Sector
Advertising and Consulting Agency
Staff
140 employees on site
Activities
An integrated photo studio, pre-press, photo printing and image editing.
Perigee Software is used for all clients.
Principal clients
Castorama (3 catalogs consisting of 650 pages each per year)
Jardiland
Supermarchés Match
Foire Fouille
Arthur Martin (numerous folded brochures)
CAMIF (catalogues)
Website
ddb-nouveau-monde.com
More client testimonialsDDB Nouveau Monde Testimonial
Perigee is the software solution that lets us see the present with serenity and the future with enthusiasm.
Buckets of sweat, gobs of creativity and a bit of foresight. DDB Nouveau Monde is a modern advertising and consulting agency that is truly on the cutting edge. Benoit Lelieur, one of the Associate Directors, explains how they stay ahead of the game.
Benoit Lelieur is a real communications man. He knows first hand the joys and pains of the business. Advertising is imbedded in his soul and he wins clients. He modestly tries to hide the fact that he knew, along others, that implementing Perigee Software was a good idea.
A strategic vision, certainly… and a little risk that paid off.
How was DDB Nouveau Monde started?
The other founders and I started this agency based on an idea of Bernard Petout’s; gather very competent people and completely integrate production- a very original concept in 1993.
We started out with clients like Match Supermarkets. We cultivated experience with its brands and that helped us succeed.
We originally started with 12 people and now we have grown to a staff of 140.
How long ago did you integrate the Perigee system?
After creating DDB Nouveau Monde, we began to look for the best system for managing information and production. We have been working with Perigee for quite a while now. It happened quite effortlessly about 6 or 7 years ago as the result of working closely with one of our clients, CAMIF. Their Perigee system was build around them. The quality of the system was such that Perigee attracted and retained customers. No one buys a system just to be nice!
Perigee very quickly impressed us with their practical, industry-based approach. The organization of the product database and interacting in a truly collaborative workflow proved to be very advantageous. These tools allow us to save time on repetitive tasks and our clients see the benefits. With the modifications in advertising legislations in France that were passed, La Loi Sapin, client audits standardized our way of working. Perigee helped us with this as well.
What problems did you encounter while implementing Perigee?
The difficulties we had were due to the fact that we, a service oriented company, had decided on Perigee for ourselves. At first we didn’t see everything that could be done with it, or what it could do for us long term. But, customers pushed us. And we fully implemented the system. The tools are quite simple, but efficiencies are really felt when prior projects have been completed with the software. It was quite a cultural revolution for us!
Was it really a Cultural Revolution with Perigee?
Yes, because we were at the point of changing from a small shop to industrialized production. Worlds collided and old habits had to change. But it was necessary to remain competitive price-wise as advertisers watch their budgets more and more closely.
However, don’t forget that we are still an agency and this is where we must internally manage two co-existing and often contradictory worlds: design and production.
Our clients have also felt the effects and benefits of this culture shift!
Therefore, the solutions are?
To invest time in the project until the solution is fully implemented in production. You must be its advocate; rally round it, follow it, control it. And give it time and energy.
You must also try to go step-by-step. First, build a digital database, then go slowly into automatic layouts and, finally, into production. Given our experience, this seems to be a logical progression.
Have other clients adopted the Perigee solution?
Yes, of course. The war on price has been going on for several years now and we do not want to sacrifice quality. So, we have integrated the Perigee solution wherever possible.
But did clients feel a bit pressured by DDB Nouveau Monde to put the Perigee solution in place?
Yes and no. Yes, because we manage a database of images that has a significant importance for the client. But no, because, in fact, we only manage a very small part of what the client could be doing with this information.
In any case, in the future we will see those advertisers that are internally equipped with the Perigee solution working more with agencies that also equipped and who have mastered this new way of working.
With the same issues, or are the problems different?
Of course the problems of each client are unique. But we attend to them with the same rigor. Notably, costs. We always want to be competitive. Perigee helps us achieve this goal because the organization of the multi-media product database allows us save prep time in production. Even for a company like a foods distributor, it is a worthwhile solution.
Is the fact that it handles multiple media channels a plus?
It is a requirement today! What serious company wouldn’t treat it as such?
You must reach consumers by all available means especially with, above all, those channels that can be used to target a specific population. Perigee is also an interesting solution for diffusing messages to multiple channels. Product or article information is consistent whether the medium is a catalog, a website, in-store labeling, a promotion, or mobile phone ad!
Overall, what benefits does Perigee bring to DDB Nouveau Monde?
Improved productivity, which I have already explained, but also a certain closeness with the client that is irreplaceable. When you manage an image database that is linked with sensitive information such as product reference numbers, copyrights and pricing, you really are a trusted partner. This fosters mutual success. A real justification for this tool!
How do you see the future of this industry?
We see it with serenity here at DDB Nouveau Monde because we have already implemented good solutions and will continue to do so. Perigee is part of that. Whether it is sales, prepress, or production, everyone works with Perigee and the overall time savings is significant. As cost reduction is imperative today, I think that producing in a collaborative environment, as Perigee enables you to do, is definitely the way of the future. Also, the software’s flexibility allows us to offer tailored service to each of our clients. And that’s really what they want.
