From left: Markus Heynckes, Slawa Ditzel, Paul Kalisch, Kevin Bolleßen, Dr Günter Krings, Dr Hans Peter Schlegelmilch, Jan Heynckes and Jürgen Steinmetz. Source: Press release guenter-krings.de, 2 August 2022.
If you're looking for an agency for software development and digital advertising, you probably think of Düsseldorf, Berlin or another big city first. This is exactly the image we wanted to disprove at Nordpark. And on 2 August 2022, we had the best guest you could wish for for such a message.
As part of his #Summertour2022 under the motto "new technologies - made in Mönchengladbach", Mönchengladbach's Member of Parliament Dr Günter Krings visited our digital agency. He was received by our two CEOs Paul Kalisch and Slawa Ditzel. "Many companies are of the opinion that when looking for an agency that specialises in software development and advertising in the digital sector, you have to look in Düsseldorf, Berlin or other major cities," said Krings. "But we also have very well-positioned companies right here in Mönchengladbach, such as nextlevels."
Digital agency or advertising agency: what's the difference?
We often hear this question, which is why it was at the beginning of the visit. In a nutshell: traditional advertising agencies focus on brand building and strategic brand development, often in conjunction with print media. A digital agency, on the other hand, focuses on online marketing.
"Here we analyse how the previously defined topics can be rationally mapped and effectively used in the digital world," explained Paul Kalisch at the start. This is explicitly not a conflict. "There are often great synergies between advertising agencies and digital agencies. We sometimes work hand in hand on projects for clients. Large agencies often outsource digital areas or set up their own digital agencies independently," added Slawa Ditzel.
However, one difference remains a defining factor: being up to date. The topics and developments in the digital world are constantly changing, so you have to have them on your screen at all times. Keeping our finger on the pulse of the digital world is not an optional extra for us, but a duty. Online marketing includes social media marketing, performance marketing and the famous Google Ads, as well as search engine optimisation (SEO). Today, advertising agencies also advise on these topics, but it is often difficult when it comes to technical implementation.
The house and its satellites
To help customers understand what really matters, I like to work with a simple diagram in consultations and workshops: a house with several satellites. The house stands for the software architecture, the satellites for the external measures around it. The question is always the same: how stable is the house, and will it be found at all?
"The most beautiful house in the country is no good to anyone if it collapses when you enter it or is never found in the first place," I summarised during the visit - and this is precisely the point at which digital advertising and solid technology belong together.
Summer tour with prominent company
Krings did not come alone: he was accompanied by Jürgen Steinmetz, Managing Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Middle Lower Rhine, Dr Hans Peter Schlegelmilch, the CEO of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Middle Lower Rhine, and Dr Hans Peter Schlegelmilch, the CEO of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Middle Lower Rhine. Hans Peter Schlegelmilch, head of the Mönchengladbach CDU parliamentary group, and CDU councillor Markus Heynckes.
For us, the appointment was part of a bigger picture: this was the 18th time that Dr Krings had conducted his summer tour through his constituency in Mönchengladbach. During the summer, when the city is not in session, he spends a lot of time travelling around the various parts of the city to talk to citizens at numerous events, institutions and projects. In 2022, the focus was on companies and institutions that excel in innovation and new technologies, for example in the areas of digitalisation, artificial intelligence or new production techniques.
We are delighted that this focus has made a stop directly at the Nordpark. It shows what we experience with every customer project: strong digital expertise doesn't need a postcode from a big city. It's in Mönchengladbach.
More about us as a digital agency in Mönchengladbach and about our work in digital marketing.