The soul of any business is positive company culture. It’s what measures a company’s mission, supports company values and shapes what a company is all about. Company culture dictates how people work, think, interact and create within a business. Especially for newer businesses, nothing is more influential than company culture.

A strong company culture helps businesses attract new employees and retain current employees. We all know the saying “the company you keep reflects your personality”; well this applies to company culture as well. Employees are the backbone of a business. Building a great work environment where employees trust their employers, take pride in their work and genuinely enjoy their job and the people around them will ultimately foster a positive company culture.

As well as maintaining a strong employee base, company culture also shapes the way people perceive a business and impacts their overall image. In a world that’s always tapped in to social media, employees and clients are constantly broadcasting their experiences for the world to view. In effect, a company’s employees are the face and voice of a business, and maintaining a positive company culture helps to ensure that they are sending out the right messages to the world.

How exactly is company culture fostered and maintained within a business? Encouraging open communication is key! With communication lines flowing, collaboration is cultivated to create a strong community bond amongst employees. Afternoon outings, fun team-building activities and holiday office parties are great ideas for strengthening communication and boosting morale.
The end result of fostering a positive company culture is a group of people who sincerely care about one another and who have goals to execute exceptional work for their company and their clients.

At Liquid Creative, this is what we’re all about. We asked our team to describe Liquid Creative’s company culture in one word and here is what a few of them had to say: fun, collaborative, energetic, innovative and multifaceted!

Millions of Americans gathered behind their TV screens to watch the Panthers and the Broncos battle it out during Super Bowl 50. With Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning, looking to end his monumental career with a bang, and Panthers quarterback, Cam Newton, hoping to squash those dreams, the game was definitely one for the books.

At least, that’s what we heard. The Liquid Creative team spent more of our time analyzing our favorite Super Bowl commercials! For some, Super Bowl champions are crowned on the field. For us, the true champions are showcased during the commercial breaks. Although we did see some lackluster ads during this year’s Super Bowl, some brands definitely brought their A-game. The overall trend of this year’s ads seemed to be to keep things light and humorous, whether that be through hybrid animal creatures or another Steve Harvey mishap. Here are our top five favorite campaigns from Super Bowl 50.

1. T-Mobile “Drops the Ball”: Poking fun at Steve Harvey’s recent Miss Universe blunder that caused quite an uproar, this commercial blames Verizon for his mistake. Congrats Steve Harvey, we can agree with the masses on Twitter and say that you have definitely been redeemed.
2. Hyundai “First Date”: It seems that any ad featuring Kevin Hart is a fan favorite. In this spot, Hart kindly gives his teenage daughter’s date the keys to his Hyundai Genesis. What the teen doesn’t know is that this new Hyundai has a Car Finder Feature so Hart can track every step of his daughter’s date night. A fun and clever way to highlight the car’s new feature, this ad was amusing and informative.
3. Mountain Dew “Puppy Monkey Baby”: No, you were not the only one wondering what you just saw after viewing this, but that’s exactly why we love this ad. Mountain Dew’s interesting approach of introducing a hybrid creature to highlight their drink’s combination of juice, caffeine and Dew was strange yet somehow memorable.  
4. Avocados from Mexico “Avos In Space”: I mean, who doesn’t love a good avocado commercial featuring aliens looking back on Earth’s history? This hilariously odd commercial takes a spin on the life of humans and some of our ridiculous trends including the white and gold dress argument, solving a Rubik’s Cube, Chia Pets, and (of course) Scott Baio. The greatest accomplishment of all mankind turns out to be guacamole. We see what you did there, Avocados from Mexico.
5. Doritos “Ultrasound”: Last but certainly not least, Doritos knows how to get people talking about their brand. This ad, which involved a father-to-be eating Doritos while his wife receives an ultrasound, prompted a shocking response when their unborn baby reached towards the bag. After all, who doesn’t want a Dorito?!

Photo Credit: designmilk

“Hey what time is it?” Time for you to get a watch…or perhaps something even better!

If you’re anything like the majority of society today, new technology holds the equivalence to chocolate; you don’t necessarily NEED it to live but you crave it when you don’t have it.

