When we started out in 2007, as a boutique creative studio focused on offering clients in the life sciences allied sectors.
I was working at the Indian Express at the time, my third job in sales. I was disillusioned by the corporate world and ready to set up my own shop. I knew I could make a difference to clients who needed it the most. Clients who were primarily B2B, who ended up with the most boring ads and brochures. Because for agency people at the time and even now, B2B and creativity are like chalk and cheese.
My thought process was also endorsed by a few of my former clients who were weary of the bad and worse creative options they had to live with.
But I wasn’t able to quit my job just yet. So when a client approached me after this conversation, I spoke to a couple of my freelance designer friends and took on the project. I acted as the mediator between the designer and the client. Shortly after I set up a company called Design Elements and this was the start of Dow Media’s journey.
Ours is a company that has grown organically to deliver client needs. Shortly after we started, we were approached by another client to design and set up an exhibition stand for their participation at CPhI India 2007.
Our first trade show outing wasn’t anywhere close to success. We had nine stands at our first trade show, and all nine were about 10 percent incomplete. I was demotivated and had decided never to take on another exhibition stand design project again. We connected with each of our clients who had suffered because of our error and offered them compensation by way of a design project. I am still humbled by the encouragement I received at these meetings. Just about all of them insisted we persevere. Learn from our mistakes.
And E4 Events was born.
Since then we have worked on projects over 100 clients, some big, some small, every single one a project we’re proud of. In 2011 we consolidated our design, digital and events businesses under the Dow Media umbrella, with the goal of offering our clients a synchronised brand experience. In 2017, our tenth year of operations we’re adding inbound marketing to our portfolio.
My journey has been a one of the road less taken. I am a trained engineer, who ended up in sales but has always secretly been a creative ideas person. And engineering teaches you to channel your creativity in an organised manner.
Best of all, starting Dow Media has enabled me to bring together a group of talented, like minded people who like me want to do great things.
We have a plan. We have our talents. We will make marketing sexy again.
Will you join us for the ride?
