About us
Erik van der Zijden is an entrepeneur, marketing professional, new media evangalist and autodidactic techno-geek. He co-founded DigiRedo in which he loves consultanting, educating and producing new media for internal and external communication. Erik has a clear goal: introduce companies how to do business in the 21st century using digital technologies. In addition, he is currently helping to start up Synappz, a network company specialized in the development and marketing of mobile solutions for healthcare.
Before his activities in the world of innovation and new media Erik worked in various international sales and marketing functions within the pharmaceutical world. In his last role as an employee he held a position at Intervet, a global leading veterinary pharmaceutical company and part of Merck Inc. as Innovation Manager. In this role he was responsible for embedding innovation within the organization based on Enterprise 2.0 principles. Erik holds two bachelor degrees, one in Biomedical Sciences and one in International Management. In 2004 he graduated at the Business School Nederland for his MBA.
Erik is a blogger on various blogs such as for example Marketingfacts.nl, the leading marketing-related blog within the Netherlands and his company blog digiredo.wordpress.com. He has also been a public speaker and moderator on several congresses:
Presenter on E-Detailing and Online Marketing Congress (Eyeforpharma Congress, Berlin, April 2007) – Internal Podcasting: A case study of the power of this new medium in the pharmaceutical industry
Presenter on 4th Annual Achieving Pharma Marketing Excellence Congress (Jacob Fleming, Barcelona, January 2008) – Engagement and New Media
Presenter of Round Table Topic (Business School Netherlands, MBA Allumni, October 2008) – The Power of New Media, or What Should I Do With It?
Presenter on 1st Digital Pharma Europe Congress (EXL Pharma, Barcelona, March, 2009) – Best Practices for the Use of Web 2.0 and Social Media Tools for Internal Collaboration
Presenter on 1st Annual DigiPharm congress (Health Communication Network, London, September 2009) – Pharma and Social Media: The Garden of Eden or the Beginning of the End?
Presenter on 3rd Digital Pharma US (EXL Pharma, New Jersey, October 2009) – Enterprise 2.0 in Practice – A True Story of How Web 2.0 Can Help Your Internal Innovation Process
Member of Advisory Board EXL Pharma ‘2nd Digital Pharma Congress’, Berlin, March 2010
Lions Venlo, internal presentation (Venlo, The Netherlands, March 2010)
Introduction to New and Social MediaPanalist on 2nd Digital Pharma Europe (EXL Pharma, Berlin, March 2010) – The Two Way Relationship Behind Social Media is Rooted in Listening
Presenter of Workshop Health 2.0 (Slingeland Hospital, the Netherlands, June 2010) – Health 2.0 and the Power to Patients
Presenter on the 2nd Annual DigiPharm Europe 2010 (Health Communication Network, London, September 2010) – Community Management in Pharma
Co-moderator on the 2nd Science Online London (London, September 2010) – The Health Conversation on the Social Web: Laboratory or Echo Chamber?
A&O Services, internal corporate training (Rijswijk, The Netherlands, February 2011)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?Moderator of the 3rd Annual DigiPharm Europe 2011 (Health Communication Network, London, September 2011)
Chairing a panel session on Mobile Pharma World Europe 2012 (Health Communication Network, Amsterdam, April 2012) – How doctors are using mobile technologies.
Erik is also an Apple addict. He lives in Oss, the Netherlands together with his wife Floor and daughters Yara and Eline.
Key Areas of Expertise: International Marketing and Sales, Innovation, Social Media, Enterprise 2.0, Entrepreneurship, Cultural Collaborations, Computer Technologies, Digital Video, Martial Arts.
René van den Bos is New Media architect, and working as a trainer and consultant in New Media and Enterprise 2.0, an audio- and video-producer and co-founder of DigiRedo. With DigiRedo, René advises companies and other organizations how new and interactive media like podcasting, (micro)blogs and wiki’s can improve your communications, both internal and external.
After 4 years working as a veterinarian in companion animals, René decides to leave private practice and joins Intervet International, a veterinary pharmaceutical company. He starts as a Technical Manager in the International Marketing department, but soon develops himself more in marketing and marketing communication. With the rise of New Media, René sees great opportunities, and together with his business partner Erik van der Zijden, he starts DigiRedo.
René’s philosophy is crystal clear: effective communication is only possible if you actively involve your target audience in the conversation. Listening, interaction, authenticity and an open mind for feedback are essential. These are the unique features of New and Social Media, and this is nothing to be afraid of. On the contrary, having conversations with your audience (customers and employees) will bring great opportunities to distinguish yourself and will help you to improve your reputation and performance as a company.
René is an enthusiastic and passionate speaker. He regularly speaks at conferences and corporate meetings:
Royal Dutch Veterinary Association, internal presentation (Houten, The Netherlands, October 2010)
New Media for the Veterinary Practice: useful or utter rubbish?Digipharm 2010, (London, United Kingdom, September 2010)
Community Management in Pharma…if that’s possible after allNationale Marketingdag 2010, Marketingfacts track (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands, June 2010)
Enterprise 2.0: Where are we and where are we heading?PEGD symposium, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Utrecht, The Netherlands, June 2010)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?A&O Services, internal corporate training (Rijswijk, The Netherlands, May 2010)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?Intervet The Netherlands, internal corporate presentation (Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 2010)
The importance of listeningUniversity of Nijmegen (Nijmegen, The Netherlands, January 2010)
Social and New Media, so what?A&O Services, internal corporate presentation (Rijswijk, The Netherlands, January 2010)
Enterprise 2.0: how to use it within my organization?Rotary Castellum (Houten, The Netherlands, January 2010)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?Sanfi-Aventis, internal corporate presentation (Gouda, The Netherlands, November 2009)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?2nd Annual DigiPharm Europe 2009, Health Communication Network (London, United Kingdom, September 2009)
Pharma and Social Media: The Garden of Eden or the Beginning of the End?Royal Dutch Association of Veterinary Medicine, internal presentation (Houten, The Netherlands, August and September 2009)
New and Social Media: what it is and what to do with it?2nd Nationale Marketingdag 2009 (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands, June 2009)
New Media and internal communication – on our way to Enterprise 2.0
***rated Top 3 presenter by participants***Lions Venlo, internal presentation (Venlo, The Netherlands, March 2010)
Introduction to New and Social MediaIntervet The Netherlands, internal corporate presentation (Eerbeek, The Netherlands, February 2010)
The power of New Media, or what should I do with it?Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, internal corporate workshop (Sicily, Italy, May 2008)
How to use New and Social Media within pharmaBayer Schering Pharma, internal corporate presentation (Berlin, Germany, March 2008)
What is New Media and what can pharma do with it?Probus, internal presentation (Venlo, The Netherlands, February 2008)
The Power of New Media, or what should I do with it?eyeforpharma’s Pharma Marketing 2007 (Barelona, Spain, October 2007)
What New Media can do for pharma marketing
***rated Best Presentation by participants***
René is a blogger on his own blog at DigiRedo, but also on Marketingfacts, the leading online marketing blog in The Netherlands. In his spare free time he loves to act and play music, to share a good meal amongst friends and, last but not least, spend time with his family. René lives in Utrecht on a houseboat with his wife Marcela and their son Felipe.
New Media in Motion 