundreds of friends or acquaintances all at once. Google launched a trial of their new Google+ social network to a limited number of users this week.

Now, Google+ wants you to be able to connect with others in more ways than one. The new social network includes features such as a news feed known as “the Stream,” video chat in “Hangouts,” and the ability to group chat on mobile devices with the “Huddle” option.

The creators at Google+ also recognized that you may only what to share something with a certain group of friends. For example, maybe you want to brief industry professionals or interested clients on an upcoming meeting you’re holding. With Google+, you’re able to group friends into various social groups or categories called “Circles” and relay information to those people only.

Google+ will gradually open up to the public over the coming weeks. Will you try it out?

Post to Twitter

Posted in e-marketing, interactive, social media, web | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Please Help an Industry Friend in Need


Fred HetzelAt NDG Communications, our clients are like members of our extended family. We work closely with them day after day, and more importantly, we get to know them as real people.

That’s why, when we heard of Stanley Martin Homes executive Fred Hetzel’s life-altering accident near his Leesburg home just four weeks ago, we wanted to do our part and reach out to everyone we know to help him and his family start the long road to recovery.

As a result of the accident, Fred’s home requires the installation of an elevator, special lifts and ramps, widening door openings, bathroom remodeling, and much more. The family will also need to purchase a handicapped van and motorized wheelchair. Several trade partners have already volunteered to help with the renovations and Stanley Martin will serve as the builder captain.

Please help the Hetzel family by making a donation to HomeAid Northern Virginia. Fred is currently at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. To keep up with Fred’s progress, click here. We wish Fred and his family the best in recovery.

Post to Twitter

Posted in Clients, NDG Family | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Foursquare Hits 10 Million Users | NDGcommunications.com


Cindy Mellott, NDG Interactive Media Specialist
Cindy Mellott,
NDG Interactive Media Specialist

Here’s some big news we wanted to share: Over the weekend, Foursquare became the first location-based social network to surpass the 10 million user mark.

Foursquare allows registered users with smart phones to connect with friends and update their location by “checking in” at venues, and a check-in can be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Since its launch in March 2009, the social network has had more than 3 million check-ins per day—not only tracking check-ins at popular chains such as Old Navy, Home Depot, Target, and Bank of America, but also major life events including 6,350 wedding check-ins at chapels and churches and 1,061 birth announcements on hospital check-ins. And, Foursquare has also gone global with 358 million check-ins outside of the United States, including 1,105 beer halls in Germany and 6,230 sake bars in Japan.

Social media platforms such as GoWalla, Facebook Places, and Foursquare all offer check-in capabilities to promote participation and bring added value to the home shopping experience. Real estate companies and builders can use social networks to track and encourage engagement, and create special deals for customers—when and where they are actually shopping.

Post to Twitter

Posted in articles, e-marketing, interactive, real estate marketing, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Introducing Our Newest NDG Team Member, Sara Poynor


NDG Communications is pleased to announce that Sara Poynor has joined our team as a junior copywriter. Sara most recently served at the Maryland Independent newspaper where she reported on the town of Indian Head and the neighboring Naval Support Facility military base, in addition to extensive feature writing. Sara received a degree in communications and journalism from the University of Maryland University College. She enjoys traveling and the experiencing the great outdoors with her husband Matt. Welcome, Sara!

Post to Twitter

Posted in NDG Family | Tagged , | Leave a comment