Join us in the September edition of the DCAP Interview Series as we delve into the experiences of Dora Medek, a marketing professional at DCAP. Discover how she navigates the constant influx of new trends and technologies, incorporates them into DCAP's marketing and communications strategies, and embraces continuous learning.

In the digital assets industry, new trends and technologies are constantly emerging. How do you stay on top of the latest developments, and how would you incorporate them into the marketing and communications strategies of DCAP?

When I was introduced to what DCAP does, my initial thoughts revolved around the question of how I would ever be able to keep up with the news, market changes, and innovations that happen not week by week, but day by day. The team is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Web3 industry, which made my situation here as a marketing professional easier since any question I've ever had was answered clearly and gladly.

In addition to having continuous conversations with my co-workers, I find industry publications and newsletters interesting to read. Since there are many channels one can find talking about updates on this emerging territory, the possibilities are endless to catch up and refresh my understanding of what is going on.

Being highly focused, critical, and detailed is a must to incorporate new trends and technologies into our communication strategies. When I started working on our communication strategy, I conducted thorough field research on the communication of our competitors. This enables us to evaluate our performance and maintain competitiveness in the constantly changing market.

As a young professional in the field of marketing and communications, what advice would you give to aspiring communicators who are interested in entering the digital assets industry?

I believe in embracing continuous learning, being open-minded, and working hard. The market for digital assets is quickly changing, and fresh developments in both technology and trends are common. This is why people – who wish to work in this industry as communicators – must have omnipresent curiosity and respect for the field.

Of course, having an elemental interest in this technology and knowing the essentials in marketing and communications is basic, but combining it with an audacious and knowledge-hungry mindset makes a good professional in this field.

Lastly, what has helped me a lot is having a mentor, which I have found in our Business Management and Marketing leader, Laura Hayek. She not only shares her knowledge and strives to pass on the good practices to help me, but she also demonstrates incredibly wide perspectives on many different topics. Partly because of her, I understood why having a comprehensive and meaningful understanding of a vast range of topics is exceedingly important. Having this ability gives you an incredible advantage of succeeding in not only this profession but in any position. I still have a long road ahead of me.

Who has been the most influential person in your career journey so far, and why? How have they shaped your approach to marketing and communications?

As I have mentioned previously, my co-worker Laura has been leading me in diverse aspects since I started at DCAP. In addition to her, I find inspiration in every colleague at the company, from the Executive Board, through Research & Technology and Business Management, to Investment Management. We have exceptional leadership in the team, and I am grateful for this.

Besides having influential people in the field, I've always been intrigued by the sports environment, which naturally influenced me both personally and professionally. In sports, I am more driven by tennis and its greatest players. I find heroic discipline, focus, and passion within how they act. Even though sport isn't directly related to communications and marketing, I like finding abstract inspiration and connections between different fields. Puzzling together the pieces and gaining motivation from seemingly isolated professions, in a way, nourishes my creativity and helps to keep my drive constantly high and manifold.

Professionally speaking, a great variety of brands – such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Rolex, Spotify, Apple, IKEA, and Red Bull – constantly deliver high-quality communication campaigns. I always try to pay attention to the little details they utilise and strive to learn from their campaigns. I wrote my BA thesis focusing on semiotics and branding, therefore, recognising patterns and reasons behind the ideas of ads is easier to a degree, but I still come across many clever moves. I'm excited every day to learn and widen my knowledge.

What motivates and inspires you in your work? How do you maintain your enthusiasm and drive in the face of challenges?

Challenges are inherent in every profession, but I tend to embrace rather than fear them. The development opportunities offered by each challenge are crucial to maximising the learning curve, meaningfully owning your mistakes, and effectively overcoming them. Despite being very young, I have, of course, encountered numerous difficult situations. During my previous job, where I managed marketing and communications and gained experience in event organisation, account management and project management, obstacles and unforeseen circumstances were part of everyday life.

As Michael Scott says in my favourite TV show, The Office: "I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do." I guess, many situations are exactly like this, especially for an entry-level professional. In the beginning, you are not prepared for the problems but need to solve them anyway. There's a lot of beauty in challenges. Isn't it kind of the point?