Dear friends and colleagues:

DDC opened its doors 25 years ago during the early years of the digital age; the Internet was growing faster than any technology we had seen before but wasn’t yet at the center of everything we do. We are excited to celebrate not only how far we’ve come but also what the future holds.

It’s a bit awe-inspiring to look back on how public affairs and advocacy were conducted in 1996 and consider how fast things evolved in 25 years. Since DDC’s inception, we’ve been uniquely focused on helping our clients amplify their voices through the voices of their stakeholders. From our early ZIP-to-District matching, and online grassroots and PAC database technologies, to the robust websites and digital tools we offer today, DDC’s public affairs technologies have given clients freedom and flexibility in showcasing their political footprints and engaging their stakeholders as advocates.

Our partnership with clients grew as we did, expanding beyond technology to include phone outreach capabilities, a national network of partners in local communities, and deep political and communications expertise, all of which combined to make DDC the only truly full-service public affairs firm in North America.

It’s a bit awe-inspiring to look back on how public affairs and advocacy were conducted in 1996 and consider how fast things evolved in 25 years.

Clients gained the benefits and efficiencies of having strategists with decades of political experience working alongside industry-leading technologists, up-and-coming social media specialists, creative virtuosos, compliance experts, and master communicators to influence policy outcomes at every level of government. DDC’s growth and the success we have helped our clients achieve rests squarely on our people. Their unparalleled vision, knowledge, and guts have allowed us to shape and challenge the public affairs space for more than two decades. Our multi-faceted team has delivered some of the most effective corporate and trade association advocacy campaigns in the market thanks to our integrated approach.

Six years ago, we took one of our biggest steps forward when we joined the Omnicom family of agencies. Omnicom has provided new opportunities for the DDC team and new resources for our clients, while allowing us to retain our distinctive focus and our nimbleness in response to changes in the political landscape.

Advocacy is still our DNA as a company, and it’s become so much more than letters to legislators. It’s how our clients can influence reputation, protect stock value, and navigate social responsibility as the separations between policy advocacy and brand advocacy continue to shrink.

DDC’s growth and the success we have helped our clients achieve rests squarely on our people. Their unparalleled vision, knowledge, and guts have allowed us to shape and challenge the public affairs space for more than two decades.

In this context, we’re continuing to explore both new technology solutions and new approaches to stakeholder engagement. This year, we introduced Project Catalyst—a product-innovation platform rooted in rapid experimentation and low-risk iteration. Project Catalyst is powering our new corporate and client websites; it’s designed to support the next generation of stakeholder communication and advocacy strategies. Those strategies, not coincidentally, we deployed this year, too—our new persona-driven advocate journey methodology is reshaping how we approach stakeholder engagement across just about every type of campaign we help our clients build.

Also undergoing significant positive changes is our company culture. Our workforce is more diverse than ever, and while the pandemic has certainly challenged us, it’s also led to more collaboration across teams and at more levels than ever before. All that means is our clients are benefitting from a greater spectrum of ideas and more cutting-edge work, and we’re excited to see that continue even as we prepare to return to our main corporate office sometime this fall.

We’re celebrating 25 years of DDC not just by looking back, but by looking ahead, as we are always committed to doing. To all our employees, clients, family, and friends: Thank you for being part of our lives and our work. We’re grateful for our long-lasting relationships, and we’re looking forward to shaping the future of democracy, data, and communications together.

With sincere gratitude and appreciation,

B.R. McConnon, III
DDC Public Affairs Chairman & CEO

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