In 2007, the Red Sox awarded Donna Latson Gittens, founder and principal of causemedia, inc. MLB's Jackie Robinson Most Valuable Diverse Business Partners Award. Pictured above from left to right is Dr. Charles Steinberg, EVP, Boston Red Sox, presenting the JRMVDBP Award to Gittens who stands along side Nanci Lane, president of Park Plaza Travel; Karen Gellis, VP of Operations  Promo Items for Steorreytime, LLC; and Cindy Oldfield, president of SOS Corp.

dib:

It’s not often that we hear a company president described as a renegade.  What makes you one in your family?

DLG:

I’m clearly considered the renegade of my family.  While I am the one who goes off the reservation and comes up with crazy ideas.  It seems to have paid off considering I’m a career woman with my own business.

dib:

What caused you to be a renegade and how did that help you become a business woman?

DLG:

I actually thought I was going to be an actress.  I went to college in Kansas City, Missouri at Park University where I auditioned for a number of plays.  When I graduated and came home, my dad reminded me that there were not a lot of acting jobs in Boston.  He thought I should get my teaching certificate.  He really wanted me to have something to fall back on if the acting thing didn’t work out.  As it turns out, when I came back to Boston, I applied for a lot of jobs and one of them was as a secretary at WBZ-TV.  I got the job and started as a sales assistant in the sales department.  I learned the TV business from that perspective, and then using my theater background, I gradually got into the production end of the business.  I moved up the ranks and became a television producer and from there moved into management.  I later moved to  WCVB-TV, Channel 5, and spent the majority of my broadcasting career at that television station.

dib:

When did you begin thinking about setting up your own company?

DGB:

While I was at Channel 5, I wanted to become the general manager of a television station.  My two mentors at the time, Paula LaCamera and Jim Coppersmith, told me that if I wanted to move into management at a higher level, I needed to have a business degree.  They encouraged me to go to business school; so, I went to Northeastern University and got my MBA.  When I came back to the station, I fully expected to move up to a station manager's role.  As it turned out, the organization was in the process of being flattened; and there was no place to move up to.  About that time, my father passed away; and it was one of those “Ah-Ha” moments.  My father used to say, “Just jump out there, if you think you can do it.”  I thought about that and decided that if I was ever going to put my degree to use, I might as well jump out there and do it on my own.  I just went in one day and quit my job.  Then I went home and told my husband what I had done.  He asked me what I was going to do next; and I told him that I had this idea.  I took three thousand dollars of my savings and opened a small office in Watertown, Massachusetts.  I had the computer that WCVB had kindly given to me as a parting gift and my bulging rolodex.  I began what I lovingly call “dialing for dollars.”  I thumbed through my rolodex and reached out to people who had faith in me and gave me a chance.

dib:

How did you go from being on the production side of the television business to opening your own marketing company?

DLG:

I got into the marketing side of broadcasting as part of my responsibilities at WCVB where I worked on total-station campaigns.  The campaigns involved making connections between corporations and non-profits, and using the media to drive the message home.  I worked on a long, very successful, and still running, campaign called “A World of Difference.”  It was a campaign aimed at racial, ethnic and religious prejudice.  The Bank of Boston was the corporate partner and the Greater Boston Civil Rights Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League were the non-profit partners and WCVB-TV was the media partner.  We created documentaries, public service announcements, and special events in support of that initiative.  It was one of several campaigns I worked on while I was at WCVB.

We did a campaign called “Success by Six” with the United Way and the Bank of Boston.  We also developed one called “Be a Good Sport” that was tied to the Olympics coverage on ABC.  That campaign involved a lot of youth sports organizations.  We also developed "Family Works!"  It was sponsored by corporate partner Heinz and non-profit partner Family Service of America.  The campaign was designed to move family issues further up the national agenda. 

Over time, I began seeing a pattern.  Then a light went on and I told myself, “You can do this.”  I realized that I could help corporations select a cause and then figure out how to use the media to support it.  I knew I could help them figure out the employees’ component as well as the stakeholders’ and the consumers’ roles.   That was really the idea behind the creation of causemedia.

We’re at a tipping point now as it relates to the whole field of corporate social responsibility and causes-related marketing.  It’s what corporations want to do and what employees, stakeholders and consumers want corporations to do.

dib:

Where does the desire to affect change in such a broad way come from?

DLG:

It comes from a family that has always been involved in community, whether it’s church or with non-profit organizations.  So, a part of it clearly comes from my family background.  The other part comes from my desire to work for and with businesses that have integrity and values.

