One hardly sees an entrepreneur going abroad for a short project and then in the first few months making friends with locals and starting up a company. Amazing right? It happened in Bangalore, though. This is just one less trodden path of many taken by Mr. Bruce T. Dugan.
When the story broke – An American showed up and started a company with a couple of locals — “Young people were showing up at the café where we worked out of who wanted to join,” Mr. Dugan remembered.
Why did he start Incognito Worldwide with young and inexperienced members at that time? He smiled and said, “It seemed like a good idea at the time, however continued — I liked the guys: they were ambitious and hungry to be entrepreneurs.” I had to see if I could pass on any of my knowledge from being in business for over 40 years and help them achieve it.”
Mr. Dugan founded INICIA INCORPORATED in 2005; In Buenos Aires in 2005 he co-founded its media – technology subsidiary as well as co-founder the CTO Mario Delfino.in . They have begun to work more integrated on several large scale projects last year around 2018. Although initially focusing on technology, Incognito Worldwide shifted its emphasis towards branding & design consultancy, digital marketing, website development & technology integration since 2015 turning into full-service boutique digital agency.
Most clients are from America that’s why the firm experiences time difference between countries, language constraints as well as culture differences too that bring about communication barriers as well. Now it also acts as back room fulfillment center for several agents in U.S.A.The iUrban.me magazines online property partnerships (properties include Ayurveda) have been created; while also being eCommerce stores.
Intech Creative LLC was another subsidiary launched by Mr. Dugan’s Inicia Incorporated in 2012 which had built a number of digital products between 2015-16. Those products are presently being modified through i2MEDIALAB (Buenos Aires).
The fewer the technical terms, the clearer and more precise discussions Incognito Worldwide has with clients enabling them to realize their vision which is translated into tangible outcomes. Hence from creating a logo that is simple, recognizable and memorable, to building a website and making it visible in search or developing custom coded platforms, the company offers end-to-end services.
Customers come from different sectors of economy like personal blogs, restaurants, e-commerce brands for TV personalities and lawyers as well as local services transport and finance companies.
Mr. Bruce T. Dugan is said to be quite versatile. Not only has he led businesses covering logistics, entertainment and technology sectors but he has also been one under another name (i.e., pseudonym) an author who writes reports, columns as well as magazines such as American Songwriter magazine, Jazz Review, Glide or The Examiner among others—Entrepreneur-CEO Hangout’s columnist for instance. He engages in writing reviews on trip advisor while on trips; however his large following of over 80k put him in top 1%. Being member of National Writers Union; Society of Professional Journalists; International Federation Of Journalists etc
Mr. Bruce T. Dugan, spoke with our assistant editor, Mr. VikasJha, to share some adventurous and learning experiences that he has until now. Here are the excerpts.
Hi Mr. Dugan, thanks for your time; we are honored that you have agreed to be featured in Business Era. Can you tell us something about yourself that we don’t know?
I look young for my age, but I’ve seen a lot of things in business (laughs). I enjoy creating: whether it’s making a new product or writing a marketing campaign or an article even just anything in my mind.Transamazing is what comes out of me when traveling and uncovering new places and cultures every place like south Goa beaches during November has become my favorite.I was born and brought up in New York City where I still go back at times apart from Buenos Aires Argentina, Bangalore India among other places off shore such as Cannes France, San Pedro Mexico etc.
He then shared with me the fact that he had traveled through most of South India on his motorcycle and this last September (2017), took motorcycles with Nihanth (who is Director at Incognito) to Khardung La which is located in the mountains of himalaya.It left me speechless.In the evening of 31st day it also became another sad story when vehicle struck me head-on as car slipped into my lane while driving down on high-way (in Kashmir).Two breakages were evident in intra-trochanteric region femur bone fractured by crossing right through its skin as well as three fractures on the ankle, another three wrist fractures requiring reconstructive surgery.By filming this trip for Ride Of Your Life(First Drum Films), at least some accident footage should make it into final cut scheduled for release in 2019.
As awesome as trekking across Himalayan passes was like someday my life will never forget experience during my stay in military hospital at Kargil after the crush, one week I will never forget in Srinagar government hospital and a 50 hour long journey back to Bangalore by car and train (the airline wouldn’t let me on the plane).It’s been six months since my last surgery, but I am still on crutches and Yes, once again when I can walk!
Tell us more about the company.
The company has changed over time with its ups and downs. We became fairly well-known in our early years through being featured in major publications for doing good work consistently. Some of our initial employees did not help us so they had to be laid off as we then stepped back and regrouped. We have a committed team of employees that are working towards our future, a host of satisfied customers and equity stakes in various products/online properties.
How is INCOGNITO different from other companies?
Mostly it is an American run agency that does offshore pricing while bridging cultural differences and language barriers for its American clientele.
What was the internet marketing scene like during the mid-1990s? Any interesting things happened then?
Internet marketing in the early 1990’s is not like today, it was primarily directory listings and banner ads. As a matter of fact, before the internet could become such a force in marketing we had several more years to go prior to the advent of new technologies that would transform the web from mere brochures of information into an interactive entity.
If you were asked to give small businesses some pieces of advice on SEO for 2019, what would they be?
SEO is a facet of marketing that evolves constantly so it necessitates you being trained all the time in order to stay ahead. The other thing is for Indian SEO companies aimed at UK, US or Canada clients; if your clients are in UK, U.S., Canada or Australia then get good well written content by spending money as I would tell them always. I come across many articles which I can instantly recognize have been outsourced from nonnative English speaking countries whose English falls short. Content quality counts.
Say a few words about Google’s RankBrain!
According to Incognito Director of Marketing Kiran Kumar, “RankBrain has created an A.I. that has taken search engine capability to heights unthinkable previously. As a marketer this helps me out because through RankBrain –Google’– it eliminates spam techniques from achieving high ranks by being used for catching and punishing attempts at cheating search engines- thier game (which was successful till few years back). Today due to RankBrain only those enterprises that deploy well-planned SEO strategies are able have good rankings.”
Where do you see yourself five years hence?
I hardly have any idea where life will lead me even after six months ahead—nor can I say anything about it now! For instance last year, after quitting logistics business for 22 years one morning I got a call which changed my life forever when my former business partner called me out of nowhere. That is why he contacted me recently; he wants us to come down here and develop the software platform I had thought of in 1995. Nobody knows where life’s winding tracks will lead you or when opportunities may arise, or how.
Describe yourself in one word.
Curious
What are your future plans for Incognito Worldwide?
This year my plans have been more focused on working with our directors since we have a steady inflow of client work for the short term and partnership properties we’re managing and promoting over the long-term. They are learning business management, business strategy, corporate compliance, and accounting among other things. These are foundational blocks that any self-sustaining entrepreneur needs to know. It allows them to carry more responsibilities every day running of the corporation rather than merely being department heads like they used to be.
On a lighter note what would you do if you woke up one morning as SundarPichai, Google CEO?
‘No more tea in the morning with my omelette!’ I would tell my assistant while making sure she made it coffee instead of tea at all times.