See Our Ventures & Programs
Emerging Countries: X & Y Axes
For organizations that transport to and support emerging country programs, the X & Y axes are always slanted towards higher risk. Supporting these challenging and demanding projects often relies on a variety of labor support to include, host country foreign nationals. Having operated these projects for more than twenty years, MacDougall saw firsthand the difficulty and risks of exposure in simply trying to move freight from point A to point B. When combining the movement of dangerous goods with the required training demands, this model creates a significant level of exposure to both the company, the brand and the employees running a project.
With their lawyers and risk analysts demanding greater oversight, companies are constantly accessing exposure and how best to protect their brand and employees on these projects. MacDougall's unique background of crisis communications and emerging country logistic support has enabled her to become an invaluable resource to the organizations she supports on short term and long term consulting basis.
Economic Development / Public Relations
One in four Moldovans work in the wine industry in Moldova, the poorest country in Europe. In 2014, Russian placed an economically devastating embargo on all Moldovan wine. Russia had been Moldova's biggest importer - a tradition that dated back to the era of the tsars. The loss of sales left the Moldovans with no distribution network, brands unknown in the West, and no PR campaign funding. After thousands of years in the wine industry, Moldova was suddenly forced to compete in an unfamiliar world marketplace. It turns out Moldova can and does produce world-class wines. That opened up the rare opportunity for the first grassroots campaign in the wine industry.
A team of grassroots experts, marketing executives and PR experts, under the Velocity Effect, all rallied together to launch a new economic and sustainability platform. If emerging countries produce world-class products, then all they need is a campaign and entry into the world marketplace. Drink world-class wines that matter and become a #WinePhilanthropist a campaign that introduced a fun, new concept in the wine industry.
The Comic Coloring Book Series
MacDougall put together a team of writers, illustrators, graphic artists and comedians to develop an interactive therapeutic coloring book and "The Comic Book Coloring Book Series" was officially launched. These unique and powerful books are a new concept in the publishing industry by combining several book genres: humor, inspiration, coloring and self-help, into one interactive coloring book.
The first book, Divorce: The Comic Coloring Book was published in 2016 to great reviews, CBS News, "This is no ordinary book." The Washington Post wrote, "Funny coloring book to ease the sting of divorce." In late March of 2018, the second book, Cancer: The Can*** Coloring Book was published. The book, focuses on humorous images that gives friends and family tools they can actually use to help them rally together for the patients long road ahead. The Washington Post wrote, "Debbie MacDougall is tackling another difficult subject to bring a little laughter and hope."
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE COMIC DIVORCE
“The greatest thing I have ever seen. We all need to laugh... All kinds of good things in this book... Love the concept!”
— CBS NEWS