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.
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.
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.
Luciano Calvaruso
Luciano blends technical expertise with strategic thinking to help businesses turn complex data into actionable insights. With over 15 years of experience in analytics, experimentation, and data strategy, he has worked with global brands across eCommerce, subscription, CPG, and financial services. Luciano understands the full data lifecycle and how to build scalable, insight-driven solutions that fuel growth, optimize marketing, and enhance customer experiences.
Kevin Zimmerman
Kevin is a UX designer with a wide breadth of strategy, design, and research skills. He enjoys solving problems and building impactful digital experiences, providing UX support to a variety of clients to make their user’s experience seamless and easy. In general, he likes to understand how things are used, and then partners with clients and teams to make those things easier to use.
Dixie Young
With several years of in-house experience as a designer and illustrator, Dixie spent the last decade using her unique skillset to tailor creative solutions to international brands, small businesses and entrepreneurs alike. Her work in advertising has shown in Times Square and she’s received multiple Telly awards for her contributions. As an only child, she grew up entertaining herself with imaginary friends that still inspire her to this day.
Think you have what it takes to be a Qtie?
Media Lead - Buyer & Strategist
March 18, 2025
As Media Lead – Buyer & Strategist, you will plan, build, optimize, and report on paid advertising campaigns for a variety of e-commerce brands. This is a freelance-to-perm position.
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