Full Media Turns 13

As Full Media celebrates its 13-year anniversary on April 1, 2021, today we're sharing an anti-case study about one of our favorite client engagements.  

During the pandemic, traditional office settings have emptied as businesses large and small sent employees home to work remotely. This obviously put immense strain on the office supply industry. 

In response, the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company called Full Media to help drive new business through the Internet. In partnership with Dunder Mifflin’s regional manager, Michael Scott, we leveraged each of our five anti-core values to ensure the Scranton branch could survive the challenges of the last year.

Pour yourself a mid-day drink and get ready for this story of success.

 

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Anti-Core Value #1:

Selfless Selfish in relationships 

“Put yourself first because nothing else really matters anyway.” 

We put this into play immediately, negotiating a deal with Dunder Mifflin to ensure that Full Media had access to free and unlimited office supplies for life. Of course, as a digital marketing company, we have very limited office supply needs, so we used an entire warehouse of paper products to make a bonfire. 

Our team enjoyed the bonfire, but when Michael Scott asked to join us, we suggested he get back to work given his company’s dire financial situation. 

 

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Anti-Core Value #2:

Innovative Problem Solver Unimaginative troublemaker

“Complain about problems, ignore solutions, try to make everything worse.”

To live out anti-core value #2, we advised assistant to the regional manager, Dwight Schrute, to click on a link he received in a suspicious email from “[email protected].” The link ended up exposing payment information for all Dunder Mifflin’s customers as well as most of the company’s employee passwords. Ultimately, the malware cost Dunder Mifflin five customers and resulted in salesperson, Stanley Hudson, having his identity stolen. 

To the other Stanley Hudson who bought a $2,000 one-way flight to Hawaii, you’re welcome. 

 

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Anti-Core Value #3:

Growth Shrink-Oriented

“Always look for ways to stay within your comfort zone.”

We struggled to work anti-core value #3 into this engagement because, honestly, we’d prefer to be in bed watching Tiger King for the millionth time. 

Ultimately, we brought this anti-core value to bear by simply saying no over and over until the client just stopped asking. This ensured that our team never had to challenge itself in any way, and we all rested in cozy mediocrity throughout the project.

When Dunder Mifflin complained that it had been six months and they had actually lost revenue, we just shrugged and said, “us too.” 

 

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Anti-Core Value #4:

Low High Maintenance

“Go ahead and make everyone’s day miserable.”

This one was easy. We planned a fun “office takeover day” where our team surprised Dunder Mifflin by arriving unannounced. We started the day by dropping a glitter bomb in the conference room during their morning staff meeting and then asked Dunder Mifflin for advice on handling angry clients.

At noon, we realized we had not planned very well, so we asked HR manager, Toby Flenderson, to buy us lunch. When salesperson Phyllis Lapin asked for assistance in drafting an online ad, we started a food fight instead, which concluded when a member of our team “accidentally” threw a microwave through an office window.

While this did not result in additional sales for Dunder Mifflin, we felt it was an immense morale booster and a lot of fun for us at least.

 

 

Anti-Core Value #5:

Disciplined Flaky

“Do the right thing… or not, whatever.”

We had a critical opportunity to demonstrate our proficiency in this area when it came time to launch Dunder Mifflin’s freshly designed website. Once the site was live, salesperson Jim Halpert pointed out that every page still had the “lorem ipsum” filler text, the website was no longer showing up in Google and every image on the site included a dancing cat. 

When these errors were brought to our attention, we sent over a box of apology donuts with a post-it note (from our ample supply) that simply read “oops.” When Dunder Mifflin followed up with another request to fix the issues, we changed one photo.

They emailed back about the rest, but that email remains unopened.

 

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Final Results

Of course, none of this actually happened.  What did happen, thirteen years ago to be exact, was that Full Media was founded, on April 1, 2008, April Fools Day no less.  So Happy April Fool’s Day to you and Happy Anniversary to Full Media!  Of course, Full Media was not founded on a set of anti-core values, but on the following actual core values and our overriding core focus.

1. Selfless in Relationships - Both individually and as a team; both internally within Full Media and externally with clients and others.
2. Innovative Problem Solver - We want people that solve problems, not just complain that they exist; Be an enabler, not a disabler; A problem is not just when something is wrong but also when something is not as good as it could be.
3. Low Maintenance - If you must spend a lot of time managing someone, you hired the wrong person; We want energy givers, not energy takers
4. Growth Oriented - Both individually and as a team; Don't be content with the status quo; Don't look for a comfort zone to settle into. 
5. Disciplined - Do the right thing at the right time, all the time.

 

Core Focus: To impact our world positively.

In the 13 years since our founding, we have been blessed to build an incredible team, to develop relationships with our amazing clients and to hopefully have a positive impact on those with whom we have come in contact.  

Thanks to all of you for being a part of the Full Media story!  Every Team Member, client and partner has been a valuable part of our journey, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients and to develop lasting, meaningful relationships. We look forward to many more years ahead!

Happy 13th Anniversary to Full Media, and Happy April Fool’s Day to all of you!