DaVinci Direct is a “full-service direct response agency.” That’s the descriptor most of our competitors use as well. But this industry has changed so much in recent years, we believe that flexibility, breadth of knowledge and strategic partnerships are the best way to stay nimble and highly responsive to client needs.

One-Stop Shopping

When I started in this business in the mid-1980s, “one-stop shopping” was the product most agencies were selling. “Work with us, and you’ll get strategy, creative, database management, list/media services, analysis and reporting – and even printing and letter shop services – all under one roof.” It was an attractive proposition for a time.

You, the client, had one point of contact for everything you needed. And it was especially attractive for non-profits that did not have in-house knowledge of evolving direct marketing techniques and technologies. But that business model had at least one serious flaw.

To be a true “one-stop shop,” your agency had to be big. Getting big meant having many different departments and several layers of management. that added up to high prices – and difficulty in maintaining excellence in each and every aspect of the business.

The Age of Specialization

As fundraising programs became larger and more complex, the need arose for more specialists in specific areas of fundraising.

The industry spawned firms specializing in strategic data analysis. List brokers with expertise in niche markets. Database firms that added value with compiled data and predictive models. Most recently we’ve seen the rise of experts specializing in online fundraising programs and other new media and as the industry has grown, so has the knowledge of those on the client side.

Today’s non-profit professionals have, in many cases, more marketing savvy than many of their commercial counterparts. Directors of Development began to realize that perhaps their “one-stop shop” wasn’t the best at supplying every single service they needed. They also found that, as their internal departments grew, they could “unbundle” the services supplied by a single agency – and save a bundle in the process.

The Sum of the Parts are Greater than the Whole

Today DaVinci Direct still serves as a “one-stop shop” for many of our clients. We employ a team approach with an Account Director, Creative Director and Production Manager on each account. But instead of supplying every aspect of the program in-house, we focus on the strategic foundation and on providing our own unique brand of creative.

We outsource many services, but carefully manage processes to maintain quality, responsiveness to your needs and help you make sound, data-driven decisions.

To serve your needs to the fullest, we team up with best of breed partners to provide the very best solution for each aspect of your fundraising program. Your DaVinci account manager still gives you a single point of contact for all of your needs. But rather than employing the entire orchestra in-house, DaVinci acts as the conductor, directing each composition to achieve the perfect tempo and tonality.

Flexibility Drives Opportunity

While in the past agencies like ours would only entertain prospects that wanted a full-service solution, today we open more doors by being flexible enough to take on even a single project. Some of our best client relationships have begun by creating a test package that beats a long-standing control.

For one national client, we provide creativity and strategy exclusively,and work in concert with five other firms who specialize in database management, list services, analysis, printing and mail shop services. For another client, we managed a telemarketing effort to create a monthly sustainable program. For another we’re developing planned giving strategy and creative. Yet another has asked us to work with a third party to develop an online component to complement the successful direct mail program we’ve built.

At DaVinci Direct, we don’t try to be all things to all people. We just try to bring all the best people together to do all the things you need at a competitive price. Think of us as conductors of the orchestra that can help you make beautiful music. If you’re trying to create a masterpiece, talk to DaVinci.

Tags: Davinci, direct response agency, fundraising agency, non profit fundraising, non profits

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