When you hear the description of digital space, you might think it is the setting of a sci-fi movie. But to Kendra Bracken-Ferguson (LA’02), she sees a marketplace with endless opportunities for businesses to build their brand and seize more market share. It is a world that she is so equipped to explore that she seized the copilot chair by cofounding Digital Brand Architects (DBA).
With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Milan, DBA’s reach is widespread, just like the platforms they utilize on behalf of their clients. With a focus on luxury and lifestyle brands, such as Tiffany, L’Oreal, and Hasbro, they work to tell the story of their clients with the goal of encouraging product trials, driving traffic, and increasing sales while ultimately moving the brand voice forward. It is the act of storytelling that has long appealed to Bracken-Ferguson.
“I have always wanted to be in public relations because through PR you get the opportunity to tell a story and create something.”
—Kendra Bracken-Ferguson
After Purdue, she joined Fleishman-Hillard just when social media was in its infancy. Her early work included partnering with MySpace and assisting with the development of the first music mobile app. It was during a time when many brands were barely seeing the potential of the digital space.
“There was a new movement happening, and I was instrumental in helping brands understand the potential and value of social media,” says Bracken-Ferguson.
After getting recruited by Ralph Lauren, she was the first person to hold the position of director of digital media.
“It was a great experience. I had the opportunity to sit with David (Lauren), and we would talk about different ideas and how we could use social media under one brand but create specific tactics across all Ralph Lauren brand categories.”
As Bracken-Ferguson became more and more entrenched in social media, she observed the growing presence of bloggers and how much influence they could wield in the marketplace through their reviews of products and services.
“It all happened so quickly. I met one of my partners, Karen Robinovitz, and we both had been thinking about the notion of managing bloggers. We talked about our idea on Saturday morning, put up a temporary website that same day, introduced our husbands on Sunday over brunch, and by Monday we filed for an LLC.”
Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, DBA manages over 100 people and provides social media strategies to a vast assortment of brands. The people DBA manages are referred to as influencers (formerly known as bloggers). DBA facilitates brand partnerships, negotiates deals, assists with licensing and manufacturing, and launches brands, just to name a few of the activities.
“What I love about digital is that I am constantly learning new things — new platforms, new tools, and new applications. I continue to be enlightened, excited, and energized by what the future holds.”