My name is Matt Baran. I’m a UNF student and have been interning here at On Ideas for the past six months. While working here I have gained great insight to how a full-service advertising agency successfully operates. In order to be successful in this fast-paced business, the agency and or team need to possess two key attributes: organizational skills and positive leaders. When an agency sustains a positive atmosphere jobs run smoother and creative ideas flow constantly.
As a client services intern, I have been working closely with the Account Executives and mainly provide assistance for the Winn-Dixie and First Federal Bank accounts. My daily tasks consist of sending new alert assignments and job orders over to the creative team. When alerts are completed I review the changes and send the job to the AE’s for further review. The coolest part about working on the account side is admiring the work designed by the creative team. They create some spectacular ads, they’re definitely worth checking out.
Without a doubt I would have to say the best part about working at On Ideas is the people. (no kidding) Everyone here is more than willing to help and don’t mind staying late to help me learn new things for my class. We also do some really fun events like football games (Khan You Dig It) and team building exercises that really test your coordination. At the last event It was a blast and competitive battles were fought, but in the end it all came down to the final game, when teams had to shake ping-pong balls out of a tissue box that was tied to their back. I don’t think any videos were leaked, which was good for the contestants. It looked like a mix between a touchdown dance and a Beyonce music video. Unfortunately I had to maneuver an Oreo from my forehead, down my face and then try to eat it. The games were a lot of fun and there were plenty of laughs. I would encourage all agencies to participate in team building type exercises. They really help the team bond and it’s good to get out of the office and have some fun.
I look forward to working and learning alongside my friends at On Ideas for a few more months to sink my teeth into some creative brainstorming sessions.
As I make a move from the Birthplace of Speed to the River City, joining On Ideas as their Social Media Strategist, I figured that I would give you a little bit about who I am. After all we’re supposed to be social right? Let’s have a chat.
Born and raised in Syracuse (the best Orange and Blue team,) I was a Music Major (Jazz Trumpet) at Nazareth College and through those first four years started a small music company and grew to work with national clients (Ford and the NY Giants ) sitting in a college dorm room networking online. It was then I decided that this needed to be my path.
Assuming no one would take me seriously with just a Music Degree, I enrolled in the Advertising Master’s Program at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. I escaped the snow about a year and a half ago to come down to Florida after I finished my Master’s degree and fell into the opportunity to build a small boutique social media agency from the ground up before I decided to join the On Ideas team.
There’s nothing like working with a company who lives and dies for their products, and I’m proud to have kickstarted digital campaigns for national clients like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Subway, Dr. Guy Harvey, Def Jam, Zapp’s Potato Chips and more.
I strive to help clients achieve success in digital campaigns that flow seamlessly with “traditional” advertising avenues. Social media should be an integrated part of the Marketing and Advertising Plan, not as an afterthought. Going further, the transparent nature of social media can really improve a company’s culture.
Over the next few months this blog will be exploring a number of new media strategies and how they help grow business. But we won’t just be focusing on Social and Digital Media, we’ll be focusing on a FULLY integrated process, because the story your brand tells knows no medium.
Want to get in touch with me or see what I’m up to? Just send me a tweet @nickcicero or @onideas – I’m really glad to be at On Ideas…the possibilities here are endless.
On Ideas is proud to announce that our very own Judi Herring, M.D. has been recruited as a panelist and speaker for the upcoming “Speaking of Women’s Health” event, sponsored by BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida. Dr. Judi will speak about how social media influences and can contribute to better health outcomes for women. A former rocket scientist and urologic surgeon, Judi serves as our Director of Consumer Insights and Measurements at On Ideas, having decided some years back that when it comes to impacting societal change, “the pen is mightier than the scalpel.” She also serves as our in-house version of Web MD, answering questions like, “Judi, should I be concerned about this rash?” or “why is my left big toe tingling?” on a regular basis.
