Tim Donnelly: August 2008 Archives

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

  1. Account Manager/Creative Recruiter at Aquent!
  2. Front End Developer
  3. Sr. Web Producer
  4. Interactive Art Director
  5. Web Producer
  6. Video Game Producer
  7. Design Manager, Hardlines
  8. Tradeshow Designer
  9. CPG Product Manager - Bilingual
  10. Interactive Account Lead / Strategist

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1. POSITION: Account Manager/Creative Recruiter at Aquent!

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Strong client facing interaction experience
  • Ability to work as part of a large (20+ person) team
  • Strong skills handling a variety of projects
  • Recruiting or staffing experience preferred

PERKS!:

PAY:

  • DOE

LOCATION:

  • Mid-Wilshire (aka Right here in our office!)

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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2. POSITION: Front End Developer

TERMS: 4-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3 to 5 years of experience hand-coding
  • Able to hand-code HTML and CSS/tableless layout
  • Knowledge of PHP, JSP, or JAVA
  • Commit to working on-site, 40 hours a week
  • Ability to pick up technical skills quickly

PERKS!:

  • Opportunity to add awesome new technical skills to your roster!

PAY:

  • Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Pasadena

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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3. POSITION: Sr. Web Producer

TERMS: 6-Week Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3 to 5 years of experience managing full site development
  • Background managing teams of Art Directors and Developers
  • Entertainment experience a plus

PERKS!:

  • Work on high-profile entertainment site
  • Well-known Web design agency

PAY:

  • Up to to $50 per hour

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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4. POSITION: Interactive Art Director

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5 years of experience as a Sr. Designer or above
  • Agency experience
  • Experience working with luxury brands

PERKS!:

  • Top interactive agency
  • Nice people, great environment
  • Work with all-star Talent

PAY:

  • Up to $115K

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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5. POSITION: Web Producer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of experience
  • Interactive background
  • Agency background

PERKS!:

  • Well-known agency for well-loved global client

PAY:

  • Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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6. POSITION: Video Game Producer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 1 to 3 years of experience in an interactive development environment
  • Experienced interacting on interactive game platforms including online,PC/Mac, handhelds such as NDS and PSP, console systems such as XBLA, PS2 and Wii
  • Able to provide detailed feedback regarding design, interface, graphics, navigation, gameplay, and appropriateness of content

PERKS!:

  • Great large toy company
  • Super cool team

PAY:

  • DOE

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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7. POSITION: Design Manager, Hardlines

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 8+ years of experience within the consumer product industry
  • BFA in industrial/product design preferred
  • Strong brand imaging skills

PERKS!:

  • Passionate and fun environment
  • International travel 2 to 3 times a year

PAY:

  • Up to $85K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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8. POSITION: Tradeshow Designer

TERMS: 4-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience in tradeshow design, booth design, and experiential design
  • Must be familiar working with mechanicals for a tradeshow booth
  • Must provide samples of work

PERKS!:

  • One of the largest manufacturers of well-known household products
  • Preparing for a major industry (and high profile) tradeshow

PAY:

  • Up to $45 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Van Nuys

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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9. POSITION: CPG Product Manager - Bilingual

TERMS: 6-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Traditional CPG experience required
  • Must be bilingual in English and Spanish
  • Able to perform trend and competitor analyses and manage the execution of marketing plans
  • Food products experience and MBA preferred

PERKS!:

  • Work with a growing marketing department for a great brand

PAY:

  • Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Glendale

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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10. POSITION: Interactive Account Lead / Strategist

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5 to 7 years of leading an interactive account
  • Prior record building strong client relationships
  • Must have strong background in all forms of interactive media
  • Automotive experience preferred

PERKS!:

  • Large agency with great accounts

PAY:

  • Up to $110K

LOCATION:

  • Hollywood

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Forward them this email, then have them drop your name to the Agent handling the position.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

In Case You Were Under a Rock

Daphne, who used to work in the LA office with me has an excuse for missing these viral Dove Ads - she's in our Sydney, Australia office.

But me, who sits at his computer all day in the second largest city in America, blogging about media stuff?

Sadly, no excuse.

But! To make up for it, in case any of the rest of you are recovering Luddites, I'm including two of the films from Dove's Self-Esteem gallery. (On a side note, I've watched these a number of times and my self-esteem remains remarkably low.)

There's been a heck of a lot of controversy about these films and Dove "taking on" the beauty industry. There's even been venting at Ogilvy, who produced these film, because they also produce ads for a well-known girl's doll that is not so loved by many women.

I'm not sure what I think of the campaign as a whole, is it whitewashing or just a step in the right direction?

Either way, the visuals in these films speak for themselves. Whether that changes your decision whether or not to pop into Victoria's Secret or Abercrombie & Fitch, is up to you.

Onslaught

Evolution

Interestingly, Greenpeace posted their own YouTube response ad (below), protesting Dove's use of palm oil in their products. They claim the palm oil industry is destroying the Paradise Forests in Indonesia and that "as the biggest single buyer of palm oil in the world" they need to help stop it.

As a result, Unilever met with Greenpeace and "agreed to support the call by Greenpeace for an immediate moratorium on deforestation for palm oil plantation".

So maybe one step in the right direction, the Real Beauty Campaign, is leading to other right steps?

"Lost in Transit"

Hollywood, CA - Mark Kempinski, postal worker for over 35 years, had led the quiet life of solitude, whether it was raining, snowing, or under the gloom of night. That is, until this weekend, when his life came under the scrutiny of Hollywood's brightest searchlights.

