Alex Santiago
Owner, Creative Strategist at Social Mosaic Communications
Website Address: www.socialmosaic.us
What services does your company provide?
Creative, Social Media, Marketing Strategy
About Social Mosaic Communications:
Social Mosaic Communications focuses on responsive brand strategy and identity, integrated communications, and omnichannel design. We believe that great creativity with purpose enhances the way people experience brands.
How do you define success?
Success is being able to go to sleep at night without dreading waking up and doing it all over again the next morning.
What percent of your advertising service offerings does media buying make up?
0%
What makes your company unique?
We build brands with the right filters to respond to culture, not just react through traditional campaigns.
Who in the industry inspires you and why?
Too many. Keni Thacker because he puts his money where his mouth is. Kat Gordon because she’s creating environments for everyone to thrive. Lauren Crampsie because her trajectory is proof that you can lead in advertising while having a big heart. And Chris Do because education is a future I’m passionate about.
What is a tip for success that you would provide someone in the same industry?
Embrace diversity of thought, culture, and people. Follow your gut if you want to be able to own your story. Lead with empathy every step of the way.
What is Social Mosaic Communications?
My company started as a freelance front about 10 years ago. I have enough experience in corporate America to do work but I didn’t have a portfolio to get into the agency side of things. When I retired from my corporate job to get back to school for advertising, I decided to build Social Mosaic Communications and I was doing freelance from it. This year, unfortunately, I lost my job at an agency in June and I decided that it was time to make it official.
What advice would you give to someone that is wanting to start their own firm?
I would say it’s all about the network. You hear as you come up in your career that your network is important, but for me, those in the network are the people who can change your life. A lot of the people that were around me helped me and guided me. That has been the big difference-maker in all of this because I was able to go to these friends and colleagues and they were able to do a little bit of handholding to make things faster. Appreciate your network and take care of your network, that is a huge part. You also have to follow your gut. It’s not easy.
Where will Social Mosaic Communication be in 5 years?
In 5 years, Social Mosaic will be taking care of my family.
What has been the biggest challenge working from home?
My spouse has been a remote employee for the last five years. When we got this house, we needed to have a space that was dedicated to her to have her office. The most difficult part of working from home has been the fact that we’re both in a world of meetings and it has become impossible for us to share an office. I’ve had to set up a shop on this beautiful patio. Thankfully, it hasn’t been to impossible, and I get the view. I also have kids and it’s incredibly challenging having the kids at home and keeping them safe and keeping them from not staying in front of a screen for 10 hours a day has definitely been the biggest difficulty right now. Hopefully, as things normalize and we find some solutions that won’t be as much of a problem.
What is the number one service that you think that you could bring the businesses to help them through COVID or to help them grow?
I do branding specifically, that’s our expertise. I actually have a sister agency down in South Florida that does the design part of branding. Our expertise really is business brand to brand book. That’s our particular niche and oftentimes I end up having more business consult more than a creative consult because a lot of people have realized that while they own the business they don’t necessarily own the brand. I help people understand how a business becomes a brand, how people really decide what the brand is, and then help you develop that. I’m working with clients on one side and helping them develop their branding and then I’m working with bigger agencies developing specific ad campaigns. Those are the two areas that I usually work within my business.
BluHorn Media Planning and Buying Software Is an affordable, easy-to-use tool that advertising agencies, media buyers/planners, and digital media directors and strategists use to plan media, buy media, analyze media, report media, and reconcile programmatic, digital and traditional media buys. BluHorn integrates with Nielson, Comscore, BluHorn Programmatic , and QuickBooks; saving you time and money. While other tools on the market like MediaForce, GaleForce Digital, Advantage, Strata, and FreeWheel may require contracts, BluHorn remains a cost-effective solution with no contract requirements. Contact us BluHorn Media Buying software todayat BluHorn.com.