The People of ON Advertising Archives - ON Advertising

Category: The People of ON Advertising

Meet Our Passionate Social Media Manager

A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to our social media star, Michelle, and the tools, tips, and tricks she uses to manage all ON’s social media accounts. Well, now we get to learn more about her personal story. Michelle Berry is an Arizona native who knew she belonged in the advertising and marketing world but didn’t know how. A few years out of college she discovered her love and passion for social media, and from there she has been able to share her talent and knowledge with the ON family and all of our clients. Read on to learn more about she spends her days in the office, what she’s genuinely passionate about, tips to staying organized in the crazy world of social media and more!

So, tell us, how long have you been working for ON?

I have worked for ON Advertising for one year this month and it has flown by.

What is the coolest thing you’re working on right now?

One thing I have been focusing a lot on is the social media for the agency. Getting a consistent posting schedule in order and making sure our brand reflects our work and the work we do for our clients, present, and future. What I learned early on in my career is if a company or brand is looking for an agency, especially for social media work, why should they hire an agency whose social media isn’t fresh and on point so it’s been my goal to have a rockin’ social media presence.

Another client that has some cool things going on is Chompie’s! They’re already a great brand to be working with but being able to implement Facebook Live videos once a month and being able to utilize the Instagram Story Highlights tool for them has been a lot of fun and it really is gratifying work.

What would you say is the hardest part about being a social media manager?

Staying organized is probably the hardest part of my job. I’m already a pretty organized person when it comes down to it, but when you are managing more than ten clients with multiple social media platforms, it can get a little chaotic. But if you have a solid system in place, to-do lists, calendars, and checklists, to keep all the moving parts in order, then it makes life and work a lot easier.

We know how much you love your job but what are some of your passions?

Other than trying to save every animal I possibly can, I only have so much space, it would be Alzheimer’s research and working to find a cure. My grandpa (fondly known as Boppa) lost a ten year battle with Alzheimer’s about four years ago, and after his death, it was eating me up inside that I wasn’t doing anything to help aid this cause. I found out that Phoenix has a yearly Alzheimer’s walk so near the one year anniversary of his passing my mom, and I participated which was such an amazing experience but it didn’t feel like enough. And as if by some divine intervention I received an email from the Desert Southwest Alzheimer’s Association chapter asking for volunteers to join the walk planning committee. I signed up without a second thought and attended my first meeting. From there I became the Marketing and Outreach Committee Chair, grown my committee, and now it is my second year as the chair, and the third year I’ll be walking. While there is not a cure yet, the money we have been able to raise, even in just this year alone, we know is helping fund the research to help find the cure. It always feels like such a small gesture, but I know it’s helping. So really, my passion and work are almost one in the same.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I am a firm believer in data being able to tell a story of how your social media efforts are doing and what you could be doing better. I love doing the monthly social media reports for all of our clients because I get to see how the hard work as well as the small changes and ideas I wanted to try are doing. And when I look at their numbers improving it is just so rewarding. It’s that small validation that we all seek at some point or another that we have found our niche and we are good at what we do. Seeing those increase in followers or impressions is my validation.

What inspires you to succeed every day?

Of course, being able to give my animals (I actually have three cats and one dog, other two not pictured) the very best life they could ever hope for but I also put pressure on myself to succeed which can be a double-edged sword. But I believe if I didn’t put that pressure on myself I wouldn’t be where I am today.

How do you recharge?

If I have the time and want to recharge for the week ahead, I’m all about #SelfcareSunday. I take a long bath, do a face and hair mask and just sit and try not to think about anything. It can be very relaxing, but it takes a lot to shut my mind off completely. But when time is not on my side, I try to do at least an hour of yoga a day. I never thought I could be the person who thinks of nothing during their practice, but when my body is in some uncomfortable position where a pretzel is less twisted than I am, I can’t think about work. It’s so refreshing to have at least one hour a day where my mind isn’t going a million miles a minute. And it probably helps my phone isn’t near me, so I’m not always checking my emails. (And yes I am guilty of working on vacation.)

Michelle is the strong personality we need here at ON. She does a great job of managing our social media and finding new innovative ways to enhance our work. We are so grateful to have her as a part of the ON team. Her spunky attitude keeps us all going throughout the day and we can always count on her for a laugh when we’re feeling down or a Pandora station filled with new music that we haven’t heard yet. Our team at ON wouldn’t be complete without her.

Meet Marketing Mastermind: Darren Higgs

Here at ON Advertising, we have such a diverse range of people with different talents and interests. One of our Senior Account Executives, Darren Higgs, sits down and shares with us a little more about himself. Originally from Bowen Island, Canada, Darren has come to the states to pursue his career in marketing and advertising.

ON: What do you do to recharge?