I cared about WCVB-TV.  The opportunity just didn’t present itself to go further up the executive ladder; it gave me a strong background in marketing and communications.  It was, and still is, a phenomenal television station and broadcast group.  The creative ideas, values and commitment to community that I was exposed to at WCVB helped to form the foundation of causemedia.   I guess a third element that shapes causemedia is my involvement as a senior associate at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship.   Boston College is a phenomenal institution, a nationally recognized think tank and leadership center, which helps educate company executives from the likes of Toyota, Fidelity Investments and Novartis about good corporate citizenship.  My role at the center is to teach clients how to use the media to promote their involvement in a variety of causes.

dib:

How do you go about teaching corporations how to be good corporate citizens and good communicators?

DLG:

It really begins with a conversation with the chief marketing officer, and more importantly, a conversation with the CEO to get a sense of what they want to accomplish.  That’s the first step.  We employ a service called “causeAudit” where we go in and literally assess the attitudes of employees, and all the key stakeholders.  We speak to consumers and then build a network of information that indicates what causes or issues interest them.  We might discover that the organization is really not interested in a particular cause or that they have a passion about a specific social concern.  I have to tell you, cause-related marketing and our brand of cause-marketing is not a “one-op” (a one time opportunity).  It’s not a gimmick.  It’s about making sure that what the company gets involved in is geared to business objectives, of some import, has deliverable results and that it’s executed over the long-term.

dib:

Is the audit something the Center at Boston College offers or is it an offering of causemedia?

DLG:

Let me clarify the relationship.  I am a senior associate of the Center and causemedia has been asked to join Boston College to help them with their clients; but we also have our own clients.  The relationship with the Center helps to reinforce our position as experts in the field.  The causeAudit that I just referred to is an offering of causemedia.  The second service is a thing we call “causeMatch” where we actually identify projects for a company to become involved with based on our audit of the employees and stakeholders.  We undertake an investigation to find the right match for the client.   The third service we provide is the actual implementation, from messaging to the strategic communication plan to implementation internally as well as externally.  During this phase of the process, we help the client identify how to tie those efforts to their brand going forward.

dib:

How did you establish your relationship with the Red Sox?

DLG:

When people ask about the Red Sox, I always tell them that I feel incredibly blessed that causemedia is the Red Sox’s community relations agency of record.  I have been with them for six seasons, since the new owners took over, under the leadership of Larry Lucchino, Tom Warner and principal owner John Henry.  We were with them for the 2004 spectacular win, the first time the Red Sox won a World Series in 86 years; and we were with them when they won last year in 2007.  I might add that I’m a very proud owner of a 2004 and a 2007 World Series ring.  That being said, my relationship with the Red Sox started when I received a phone call from Dr. Charles Steinberg, who has since left the Red Sox and is now chief marketing officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Dr. Steinberg called me in and told me that when he asked who the best community relations firm in town was, someone gave him my name.  We talked for about a half hour and at the end he said, “You’re hired.”  It was great.

I have to say a couple of things about the Red Sox.  They are brilliant marketers.  I’ve really learned a lot from them.  They are very much a fan and customer-directed organization.  You become part of the family with the Red Sox; and they expect excellence.  If you know what you are doing, and you have a can-do attitude, and understand that the fan comes first, it can be a very affirming experience working for them.

dib:

What are some of the projects you have worked on for the Red Sox?

DLG:

I’ve taken on a number of different tasks.  They have ranged from helping with events to just recently being a lead supporter of the Red Sox Scholars Program.  I helped select the 25 middle-school students from the Boston Public Schools that will receive a $10,000 scholarship when they go to college.  This year, we had over 600 applications.  The pool was narrowed down to 50, and we helped select the 25 scholarship recipients from the 50.

It’s such a life-changing program led by Meg Vaillancourt, SVP and Red Sox Foundation Executive Director.  The Red Sox host a huge on-field recognition ceremony, where the students and Red Sox Scholars alums get to walk out on the field with one the Red Sox players.  During the year, the youngsters are then paired with a medical champion from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  The medical champions invite the students to the Medical Center on “shadow days” so the students can see what it’s like to work in a medical environment.  They do a number of educational and social events throughout the year.  It’s really impressive especially since there are now 150 kids in the program.

In the last several years, causemedia has worked on a campaign called “Canine Companions for Independence.”  Canine Companions is a very cool organization that trains golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers to help people with disabilities.  We produced a “Pups in the Park” calendar with Red Sox players that raised funds for the organization.  causemedia also created a cause-effort where we partnered the Red Sox with Macy’s Department Store. Macy’s was new to the market and wanted to make a big statement about how much they cared about Boston.  We introduced Macy’s executives to the Red Sox, developed a media strategy, organized a series of events in stores, travelled on location with players and sold calendars at the park.  We kicked-off the campaign with a huge, on-field, pre-game ceremony.  It worked out very well.

