Peri Friedman, Senior Designer at marketing company CBR Marketing

When Peri Friedman, Senior Designer at leading digital marketing company CBR Marketing, first encountered website design in his first job, he had never even opened an email – but he was soon captivated by the flexibility and challenges that the medium offered.

That was about 20 years ago and Peri, equipped with a diploma in graphic design, joined the Aqua Information Station (soon to become Aqua Online) team and started his digital career. He moved onto Intervate as webmaster and then to Verpakt, an online casino management company specialising in international brands, where he was media designer and webmaster responsible for three of the company’s international brands. In 2004 he branched out on his own as a web designer while also running his own casino affiliate website. He has also worked for Piggs Peak Online Casino, Tsogo Sun, and Top Affiliate marketing company until he joined CBR Marketing in 2013, having been one of their freelancers.

“It’s important to always stay in touch with what is cutting edge out there while keeping in mind what the consumer wants in terms of user experience.” He believes in keeping things creative, but simple at the same time, while paying attention to detail on every pixel.

He notes that CBR Marketing is a very dynamic environment to work in, enabling innovative work of the highest standards. “I work with great people and there is always something interesting happening. It’s fast paced, but always enjoyable and one never gets the sense that we’re not going to cope with expectations. There is a tremendous level of support throughout the company.”

Acknowledging that the digital marketing space is becoming increasingly overcrowded, he says that what sets CBR Marketing’s work apart from the rest is the level of innovation. “Intense brainstorming goes on behind the scenes for every campaign and everyone’s contribution is welcome. We also focus heavily on research and the whole team is passionate about getting the best results possible, regardless of the hours required to achieve them.”

Friedman says that companies wanting to make their mark in the digital space need to bear in mind that success is not going to happen overnight. It takes hard work, dedication, and passion – and supreme effort to always remain at the top of your game, remembering that the digital world is constantly changing and evolving, he explains.

“Making an impact requires constant innovation, streamlining of messaging across platforms and apps, and consistency. The public is bombarded with information from all sides. If you haven’t grabbed their attention in the first few seconds, you’ve probably missed the opportunity. It’s important to stay focused.”

Friedman, who is 38 years old and recently married to Tamsyn, CBR’s Group Marketing Manager, is inspired by people who are go-getters, those for whom nothing is too much of an effort, who are not concerned about how many hours sleep they get. “Like my boss (Craig Munitz). He is a family man, he is always on the go, and he always has time to listen to his employees.”

Friedman’s interests include boxing, outdoor life, relaxing with friends, and reading; at the moment he is rereading Bryce Courtney’s Power of One and Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point. He is the proud ‘parent’ of two ragdoll cats, two chameleons, and a 30-something-year-old tortoise.

At the top of his bucket list is travelling – as often as possible to interesting and ‘different’ destinations – and doing well in boxing as he becomes more competitive in the sport.

For more information on CBR, go to www.cbrmarketing.co.za.