Wearable technology is beginning to grow in popularity and the functions these devices provide can range from simply keeping time to regulating sleeping patterns. Sounds like something from the future, right? Warable.com recently released a list of 50 Wearable Game-changers for 2015 and we picked a few of our favorites. So check out the wearable devices that can satiate those technology hunger pangs!

Whistle. Keep track of your furry companion with this activity monitoring tech device for your dog! Able to monitor behavioral trends, levels of activity, rest and overall health, this little color accessory links right to your smartphone in an app. Attach the device to a collar of any kind and see how your dog is doing over extended periods of time! While being waterproof and rechargeable for over 7 days of data, this little device might teach old dogs a new trick or two about their pet’s well-being. Want an excuse to learn more and watch cute dogs? Check out their website.

Ringly. Want to get out of the habit of constantly checking your phone for  missed calls or social media notifications? This is the wearable device for you! Ringly is a ring that syncs with your mobile device and notifies you when you get messages, voicemails or any other alerts on your phone that you can customize in the corresponding app. Doubling as a stylish ring, Ringly is available in 5 colors and 4 different vibration patterns.

GoPro Hero 4. We couldn’t have a list of wearable tech devices without the GoPro. The ultimate action-capturing camera, the GoPro Hero 4 can shoot  4K video at 30fps. In other words, it has extremely high performance quality, especially for such a small device! Great for scenic vacations or epic selfies, this wearable is sure to capture some great memories.

Moov. Get a personal trainer without the hassle of being followed around by a sweaty, over-energized, aggressive coach? Sign us up! Moov is the ultimate wearable for tracking your workout and recording reps, calories burned and progress while coaching you with advice for a better exercise regimen. Able to analyze your movements through 3D technology, Moov helps optimize your workout to help you get the results you strive for.

If you drink Coca Cola or live by your social media accounts, you’re probably familiar with the  “Share a Coke” campaign. In  2014, Coca Cola brought  people together one can at a time by printing thousands of names across their product and distributing them across the nation.

People flocked to social media to share their customized soda can, many people getting creative and incorporating the campaign into their weddings, graduations, baby reveals and other memorable life events. After all, there is nothing quite as exciting as getting to find your name at the grocery store!

However, an ad agency in Mexico named Anónimo recognized that not everyone gets to experience that joy of seeing their name on a can because not everyone gets to experience seeing. That’s when the agencies came up with the idea of printing braille on the sides of Coca Cola cans so that blind people could join in on the joy too!

Anónimo  teamed up with Coca Cola to then bring the braille-enhanced experience to Fundación ProCiegos, a company that specializes in training the blind to be able to transition into the workforce.  With a successful first run, they eventually expanded the campaign to movie theaters in Mexico as well.

In Argentina, an agency named Geometry Global followed in Anónimo’s footsteps, printing personalized braille Coca Cola cans for the blind soccer team in the area.

Take a look here:

With Target Canada closing around 133 of its stores, thousands of employees were found without a job, many of whom were not so sure what to do next.

One group of ex-employees created a cover of Semisonic’s “Closing Time” in honor of their situation and it’s fantastic. So take a break from your morning to-dos and Monday blues, set down that lukewarm coffee you’re sipping  and start your day with some good music and a smile.

 

There are two kinds of people in the world: morning people, and well, the snooze crew. Let’s face it, getting up at the crack of dawn isn’t easy for all of us and a lot of the time it affects how productive we are throughout our day. Many people swear by their morning cup of coffee while others jump on the treadmill to wake up.

But the things you do (or don’t do) can affect the outlook of your day a bit more than you think So without further ado, here are 3 Don’ts for a successful morning routine:

Don’t Hit Snooze! We’ve all been there, “Just 5 more minutes and then I’m going to get up.”Twenty minutes later, you’re still in bed and you jolt up in a panic when you realize you’re still face-down in the pillow. Pushing that snooze button can set the mood for your entire day. By getting up with the first alarm, you avoid lingering in and out of sleep dragging out your early morning haze.  Enjoying those extra few minutes without reaching deep REM won’t make you feel any more rested.

Don’t Skip Breakfast Do you hear that? It’s your future calling! Oh no wait, that’s your stomach growling. Mother always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day and she’s got a good point. Skipping breakfast can mess with your metabolism, affecting your blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day. According to consumerreports.org, skipping breakfast may also inhibit your mental sharpness, while sitting down and eating a balanced breakfast with fiber and protein can boost memory, energy, focus, creativity and more!

