From the CEO
Mike Panaggio is Chief Executive Officer of DME.
Since 1982, his creative vision has guided DME’s consistent growth and thriving profitability in the competitive one-to-one marketing field. His love of sports, especially basketball, have earned him the nickname “Head Coach of Marketing”.
The Unfair Advantage
June 25, 2010
DME has been working closely with Xerox for many years. It's given us a totally Unfair Advantage over our competitors. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Our relationship with Xerox started in the mid-1980’s. Our first major Xerox Advantage was the 4050. Yes, it was a black one-color laser. However, it revolutionized our thinking. It opened our eyes to the future of variable print... actually, more than that: variable, personalized everything. It set our direction.
In 2003, when the iGen became available for commercial installations, we had already been working with Xerox on 4-color print for over two years. We had failed miserably in 2001 and 2002 getting our production where it needed to be. We had taken a chance and failed. However, those small failures led to great success in variable print.
When Xerox announced that it would open Daytona Beach instead of Atlanta, Miami, or Charlotte, we knew our small failures the previous two years had actually helped us strike gold in 2003. We immediately burned the boats, and sailed to Xerox Island with FOUR iGen3 machines and huge enthusiasm.
By opening Daytona Beach, Xerox unwillingly gave DME an “Unfair Advantage.” That head start has been all we have needed to become leaders in this field. Thank you, Xerox, for the having faith in DME.
There is a moral to this story: whenever a vendor approaches you, try to figure a way where you work with that vendor and end up with that “Unfair Advantage” Vendorship is dead. It just does not go far enough anymore or provide the level of access or detail that you need to compete in today’s new world economy. That's why you should create partnerships with your "vendors." It gives you a vessel to sail through troubled times with less friction and more speed.
DME understands how to give you an Unfair Advantage. Get with me today and I we will figure it out together.
