Dan is a strategic marketing executive with 30 years of experience in the digital space. He is a founding Partner at Groove Jones, a creative technology company that is recognized as an industry leader in the development of unique digital experiences leveraging the latest in AI (Artificial intelligence), AR (Augmented Reality), and VR (Virtual Reality) technologies.
A creative technologist at heart, Dan has inspired some of the world’s most recognized brands to innovate and engage with their audiences, including Amazon, AT&T, Ford, Kraft, LEGO, Microsoft and Universal Studios. Brandweek Magazine named Dan “Marketer of the Next Generation" for his work with digital brand engagement and he was a finalist for the 2019 Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
In 1999, Dan co-created the game Elf Bowling, an early Internet viral sensation. Elf Bowling originated from my company NVision Design and was launched through our gaming portal NStorm.com. We developed the concept of "Advergaming," where we created custom-branded games for companies like LEGO, Post Cereal, M&M's, and Universal Studios. The see games worked. According to the metrics, this advertising method resulted in a 23% click-through rate versus the estimated average “one-half of one percent” of those traditional banner ads. However, the most brilliant part of this strategy was the distribution method, which counted on the players themselves to handle the actual effort of spreading the word. By NStorm compressing their games to sizes of roughly 1MB and packaging them as conveniently standalone executable files, they would fit nicely in the attachments of most e-mail services, allowing them to be sent and shared with ease.
I ended up selling NVision Design to a competitor here in Dallas and worked with them for a year. I then started my second company, Blockdot, where I continued to make games where we continued to make online games. Then, the iPhone came out and we started to make mobile Apps. Blockdot was a wonderful company, and we continued to create digital experiences for all kinds of companies. We also started to make larger enterprise business Apps. We won the mobile App business for American Airlines and designed and developed all of their touch device experiences. The AA work was huge and our work appeared on stage at several Apple Worldwide Developer Conferences and two Apple commercials.
From the AA mobile App to the kiosks you interact with at airports. We also ended up doing the mobile Apps for Cinemark, Carmax, and ConAgra.
We sold Blockdot to the television and newspaper company Media General and worked under their interactive division for several years. In 2015, I helped start Groove Jones with Dale Carman (co-founder of the animation studio ReelFX) and Gary Banks.
Dan's digital portfolio is broad and diverse:
• AR and VR Apps: 50+ award-winning experiences, including the Shorty Award for Best VR of the Year and multiple Event Marketer Gold EX Awards.
• Mobile: 70+ Apps including the American Airlines App - the most installed travel App in the world. He co-created the game Chicktionary, which was named one of the Top 10 Educational Apps by Time Magazine.
• Web: 1,000+ Casual game titles for online marketing and educational training solutions.
• Mobile: 70+ Apps including the American Airlines App - the most installed travel App in the world. He co-created the game Chicktionary, which was named one of the Top 10 Educational Apps by Time Magazine.
• Web: 1,000+ Casual game titles for online marketing and educational training solutions.
Dan speaks globally at industry trade shows and events on digital brand strategy and training solutions to multi-screen media and interactive audience engagement.
Dan has enjoyed helping the following companies succeed in the digital space.
• 20th Century Fox
• American Airlines
• General Motors
• LEGO
• Lexus
• Legendary Pictures
• Microsoft
• National Geographic
• SONY Pictures
• Toyota
• Unilever
• Universal Pictures
• U.S. Air Force
• VISA
• American Airlines
• General Motors
• LEGO
• Lexus
• Legendary Pictures
• Microsoft
• National Geographic
• SONY Pictures
• Toyota
• Unilever
• Universal Pictures
• U.S. Air Force
• VISA
For more information email Dan - itzaferg@gmail.com
Connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/itzaferg/
Connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/itzaferg/
