Tag Archives: people
This year we’d like to take a bit of time to show off some of our talent here at Critical Mass. We are incredibly proud to have the best people in the industry, who also happen to be some of the best musicians, parents, athletes, friends, chefs, gamers, artists and beer- consumers. To share a bit of what makes CM special, we’ll serve up these Employee Spotlights with individuals from across all disciplines and offices. For January, allow us to introduce Reza Kay.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I’m Head of Design at CM London. Part of my day normally consists of reviewing the briefs, estimates and design work going through the studio. Aside from the more administrative tasks, I will normally work with the Creative Director who I will collaborate with and then set design direction for every project/pitch. I also work closely with IA, Planning, AM’s and PM’s, and Tech to ensure that the creative and design ideas are always in place. More importantly, a large part of my role is to inspire, collaborate with and guide our designers, and to be a sort of ‘brand guardian’ for our clients… And yes, I do still spend part of most days designing in Photoshop.
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
I think the greatest thing about CM culture has to be the openness, receptivity and friendliness of its people. It’s a company that cares, respects and looks out for its people. It’s the idea that we’re not made up of numbers or ‘staff’, but of individuals and personalities — fostered from the very top — which I believe builds the very foundation of CM culture.
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
Wow… what a tough question! I’m driven by my search for perfection and collaboration, though sometimes just perfect collaboration. I’m inspired by many things: the Interweb (obviously!) and it’s every changing disposition; my close friends and family; design, fashion, music, art and architecture (how clichéd!); science and the universe; the smell of spring in the air… Many, many, things really.
Yesterday was a interesting day in Chicago. In the afternoon, there was the Blogwell conference which featured real life case studies from large organizations executing initiatives in the social media space. Companies like:
- The Home Depot
- Mayo Clinic
- H&R Block
- Sharpie
- US Coast Guard
- Allstate
- Walmart
- Procter & Gamble
And later that evening, I gave a talk at the Social Media Club in Chicago (above). In both talks I noticed a reoccurring theme. When companies engage a social manner, even the big ones—their initiatives are often powered by individuals. People with real names. faces, families and lives. In fact, most of the more successful examples included people who worked for brands who were beginning to become known on a fist name basis. The Home Depot for example has Sarah, who handles their Twitter initiative. This poses a question for all organizations. What happens if the Sarah’s of the world leave your company? Isn’t it better for a brand to just be a brand?
Enter the “brandividual“, a term I blurted out in my talk about personal branding later that evening. The phrase was born of a series of questions from the audience which all focused around the same topic. Where is the hard line between my employer’s brand and my own? The answer is not a simple one—but I believe that trends are pointing us to a blurring of that line whether we like it or not. “Brandividuals—people who represent your brand and their own, balancing the two may be something we see more of, not less as companies and brands try to figure out how to engage on a web that’s become increasingly social and personal.