Don’t dwell on the negative Starting the morning off on a bad note can ruin your outlook on your entire day. Had a fight with someone you love the night before? Dreading the to-do list you have to complete by the end of the day? Taking a step back and focusing on what you’re thankful for can help to create a “take on the world” attitude from the time you wake up!

So there you have it, 3 things to avoid in order to kick-start a successful day!

 

Do you remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy opens the  door to the wonderful world of Oz; brilliant splashes of gold, green and orange exploding from the grayscale world where she had lived. Without the bright colors bringing this paradise to life, Oz would not have had the same wonderful impact . I mean, what if the yellow brick road was just a brick road? And what if the ruby  slippers weren’t ruby?  Color is such an integral part of today’s visual world. It’s part of your company’s brand, its personality, its identity.

Nearly 300 million people are affected by color-blindness.  Although people that are considered color blind don’t live in a black and white world like Dorothy, those affected by this condition lack the ability to see certain colors in the color spectrum (most commonly red and green pigments). Valspar and a company named Enchroma, maker of colorblindness correcting glasses, partnered up to address this condition in their #ColorForAll campaign.

The campaign comes to life in a short documentary called “Color for the Colorblind”, where Valspar and EnChroma bring the gift of color to a group of people with the help of Enchroma’s color-blindness correcting glasses.  Additionally, documentary shares emotional testimonies about  the condition to make you realize just how much you may take for granted when it comes to appreciating color. After all, when was the last time you admired a  sunset or even a child’s crayon drawing?

The #ColorForAll campaign opens the eyes of the world to the issue of  colorblindness.  But you don’t have to click your heels together three times to share in the experience! Check out the the documentary below:

Learn More about how these lenses work.

Working remotely hits a whole new level with our  Graphic Designer, Hector Del Valle. This past year, Hector spent several weeks in Greece and we couldn’t wait to have him back in the states to share his adventure with us.  Here’s just a few thoughts on his holiday adventures!

Why did you go to Greece?

My partner, Tareq, lives in Greece. We take turns traveling back and forth to see each other.

How long were you there?

I was there for seven weeks. It was my second time visiting Greece.

What was your favorite place in Greece?

I was in Athens this time. From the places I’ve seen in Greece, though, I’d have to say traveling to the island of Crete was my favorite. I was in an area called Chania. The mix of the rocky landscape and the beautiful seawater made for amazing scenery. The seafood was probably the freshest I’ve ever had.

 

 

How was the culture different in Greece?

The culture in Greece feels somewhat familiar to me. I’m Puerto Rican and there were many surprising similarities in the way people live. Family and friends are something of extreme value to Greeks. And, of course, the food is also important and something that people will bond over. I did experience a few Greek traditions while I was there, as it was during the holidays/New Years.

Of course the food is different so what was your favorite unconventional dish that you had?

Although I did eat many things that are hard to find in the US, nothing was too unconventional. Personally, I’ve never liked octopus and I attempted to try it again in Greece. Needless to say, it was amazing. I noticed that all the ingredients are always fresh, with very little preservatives. In the mornings, I’d go to a pastry shop down the street and have my morning kuluri – a round flaky pastry stuffed with cheese and covered in sesame seeds.

Was it hard having to work from Greece?

Really the only tough part was being seven hours ahead of everyone here at the office. Sometimes I’d have to wait later in the day to get some things done.

When do you plan on going back?

My plan is to go back from June to August. This time around I’ll be exploring more of the islands.

 

What an amazing trip! Needless to say we are happy to have Hector back in the office; we really missed our personal office DJ and his contagious laugh.

 

Tumblr, the microblogging and sharing website created in 2007 by David Karp and owned by Yahoo! Inc., is what many Internet savvy users consider the underbelly of social media. We go there to learn something, we go there to be inspired, we go there to connect, but it is not the first place businesses go to establish or further social media presence.

In fact, Tumblr is often forgotten or opted out of completely in social media strategy.  However, the current goal of many businesses is to differentiate their brand among competition and Tumblr might serve as the next place to not only extend a campaign, but also find inspiration for fresh company blog content to engage with an audience.