DH: I love spending time with my wife and my 22-month-old son. It’s great being a dad and seeing the development process of a toddler; watching him grow and learn new things every day. On Sunday nights, I play goalie for my ice hockey league in Chandler. Naturally, being from Canada, I am a huge fan of hockey and enjoy being out on the ice whenever I can be.

ON: What was your first job?

DH: My first job ever was a dishwasher when I was 15 during one of my summers in high school. It was a humbling experience and I built a lot of character from it. However, my first job in the states was working as a marketing assistant at an interior plaster company. This experience is what really got me interested in the marketing/advertising world.

ON: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

DH: The most rewarding part of my job is the satisfaction of a client. It brings me joy when we can help and grow their business and watch it evolve. In addition to that, working together as a team to make clients happy is very rewarding in itself because we have such an amazing team here at ON.

ON: What is the most challenging part of your job?

DH: One is balancing all of our clients’ needs. Having a timeline that works with our schedule and the clients’ needs can be challenging because there is not enough time in the day. Additionally, balancing various departments. I have backgrounds in project management and creative work, sometimes I have a conflict with both sides of my brain to do one thing over another.

ON: What inspires you to succeed every day?

DH: The marketing industry is constantly changing with new technologies and evolving trends. The desire I have to improve and learn new techniques really inspires me to grow and flourish.

We love having Darren here on the ON team because of his friendly personality and his plethora of talents. Darren does it all, from project management to creative work, he is really a shining star in the advertising world!

The Ultimate ON Ad Internship Experience

ONce upon a time, two seniors studying marketing at Arizona State University met at the beginning of their last semester of college through an internship at a local advertising agency. They were both hired as Account Coordinator Interns and brought their own unique voice and perspective to the work they collaborated on. They were aware that they would learn through hands-on experience in the advertising industry, but by surprise, they also discovered how co-workers could become best friends. <3

Mikaela Copley

I grew up in the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley, California. Wanting a change from the tech scene as well as a great business education, I came to the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. I am a true Californian at heart, but I have found that I love the people and lifestyle of Scottsdale, Arizona. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing and am now a Sigma Kappa Alumna ready to pursue my career in advertising here in Phoenix.

What was your favorite aspect of the internship with ON Advertising?
My favorite part of the ON Advertising internship was being able to experience the different types of accounts we have. The agency provides marketing and advertising services to such a wide variety of businesses, it is interesting to see how we can enhance a company with just a few steps.

What excites you most about the marketing and advertising industry?
The most exciting aspect I found in advertising is client prospecting. Looking at a business and seeing how we can potentially improve their exposure through various platforms is motivating to me. Brainstorming and analyzing different strategies to ultimately deliver ROI is something I think is important to support clients or businesses.

Where in the Valley would we be most likely to bump into you?
One of my favorite spots here in the valley is Mill Avenue. I really enjoy spending time with my friends eating Mexican food and catching up after school and work. I’m a fan of Arizona State University sports and love to watch the games with all peers at the local sports bars.

Katie Ciancio

As a native New Yorker, I was drawn to Phoenix and Arizona State University by the inclusive atmosphere and downtown art scene. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the W.P. Carey School of Business and Barrett, The Honors College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing with a Concentration in Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications. During this past semester, Phoenix stole a place in my heart as I learned about this city’s marketing industry and became integrated into the creative community that originally made me fall in love with the Valley.

What was your favorite aspect of the internship with ON Advertising?
My favorite aspect of this internship experience was understanding how all the different teams that constitute an advertising agency work together. Being a full-service agency, we do everything in-house, and even though my job was technically in accounts, I was able to get involved and participate in other teams like creative and social media.

What excites you most about the marketing and advertising industry?
Digital marketing. I believe that in order for brands and companies to connect with consumer segments, there needs to be a focus on digital marketing strategies. Leveraging this aspect of marketing allows for companies to build personalized experiences for consumers through analyzing online behavior. It also allows for a company to differentiate a brand amongst competitors by building a digital community.

Where in the Valley would we be most likely to bump into you?
The Van Buren, for sure. I attend around five to six shows a month, and they are usually at this venue. I really enjoy going to concerts and music festivals. My music preferences range from alternative rock to EDM, and everything in between.

An example of a project we both had the opportunity to work on was the rebranding of ON Advertising. We were able to reposition ON Advertising as a modern agency that puts client’s needs at the forefront through unique and creative strategies.

We achieved this by condensing written content and making recommendations for the ON brand voice. We found that despite differences in personalities and opinions, we were able to bring our individual perspectives together to create progressive and innovative work. This internship has helped develop our professional skills and from our experience of working together, we will forever be colleagues throughout our marketing careers.

We would like to thank ON Advertising and all of our amazing coworkers for mentoring us during this past months. Getting to work with all of you made our last semester of college truly memorable.