The Authors

The entire purpose of this blog is to keep marketing and advertising professionals in touch with new techniques, services, software, design and media so that we can more effectively and efficiently connect target audiences with our clients’ products and services. So sip some coffee, click around the site and see what hits you. And don’t forget to comment back. We’d love to hear from you.

Charles Falls

Founder and President of Demi & Cooper Advertising and DC Interactive Group

After graduating from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Advertising/Corporate Communications and Creative Writing, I began my advertising career at a small, roll-up-your-sleeves style agency in Mt. Prospect Illinois where I could hone my skills as a copywriter, account manager and account executive. This wide range of experience proved to be invaluable to me as I worked with a long-time creative partner (Brett Thomas) to form Demi & Cooper Advertising in 1992.

After achieving great success as a print-oriented advertising agency, I quickly guided our staff to build on the marketing techniques that proved most valuable to our clients to further expand into radio, tv and web applications, with web work eventually leading to the creation of an innovative web marketing program that utilizes Web 2.0 tools and social media to promote their clients products with little cost and great results. The program was so well received that it led to my forming a sister company to Demi & Cooper Advertising which we named DC Interactive Group.

Many years and industry changes later, Demi & Cooper Advertising and DC Interactive Group continue to thrive as two of the more successful results-oriented agencies in the Chicagoland area. Our web marketing program was responsible for gaining national recognition for a client’s Tweeted surgery – the first in Illinois and only the third in the nation, and our work on the web overall has gained us national recognition in healthcare and home building. In fact, through our web marketing program, all participating clients have seen a large increase in web traffic and brand recognition with reduced advertising budgets.

Marc Battaglia

Associate Creative Director at Demi & Cooper Advertising

Marc’s always been into advertising and marketing. After all, the Advertising merit badge was one of the first he earned along the way to becoming an Eagle Scout.

He’s one of those rare individuals in our business that can’t stop thinking about what they do—which shows you how much he loves his career. With his drive, insight and down-to-earth practicality Marc uses creative design and varied mediums to achieve business results for our clients. He recognizes that in advertising, beautiful design is not enough. Everything should work together to give a clear and memorable message. His experience is rooted in healthcare, banking, financial, architecture, building, technology and industrial clients.

A Chicago native, Marc joined Demi & Cooper in 2000, and much of the polish and sophistication our work has is a result of either his direct touch, or his guidance and art direction of others. He’s won shelves of awards for our clients but unlike many in the advertising and marketing business, Marc considers an ad a failure if you can recall the ad but not the product or service it’s promoting. Marc’s talent is extremely multi-dimensional, ranging from being able to create powerful integrated marketing campaigns that include print advertising and collateral pieces, directing live and animated television spots, writing engaging copy, shooting photography, illustrating and even managing social media platforms. Marc is a contributing writer for several blogs and can often be found helping manage our online social media presence at all hours of the day and night.

He lives in an 1890’s farmhouse in Crystal Lake with his wife, two daughters, and their German Shepherd, Indiana, who spends her day with Marc at our office. He volunteers time for service dog organizations as well as for his old K-9 search and rescue team.

Mollie Ottenhoff

Web Monkey

Mollie started her career as an editor at a book publishing company and quickly became tired of misplaced modifiers, cranky authors, and the fast-food cashier-like salary. She moved on to an engineering magazine (Lubrication and Fluid Power. Yes, engineering. Embarrassing business cards.) There the advertising side of the business sparked her interest, and she made her way to Demi & Cooper in 2004.

After 5 years as an Account Manager, Mollie took an interest in the Web Marketing Department and is now a Web Monkey on the DC Interactive Group Team. She writes, manages clients, researches, eblasts, and is still up to her editing ways. She lives in Elgin with her Wallys—husband (IV) and son (King Walter V).

Walter Ottenhoff

Interactive Manager/Web Art Director

Wally smells good, is handsome, and has his wife write his bios. He has the perfect mix of an education for a mid-sized agency—he originally went to school at Trinity Christian College where he earned a marketing degree, and then earned a Graphic Design degree from Westwood College.

At Demi & Cooper, he is the Interactive Manager/Web Art Director. He designs, manages the web department and clients, does makeshift IT work, and has been known to change a lightbulb or two. He lives in Elgin—you may see him scootering to work on his Razor—with his wife, Mollie, and son, Walter Ben Ottenhoff V (or Cinco, for short).

Deanne Mroz

Web Designer

Deanne always knew she wanted to do something with art. As a child she would spend countless hours creating jewelry boxes and other useful items out of popsicle sticks. Her dream was to one day have enough products to open her very own popsicle box store.

But life had other plans for Deanne.

After completing her studies at NIU, she landed a job as a web designer for Demi & Cooper. Never one to stop learning, Deanne began creating websites, eblasts, TV commercials and more.

While her love of crafts never faded, her love for popsicle sticks did. Her new hobbies include painting, photography, screen printing, and blogging about all of her art endeavors.

When she is not working or discovering a new hobby (which is rare), Deanne spends her free time hanging out with her husband in their Streamwood home.