As of January 2015, Tumblr supports more than 216 million blogs with a growing corporate/business sphere. That is a huge reach opportunity for executed social media strategy.  Rather than lamenting over Tumblr as a missed opportunity, consider why starting and maintaining a corporate Tumblr account as a component of social media strategy stands to benefit your brand.

1. It’s FREE!
Blogs, deemed tumblrogs by users, are free to create and maintain.  The benefit of connecting over a free social media service outweighs cost because there is no cost to consider or compare to.

2. Backlinking
Backlinking serves as indications for SEO (search engine optimization). It lets strategists know who is viewing a page or post, as well as giving value to how much impact that post makes through exposure.

Backlinking feeds into the idea that Tumblr serves as a content testing ground, which is significant if you want to spend marketing dollars effectively on other social media.  Starting on Tumblr is a way to gauge reactions to new content like articles, memes, photos, and gif sets.

3. Expand on idea of converged media
A blog allows for the generation of content as well as linking to other big traffic social media accounts. Additionally, it is also another great way to connect and feature users by sharing their posts, monitoring their tags, actually tagging them, or featuring consumers using products. Tumblr is a way to achieve a quirkier form of connection with your audience, adding another dimension to interaction.  Interaction in turn furthers company-consumer relationships and brand recognition.

4. Be Inspired!
On Tumblr, nothing is too crazy to work or too strange to not make an impact. The best posts can happen at any time of day and great content gains momentum almost instantaneously.  Tumblr is a resource, not an expense!

Something important to keep in mind is that Tumblr is not necessarily a platform you should look to if the goal of social media strategy is to drastically boost sales.  Numbers can still be tracked by online point-of-sale metrics, but the true value of Tumblr is creating brand awareness in a potentially unaware community, as well as developing engagement with existing consumers.  With the potential to increase your social currency and presence, Tumblr is the no-longer-forgotten platform to be incorporated into your next social media strategy campaign.

Here are a few of our office favorite Tumblr pages:

•      Popsonnet puts a fresh spin on classic literature
•      Literary Starbucks imagines the coffee orders of iconic literary figures
•      Design before computers is featured in History Is Mine
•      And, of course, the ultimate self-branding queen, Taylor Swift

Photo Credit: 2nix Studio / Shutterstock.com

Adfed of Gainesville’s 2015 #MADDYs

The American Advertising Awards, formerly known as the ADDYs, is an annual award ceremony honoring the best in local advertising. It is the nation’s largest advertising competition where over 60,000 entries are submitted. Each entry is judged by a panel of creative advertisers who move the local winners to District, whose winners move onto Nationals. It’s the ideal competition for Liquid Creative. This year we were fortunate enough to submit 5 entries and receive an award for each one of them!

The ADDYs was held at the Best Western Gateway Grand, February 20th, where we all grabbed our best Madmen themed outfit and headed to the Gala for some fun, creative competition. This year, our Sr. graphic designer Hector Del Valle hosted the event and did an absolutely amazing job.

 

This year it was fun being on both sides!” said Del Valle when asked about his experience MCing the ADDYs.

 

 

 

 

For the submission process you can pick anything related to advertising from a campaign to a simple print ad. This year we wanted to go big and submit our GRU Power Tower for the Out of Home category, and you guessed it – we won an award for it! Each year we hope to submit more than the year before.

 

Our goal as a team is to be awarded ‘Best of Show’ for each of the available categories. These awards go to the best Gold-awarded submission in each category: public service, print and broadcast.”

 

 

 

Almost as fun as winning the awards themselves was playing into the Madmen theme. Candy cigarettes, Old Fashions, dirty martinis and fake memorandums created ample opportunities for our team to take selfies! We had a great time and can’t wait till next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Award Winning Submissions:

Gold ADDY – Public Service – Website
Lubee Bat Conservancy Website

Gold ADDY – Public Service – Poster Campaign
RTI United Way Poster Campaign

Gold ADDY – Public Service – Integrated Campaign
Lubee Bat Fest 2014

Silver ADDY – Public Service – Non-traditional
GRU Power Tower

Silver ADDY – Integrated Campaign – B-to-B Regional/National
Carbonxt Branding Campaign