Looking forward, I will assist the Red Sox with the Boston-Area Church League.  It’s a project designed to bring baseball to kids who normally wouldn’t have that opportunity.  It’s not your typical Little League set up.  It’s in the neighborhoods with the support of ministers, public safety officials and committed volunteers. We also are working on “Fantasy Day”, a major fundraiser for The Jimmy Fund, which is one of the longest running charitable organizations supported by a Major League Baseball.  The Red Sox have been supporting The Jimmy Fund for 54 years.

As you can see, there’s a lot of fantastic stuff. And that’s just for starters!

What makes the relationship with the Red Sox rewarding for you personally?

Let’s begin with the actual game.  I love baseball.  I come from a family of baseball lovers.  I remember when I was young, my dad and uncles used to sit at family gatherings with the radio in the middle of the picnic table, laughing back and forth about the games.  I have fond memories growing up with baseball.  I also married to a guy who wanted to be a baseball player; so, for him, it’s like being in heaven.  He’s thrilled.

It would be tough for someone who didn’t like the game because it’s so much a part of what we do.  And then, of course, as I’ve said, the Red Sox are brilliant marketers and they run a very tight ship.

You mentioned your husband, how do you balance the demands of family and working for a high-profile client like the Red Sox?

Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed.  Family is really important to me.  When I was going to school to get my MBA, my family was very helpful.  I was working full time, working on my MBA, and I had two little children.  My husband stepped up, and my parents were very supportive at the time and took care of the kids when necessary.  I think it just became part of our routine.  My husband is also high-powered and over the years we’ve just sort of worked it out a comfortable schedule.

dib:

Based on your experience launching your own firm and working with corporations to make a difference in communities, what have you learned about yourself over the course of the journey?

DLG:

That’s such a big question.  My father had terrific sayings, little nuggets of wisdom that I’ve written down.  I always dream that one day I am going to write a book and use those sayings as a guide for other business people.  There are a couple of things that come to mind, not the least of which is “Nothing is ever as it seems.” We think we can plan for things, but there are things out there that we can’t even fathom.  I’m fond of telling people not to hyper-ventilate and that everything will be fine.

My father’s favorite saying, which I love and perhaps will make the title of the book is, “Keep your soul in a state of grace.”  He used to say that to us all the time when we were growing up and I use to wonder what he meant.  Then I had a couple of “Ah-Ha” moments, not the least of which was losing my parents.  Those moments really focus you.  He would say, “If you are true to yourself, if you are honest and caring, then your soul will be in a state of grace.”   It’s beautiful.

My father was a big influence in my life.  He was really a visionary and probably my biggest supporter.

dib:

Have you accomplished the things you set out to accomplish when you started this journey?

DLG:

Not exactly.  It’s been a fun ride, but we’re definitely not there yet.  I have a number of other initiatives that I want to undertake, not the least of which is the book I just mentioned.  I have a literary property that I want to purchase, a book that I want to turn into a movie.  One of my goals is to launch causemedia independent films.  The mission of causemedia the advertising agency is to help promote positive behavior.  The mission of causemedia independent films is to promote positive behavior by profiling amazing life stories.  They say every creative director working at an ad agency wants to be a film director.  Well, I think you just met her in me.  Who knows when it will happen, but it is a definite goal.

A third daydream is building a career as a motivational speaker.  I have so many dynamic stories I’d love to impart.  I would especially love to share them with young girls, to let them know that all things are possible with preparation, a plan and patience. Working with young girls is a real passion of mine.  For ten years, I was on the board of Mother Caroline Academy, an all girls middle-school in Roxbury, Massachusetts.  Now, I’m looking forward to joining the board of an organization called Girls Radio.  It’s a vehicle that offers young ladies an opportunity to take control of the music that affects them and to promote more positive messages.  I’m really pumped about that, especially now that both of my children will be in college.

dib:

Will causemedia remain a Boston/New England-focused agency or will you expand nationally?

DLG:

Presently, we are a Boston and New England focused agency; but our long-term focus is national and then global.  That’s the next phase of our offering.  We have built tremendous relationships with a number of larger agencies, and the plan is for them to bring us on as their value-added.  It’s our strategy to grow as we support larger organizations.

dib: 

This has been a fascinating discussion.  Thank you sharing your background, passions and vision with us.  We look forward to chronicling your success over time.

DLG:

Thank you.