THE PM360 TRAILBLAZER AWARDS 2011
ADVERTISING AGENCY OF THE YEAR WINNER

DUDNYK

F. Scott Fitzgerald said the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. For Dudnyk, the mastery of two opposing ideas has been the key to its success. On the one hand, it understands that success in today’s market requires constant change. In its nearly 20-year history, Dudnyk has never stopped reinventing itself. On the other hand, its core vision has remained remarkably constant: a laser focus on specialty brands and specialty physician audiences; a cultivation of talent and commitment to its employees; a consistently bold, channel-neutral creative supported by superior strategy; and a certain fearlessness about riding the creative edge.

Innovation as a Way of Life
Dudnyk started blazing a trail for others to follow early in its history by transforming the way self-promotion is done in the industry. Gone were the pictures of agency principals, looking like austere attorneys. In came singular, bold, emotionally-charged metaphorical images. Dudnyk “taught other agencies how to promote themselves,” said one of our judges, teaching them, among other things, the necessity of demonstrating your creative abilities in your own self-promotion.

This year Dudnyk turned another big idea into reality by becoming one of the first agencies to fully integrate the digital channel into the entire brand experience. Rather than using digital partners, Dudnyk now builds the overall brand experience, from brand position and essence, to visual hallmarks and messaging, to all of the tactics custom developed for each channel—all woven into one cohesive brand voice and strategy. The results: shorter development times, more efficient resource usage, and better cross-channel planning with powerful synergistic effects.
Innovation leads to growth: Dudnyk appears in Inc. Magazine’s 2011 list of the fastest growing companies in the U.S.

Happiness and Karma
According to President Frank X. Powers, the core vision behind all this dynamism includes two crazy ideas: A “strong corporate culture and actualized, happy employees make for happy clients and excellent work.” And “once you are successful, you need to maintain your good karma by giving back.” Happiness among employees proceeds not only from several professional development programs, but also from Dudnyk’s “Dream Weaver” program. Under this extraordinary program, employees are encouraged to share their life dreams and given a dream manager—an agency-resourced facilitator—to help
them marshal agency resources to fulfill them. Most dreams aren’t even work related.

This may be crazy, but it works. Dudnyk’s retention rate is 85% with average senior associate tenure over 8 years. Pretty impressive for an agency in Horsham, PA (population 14,842). The agency combines cultivation of creativity with the camaraderie and chemistry that comes from working together for a long time.

Finally there’s the karma. Among other things, Dudnyk’s gallant band of 65 employees has been named Best Team for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the March of Dimes (with 100% participation from Dudnyk associates!). Dudnyk’s work for The Pathway School, a nationally recognized school for autistic children, has raised enrollment to an alltime high. In short: Best Agency of the Year.

“Their scientific team seems to know as much about our product as my team. In fact, their creative team does too. That was refreshing.” —Product Manager.

Above, from left to right : Christopher Tobias, PhD, EVP, Chief Scientific Officer, Director of Business Development; Becky Bodenner, SVP, Creative Director; Scott Greisler, SVP, Director of Client Service; Frank X. Powers, President; Barry Schmader, EVP, Chief Creative Officer; Chuck Jeffries, VP, Creative Director, Art; Ellen Schneider, VP, Professional Services.

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2010 SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR WINNER

2010 MARKETER OF THE YEAR WINNER

2010 BRAND MANAGER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2010 INITIATIVES OF THE YEAR WINNERS

TOP BRAND MANAGERS

2010 PM360 TRAILBLAZER AWARDS PANEL OF JUDGES