It Was a Sunny Day in Summer 2018 ☀️
Rudy called Thomas to tell him that they had a choice – find new jobs or start their own agency. Having been in the industry for over a decade, and having witnessed the lack of flexibility and adaptability from larger agencies to service new brands, platforms, and related consumer behavior, the choice was simple. They had something different to offer – “Let’s go for it.”
WHAT ENSUED WAS MAGIC.
The fulfillment of a need neither founder could fully put into words, but ultimately felt in their bones. As queer men, they both yearned for a microphone for their “otherness” – a space where choosing to operate differently, questioning the straight and narrow, and digging beneath the surface would be encouraged – even celebrated. And perhaps would lead to the best work of their lives, and the lives of their coworkers.
THE FINAL PIECE? RESONANCE.
SocialQ’s mission has and always will be to resonate – ensuring everyone involved – from client, to employee, to consumer – feels understood. Championing the feeling of being seen, truly seen for all that you are, regardless of how you identify or how others define you. Bringing social cues back into social and a responsibility back into digital.
Growing up as a gay expatriate and
bullied teenager, I promised to utilize
every opportunity to empower those
that have felt like I have. SocialQ is
now their microphone.
– Rudy Balat, CEO & Founder
Meet the Core Team
Like all great TV-shows, each new season of SocialQ brings something new – opportunities for learning, growth, and resonance. All made possible by our award-winning cast of Qs across account, delivery, media, and creative, along with our extended network of talent across every digital media skillset. Together, we bring outside expertise and experience, operating as your in-house partners.
Rudy Balat
Hybrid strategist and execution leader, Rudy is passionate about empowering Brands, Clients and Teams to generate genuine advocacy. Born in Mexico, raised in France, and expatriated to NYC, he has over 15 years of experience in advertising servicing global brands such as Coca-Cola, GM/BUICK, AT&T, Microsoft, Adobe and SWAROVSKI.
Thomas Soares
Thomas’ passion for strategy comes from a deep empathy and curiosity for how people think and interact. With over 10 years of hybrid strategy and account experience across brands like Spotify, Coca-Cola, Adobe, P&G, and countless start-ups across D2C, Thomas understands the 360 ecosystem and operations approach it takes to resonate and reach today’s consumer.
Austin Addison
Austin brings over 12 years of account and project management expertise, honed through collaborations with esteemed clients at agencies such as Havas, VML, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, POSSIBLE, and Giant Spoon. He has managed a diverse array of initiatives, including brand overhauls, animation & video production, web design, influencer activations, and an original branded podcast.
Zach Cogen
Zach Cogen is a seasoned marketing and acquisition leader with extensive experience in optimizing digital strategies and managing international media buying. He specializes in creative analysis and testing frameworks, scaling ad creatives, leading CRO efforts, and driving significant sales growth for his clients. Zach likes to consider all the touch points that might be effecting your target customer’s behavior in order to define the best marketing plans.
Nicholas Stewart
Nicholas Stewart is a media buying and customer acquisition expert with over 12 years of experience, managing $100M+ in digital spend across various verticals and channels. He’s skilled at scaling customer acquisition rapidly and driving measurable, scalable results, working with both nonprofits and D2C startups.
Mathew Martini
Otherwise known as just “Martini”, Mathew has experience leading creative development across a wide array of digital storytelling mediums. With a holistic understanding of modern marketing funnels and technical skills to back it up, he enjoys building seamless creative experiences across the modern brand’s many touch-points.
Michael Petryshyn
With over 5 years of professional digital media experience, Michael has partnered with high-level clients across apparel, tech, beauty, health, and more. A specialist in Meta, Google, and TikTok, Michael excels in driving impactful digital strategies and managing complex media buys across multiple platforms. In his spare time, he enjoys film and baseball.
Caterina Rose
Caterina has 9+ years of experience crafting and executing innovative digital strategies for diverse brands in industries ranging from Beauty & CPG to Entertainment. She is adept at driving engagement and growth across digital channels, with a track record of success in social media and influencer marketing.
Meghan Wallace
Meghan is a seasoned graphic designer with 6 years of diverse experience in both digital and print marketing. She has a proven track record in creating compelling paid advertising campaigns, social media content, web assets, lifestyle photography, and large-scale environmental graphics. Meghan combines her technical skills with a keen eye for aesthetics to deliver high-impact branded design solutions.
Think you have what it takes to be a Qtie?
Senior Media Buyer
March 8 2024
As Senior Media Buyer & Strategist, you will plan, optimize, and report on paid advertising campaigns for a variety of e-commerce brands. This is a freelance-to-perm position hiring in Los Angeles.
Content Coordinator
March 8 2024
As a Graphic Designer, you’ll inspire customers through visually compelling content strategy and design across site, email, and social. This is a freelance-to-perm position hiring in Los Angeles.
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