With an exceptional ability to fuse traditional wisdom with cutting edge innovation, Diana Degraa, the CEO of Initiative Media, embarked on a transformative journey that has left an indelible mark. With her tenure at Initiative Germany spanning three years, Diana’s path has been shaped by pivotal moments that have defined her unique approach to the ever-evolving media landscape. 

Diana’s journey began within the dynamic corridors of the Omnicom Media Group, where she immersed herself in a realm that would soon become her forte. Transitioning from a digital strategist to a digital media expert at OMD, Diana worked alongside global giants such as Vodafone, Henkel, Allianz, and automotive brands like Stellantis and Mercedes. This phase marked a turning point as the digital evolution in media gained momentum. Enabling clients to navigate this evolution through a blend of classic media consulting and cutting-edge media strategy became a cornerstone of her professional identity. 

Venturing further as an entrepreneur, Diana co-founded a digital media agency under the Serviceplan Group. Armed with a rich reservoir of experience, she secured a roster of clients eager to harness the synergy between traditional and digital media channels. This synergy was harnessed with an acute focus on newly defined key performance indicators (KPIs), encapsulating the essence of efficient and effective media utilization. 

Central to Diana’s philosophy is the art of collaboration. Her preference for cooperative partnerships with clients and colleagues stems from a bedrock of openness and transparency. By consistently staying attuned to the needs and aspirations of all stakeholders, she has cultivated a track record of success. 

At Initiative Media, Diana’s aspiration is clear: to guide the agency’s evolution through innovation and value-driven consultation. Her unwavering commitment to provide clients with the very best accompanies her aspiration to establish lasting partnerships. This drive has propelled her into a role that she passionately embraces. 

Initiative’s Competitive Edge 

For many years, media agencies competed on their size and scale –being big was considered a primary competitive advantage. At Initiative, the team is big enough to provide the security, scale, and competitive media pricing for its clients, backed by the influence of the IPG network (and powered by the world’s largest data provider, Acxiom). Diana asserts, “Our USP in Germany as the second most important market within the network:  we are small enough to deliver the service quality, hands-on senior leadership, agility, and innovation our clients would deserve and expect. In everything we do, we go the extra mile. In doing so, we always put people – our clients and their target groups – at the center of everything we do.” 

Diana’s role is deeply rooted in active engagement and effective communication with a diverse array of individuals. By immersing herself in the heart of the business, she gains insights and collaborates closely to understand the nuances and dynamics at play. This approach enables her to practice attentive listening and take decisive actions based on comprehensive understanding. She continually strives for optimization, efficiency, and effectiveness, with a team that shares a collective appetite for success and an ability to turn ideas into tangible outcomes, all while fostering an environment of enjoyment and satisfaction. Diana’s leadership approach is marked by purposeful guidance, challenging and motivating the team, and infusing every interaction with humanity and empathy. Her role is dedicated to nurturing talent growth and facilitating client evolution, recognizing the intrinsic link between progress and the contributions of the team. 

Leading with Empathy 

As a CEO, Diana’s approach to fostering better togetherness operates on multiple scales, both small and large, with the bedrock of her philosophy being active and attentive listening. She recognizes that creating an environment of unity and inclusivity necessitates enabling individuals to make the right decisions while fostering mutual understanding and respect. Embracing the role of being a premier employer, Diana, in collaboration with her management team, holds the responsibility of ensuring employee happiness, facilitating personal growth, and achieving high-quality results that are achieved collectively. 

In her pursuit of togetherness, Diana emphasizes an open-door approach that welcomes all individuals, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. Visibility and transparency form the cornerstones of her strategy. She actively engages in dialogues, invites diverse perspectives, and encourages healthy discourse even around differing viewpoints. By nurturing an environment built on mutual respect and fairness, Diana aims to cultivate a workspace that is devoid of discrimination, where growth is a shared endeavor for both individuals and the organization. 

Diana recognizes the significance of perpetual evolution, directing her attention towards the needs of both employees and clients. She continually reviews and refines the company’s vision, mission, and values, ensuring they resonate with the team and are effectively communicated. Through these efforts, Diana is dedicated to creating a cohesive community where every individual feels valued, empowered, and united towards common goals. 

Driving Success Through Shared Objectives 

Diana underscores the importance of defining and committing to shared objectives alongside her team. These objectives primarily center on enhancing client success, a mutual endeavor that also translates into the company’s prosperity. To ensure alignment, robust communication takes center stage, occurring regularly and across diverse contexts. This involves engaging in frequent conversations to onboard everyone with business goals, strategic choices, and ongoing operations. The approach encompasses various forums, including comprehensive monthly updates involving the entire team and focused offsite sessions with specific groups. Through personalized dialogues, individual employee needs are addressed, underscoring a commitment to catering to their unique requirements. 

Within the management team, close collaboration is maintained, ensuring a continuous flow of information and amplifying communication across departments. Empowerment is integral to their daily interactions, manifested through acknowledgment, motivation, and the cultivation of a culture that fosters courage. Diana promotes an environment that champions openness and resourcefulness, recognizing that exceptional ideas often emerge from such conditions. Encouraging self-assurance and competence among staff members is a key aspiration, with the goal of nurturing their belief in their capabilities. 