Serving on the panel with Dr. Judi will be Tayloe White, Executive Director at Art With a Heart in Healthcare, and Annie Erstling, Senior Manager of Social Media and Digital Marketing at BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida. In addition to expert speakers and extremely useful information, the event will feature free massages, makeovers, refreshments and product samples, making it the perfect opportunity to squeeze in a little “you time” while positively impacting your health. You can get your “Speaking of Women’s Health” tickets online at Speaking of Women’s Health.
The event is this Saturday, August 20th. Don’t miss out!
On Friday, June 24th, On Ideas brought the ultimate urban nightlife experience to the south bank of the St. Johns River. Apogee Lounge, the luxurious rooftop penthouse at the Peninsula Condos, was the scene of a bash for the ages, complete with free-flowing designer cocktails and a kick ass band. And it was all caught on film as part of a soon-to-be released TV commercial that showcases the urban lifestyle available at The Peninsula. Produced for our clients, Palladium Real Estate Advisors and St. Johns Phase 2, LLLP, the spot is part of a new multi-media campaign promoting the gorgeous condominium units available for sale in the 38-story riverfront tower. The crowd, made up of OI staffers, as well as more than 150 Jacksonville nightlife mavens who were invited to participate as extras in the shoot, partied until the wee hours to a soundtrack provided by local band, Hello Danger. Although the commercial is still in editing, the party alone proved that when it comes to luxury real estate, skyline views and exciting nightlife, Jacksonville has what it takes to compete with any urban living hot spot.
P.S. Miniature hats are the next big thing. If you’d been there, you’d know why.
Alexis brings another strong planning background to our talented media team. Most recently, she was the planner and analyst at Levelwing Media, a digital media agency in Charleston, South Carolina, where she coordinated campaigns for Le Creuset, German National Tourist Office and Liberty University Online. With her special knack for testing and benchmarking, she ensured that all digital initiatives met and exceeded client goals.
Prior to her time at Levelwing, Alexis served as Senior Media Planner at Sigma Group in Oradell, New Jersey, where she managed the development and implementation of media plans for the Panasonic Toughbook account.
Alexis began her career in media in New York at Zenith Optimedia after receiving a B.S. in Advertising from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Outside of work, Alexis enjoys spending time with her husband and Wheaton Terrier, monitoring the Kardashian family’s dizzying array of reality shows and keeping the flame alive for NBC’s critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful series, Chuck.
Alexis has also discovered she has a special talent for matching rescue dogs and humans. She finds deserving dogs online, emails pictures to well-suited friends and family members, stands back and lets the sparks fly. With several successful matches to her credit, we’re already thinking this could be a slightly dangerous talent at a dog-crazed place like On Ideas.
No one likes pain. It doesn’t matter if it’s that nagging kind of pain we sometimes live with or something more severe and life altering. We tackled both kinds of pain in two new and very fun TV spots for Halifax Health by personifying joint and chest pain and giving them a chance to tell their story.
In our spots, joint pain is that nagging guy you kind of hung around with in college. You know the one that was always causing problems, drinking all your orange juice and getting you into trouble. Yeah, him.
Chest pain is a tougher pain, but ultimately he has your best interests in mind. He’s a bit imposing but he’s really trying to help in that tough love kind of way. Because the truth is, chest pain is a warning signal from your body that something could be wrong.
By giving both types of pain a voice and a personality we were able to capture, in a very engaging way, the essence of both issues. We think the personifications will connect with sufferers of joint and chest pain and position Halifax Health as the solution to both important health issues.
Guardian Catholic Schools holds its annual Golf and Tennis Classic to raise funds for student scholarships at two Northside Catholic schools, Holy Rosary and St. Pius V. To help make this year’s tournament the most successful one yet, On Ideas had the opportunity to provide pro-bono creative services, including advertising the event, designing on-course posters, swag bags and more.
Nine celebrities lent their cache to the tournament, including former Jaguars Fred Taylor and Paul Spicer, and attendees lauded the event as “A+,” ” Top notch,” “First Class,” and “10 out of 10,” among other exuberant comments. Guardian Staff members actually dubbed the subsequent weeks, “ March Madness” because of all of the resulting attention and phones ringing off the hook.