Diana wholeheartedly supports staff members seeking to deepen their skills, demonstrating a commitment to their growth through assistance, including opportunities for further training seminars.  

Building Trust and Partnership 

Diana emphasizes that at Initiative, the approach to engaging with clients is grounded in mutual respect and partnership. Rather than simply providing services, the teams at Initiative meet clients at eye level and position themselves as advisory partners. This perspective has garnered positive feedback from clients who recognize the team’s unwavering passion and professionalism. The palpable energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to growth are consistently evident in their interactions. 

Establishing a relationship of trust is paramount for Initiative. During the pitch process, careful consideration is given to ensuring a harmonious and compatible dynamic between both parties. Initiative’s role as an innovation driver is underscored by their demonstrated expertise, particularly in their strategic approach informed by data. This philosophy is encapsulated in their distinctive approach, Fame & Flow. 

Initiative’s commitment to sustainable growth aligns with their forward-thinking communication strategies that extend beyond conventional media subjects. This philosophy is motivated by the recognition that media, technology, commerce, and other facets of marketing are becoming increasingly interconnected. As the industry undergoes an evolution, Initiative stands as a proactive force, contributing to its transformation and progression. 

Fueling Inspiration  

“Our own talented specialists are the most inspirational and highly professional source of information,” says Diana. In her ongoing quest for inspiration, Diana draws from a multitude of sources that invigorate her perspective. She finds value in absorbing insights from TED talks, perusing trade magazines, delving into Business Insider, and delving into the thought-provoking analyses of The Economist. Her attendance at industry meetings also serves as a wellspring of fresh ideas and insights. Within her own organization, she finds herself enriched by the collective expertise of her employees, each an expert in their respective domains. She places particular emphasis on the digital sector, acknowledging the invaluable insights that her team members bring to the table. 

Furthermore, Diana embraces the advantages of her global network, recognizing the mutual learning that occurs through meaningful interactions with colleagues from around the world. However, one of the most profound sources of inspiration in her life is her daughter. Through her daughter’s eyes, Diana gains a distinct and illuminating perspective on the world, especially in the realm of technology. As a digital native, her daughter provides a firsthand demonstration of intuitive media usage, offering insights that resonate deeply with Diana’s leadership approach and her vision for the future.  

Unveiling the Art of Impactful Communication  

Early in her career, Diana immersed herself in the realm of communications agencies, allowing her to intimately understand their inner workings. Her fascination with crafting impactful advertising strategies that shape target audience behavior has been a lifelong pursuit. As she gained her initial experiences in creative and digital agencies, Diana consistently sought out exclusive insights that could form the bedrock of her communication strategies. In contrast, media agencies amalgamate insights from diverse sources to construct a robust strategic foundation. Her journey has been enriched by diverse clientele and industries, as well as the invaluable influence of her colleagues. 

In her pursuit of making a positive impact, Diana champions the importance of having a visible voice fortified by expert reasoning. She emphasizes the need to consistently raise this voice, not through soft diplomacy, but with skillful articulation. Expressing one’s viewpoint need not be sensationalist; however, the ability to address and communicate even unpleasant truths is vital. Diana believes that assertiveness entails dedicating one’s utmost energy to championing a cause. Her ethos revolves around the pivotal trifecta of people, power, and passion, forming the foundation of effective leadership and advocacy.  

Shaping the Future of Business Strategies 

Marketing spending has changed at the latest with the onset of the pandemic. In the meantime, many factors have an impact on digital marketing. New topics such as retail media or underestimated advertising environments offer companies excellent development potential to strengthen their business goals. New, widely accessible technologies, such as generative AI, support rapid implementation and communication and business processes. At the same time, however, they also harbor risks that must be weighed on a company-specific basis. 

How much will the topic of AI be present in everyday life? How well does society know about it, and does it matter to them? Or is it much more a topic that concerns selected, specific sectors and industries but not the masses? Diana states, “We operate in a highly agile environment in which changes progress within a very short time. It is almost impossible for companies to keep an eye on all facets of modern digital marketing or to implement them in a high-quality manner. And that’s where we come in.“  

Insights from Diana’s Philosophy 

According to Diana’s perspective, the principle of authenticity applies equally to both emerging talents and established leaders: the key is to remain genuine and true to oneself. Can this approach work? Absolutely. Diana firmly believes that even within well-defined roles and responsibilities, individuals have the power to be authentic without needing to conform to any prescribed roles. In life, diverse personalities with varying perspectives frequently intersect. Diana emphasizes that embracing authenticity allows individuals to precisely articulate their viewpoints, enhancing the overall functioning of any structure – whether within a team, family, or circle of friends. 

Her philosophy revolves around having a clear understanding of one’s own values, beliefs, and capabilities. Armed with this self-awareness, individuals can formulate compelling arguments and confidently advocate for their viewpoints. Diana considers the attribute of courage, paired with assertiveness, as one of the most crucial qualities. Being brave entails steadfastly standing by one’s ideas, even in the face of opposition. She emphasizes that only those who have faith in themselves and their concepts can foster innovation and are better positioned to adapt to change and embrace the future.