Most importantly, the event accomplished its two primary goals: helping Guardian Catholic reach a financial milestone it has NEVER reached before and raising new three and five-year pledge commitments from an even larger donor and fund development base. We’re not sure if On Ideas had anything to do with that, but we definitely had fun trying! Thanks to all of our friends at Guardian Catholic. We’re already looking forward
to next year.
He’s developed three-dimensional exhibits for major aeronautics trade shows. Spent two years managing motion graphics at CNN. Designed websites. Directed photoshoots. And you can rest assured that if he touches a project, it will look beautiful and communicate clearly. On Ideas is thrilled to welcome Lucious Smith as our newest Art Director.
An art geek and a former track star rolled into one, Lucious is a true Renaissance Man who’s already making an impact at On Ideas, getting to know our current client roster and contributing to major new business wins. Lucious’ past client experience includes Levi’s, Skittles and the WNBA just to name a few. His current clients include Winn-Dixie, First Federal, Catlin and Halifax Health. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta.
You know when you look all over the place for your glasses and then realize they’re right on top of your head? That’s how it was with our search for an Associate Creative Director at On Ideas. The more we looked, the more we realized the person for the job was already here. So we’re thrilled to announce the promotion of Coe Douglas to the role of Associate Creative Director. He is also the newest member of our agency advisory board.
Coe joined On Ideas in July of 2010 and hit the ground running. In his short time here, he’s made a huge impact on some very important work, from Winn-Dixie’s Neighborhood Butcher campaign to new First Federal TV spots and a groundbreaking multi-media campaign for Halifax Health.
He’s also jumped into the Jacksonville community with both feet, organizing arts events, embracing activism and making the city that much cooler just by being here. Heck, he’s even convinced practically half the agency to go vegan!
Coe came to On Ideas from Creative Link in San Antonio, Texas. He’s also done stints at Science Creative and o2 Ideas in Birmingham, Alabama, worked with Jeff Steinborn Films in Nashville, Tennessee, and directed music videos. Did we mention he’s fluent in Spanish too?
Congratulations, Coe! You couldn’t be more deserving of this new role.
No, it’s not Larry, the cable guy- well, he’s sort of like Larry, the cable guy. He’s also, Larry, the radio guy and Larry, the digital guy and Larry, the outdoor guy. He’s Larry Stephens and he’s On Ideas’ new Media Director.
Fresh off of Madison Avenue, Larry comes to On Ideas from New York’s media scene where he’s worked for the last 11 years. Talk about culture change! Even driving to work is a new experience for Larry.
Larry has worked at several prestigious Manhattan based agencies, including Euro RSCG, Wolf Group and Tangible Media, working on accounts such as Intel, Compaq, Splenda, and Scotts Lawn Products.
Larry left the agency side of the media business to serve as Director of Media Strategy for Take – Two Interactive Software, a gaming software business where he managed a media budget in excess of $30 million. Take –Two also immersed Larry in the digital media space where he developed great proficiency in pay per click utilizing search, social media, and digital network advertising. After his adventure on the client side, Larry resumed agency life at MediaCom where he led the Volkswagon and Shell accounts.
Larry was thrilled to leave the cold and snow of the 2011 winter behind as he moved to Jacksonville with his wife and 11-month old daughter and we’re happy to have him join our team.
flow constantly.
He’s developed three-dimensional exhibits for major aeronautics trade shows. Spent two years managing motion graphics at CNN. Designed websites. Directed photoshoots. And you can rest assured that if he touches a project, it will look beautiful and communicate clearly. On Ideas is thrilled to welcome Lucious Smith as our newest Art Director.
No, it’s not Larry, the cable guy- well, he’s sort of like Larry, the cable guy. He’s also, Larry, the radio guy and Larry, the digital guy and Larry, the outdoor guy. He’s Larry Stephens and he’s On Ideas’ new Media Director.