Postal investigators, who visited Kempinski's apartment on an anonymous tip, turned up hundreds of bags of mail that had never been delivered.

The story might have ended there had the bags not contained more than 762 Hollywood movie plotlines and plot elements from scripts that were being sent via US Mail before they made it into hundreds of Hollywood pictures.

"This is an embarrassment of a most grievous nature," lamented Thomas Polanski (no relation), spokesperson for the Los Angeles U.S. Postal Service.

Polanski added, shaking his head, "I myself have been complaining to my wife about absurd storylines and poor plot twists in movies for years. The fact that it's the result of one of our own employee's pilfering is just astounding."

Missing plots and implausible storylines due to lost plot elements has been costing the American film industry millions of dollars each year in lost revenue, according to some experts. When you multiply that by Kempinski's 762 (and counting) plots, you have a figure that could be up into the billions.

It's been a wake-up call for the Industry (as the entertainment industry insists on calling itself) and has answered the burning question that's kept many Producers and Directors awake at night, "What happened to my film?"

That answer may be found in Mr. Kempinski's living room.

Among the piles and piles of paper revealed were believable storylines for Glitter (2001, Mariah Carey), Catwoman (2004, Halle Berry), Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot (1992, Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty), Georgia Rule (2007, Lindsey Lohan), Battlefield Earth (2000, John Travolta, Forest Whitaker), and every film made by "comedian" Pauly Shore.

So good were many of the original scripts that investigators were quite moved as they read their way through the piles of evidence.

"I walked out of Gigli (2003, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez) because of its inane plot," said a tearful Inspector 2nd Class Louis Mayer. "But after reading what really was supposed to happen to Larry and Ricki, I feel I have to go back and give it a second chance."

Inspector Patrick Davis pondered aloud, "If only the movie Cool as Ice (1991, Vanilla Ice, Deezer D) had been like this in the theaters, I wouldn't have dismissed Vanilla Ice quite so readily. In this script he really IS the next James Dean. Looks like I owe someone an apology. "

Many of the detectives compared the newly found storyline for Ishtar (1987, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty) to the classic A Streetcar Named Desire, calling it a "masterwork" and "existential tour de force." Indeed, some officers walked next door to discuss the script afterward over espresso and French cigarettes.

Kempinski, who is being held without bail, will have a great deal of answering to do in the months and possibly years to come. The major Hollywood studios are already lining up legal teams now that they finally found the fall guy for their box office fiascoes.

At least two of those studios are also opting for his life story to make into a Summer 2009 release.

Plans are already being hatched to remake many of the original scripts, including Can't Stop the Music (1980, Village People) and It's Pat: The Movie (1994, Julia Sweeney).

Though the mail carrier did not seem to be targeting any specific studio or filmmaker, he appeared to lean heavily toward stealing plots from low-budget horror films, films with meteors, Ninja films, and any film made in Smell-O-Vision.

Mr. Kempinski could not be reached for comment, but his mother has been quick to say he is a very nice boy who wouldn't hurt a fly, much less a plotline.


 

Best Newsletter in LA

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Lost in Transit"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

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HOT TALENT

"You like us, you really like us!"

That's what our Area Manager, Susie Hall could have said when we nabbed the Los Angeles Business Journal's prize for BEST PLACES TO WORK for the second year in the running.

But she was more humble than that.

Which is part of what makes our Los Angeles office such a great place to work.

If you think our office sounds great over the phone, feel free to come down and see us in person! (FYI, there's always chocolate by the printer.)

Click here for rankings and more info about Best Places to Work.
 
But be sure you take a look at these 11 stellar Talent, available  ASAP and proud to be a part of the Aquent Team!

Enjoy!
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FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Jesse A. - Web Designer
Vinoj Z. -Web Developer
Victoria H. - Interactive Producer
Ainin H. - Jr. Graphic Designer
Ivan U. - Web Production | Coder | Content Coordinator  | and More!
Nathan R. - Print Production Artist
Christina L. - Associate Brand | Product Manager
Shirley S. - Account Executive
Nick D. - Junior Interactive AE | Online Marketing Coordinator
Paul V. - Marketing Brand Manager
Kok Y. - Presentation Pro | Designer
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Jesse A.
Web Designer

Jesse is our newest scorching hot Web design transplant from Northern California!

He spent the last 3 years of his career as a Design Lead for the iTunes Music Store (for all their European Territories), where he designed and produced anywhere from 60-100 store fronts on a weekly basis! In addition to designing the look and feel of each store, he also designed and produced promotional banners and new feature elements that were added to the music store on a weekly basis.

Not only does he have some great Web samples from his tenure at Apple, he has a solid print design and production background from his work with companies like TBWA\Chiat\Day and MCA Records.

Jesse is looking for a great opportunity to strut his design stuff and is available NOW (but not for long)!
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Vinoj Z.
Web Developer

Vinoj is a solid Web Developer who scored a whopping near-perfect score on our demanding hands-on HTML & CSS Web assessment.

He was most recently with Web design firm Element Fusion and 3rd Degree Advertising, where he created sites for a wide array of clients. His bang-up work included cutting up and integrating sites with standards-compliant CSS and XHTML into a proprietary CMS and working on Flash sites of varying complexity from menu systems to CGI forms.

He's ready to take his solid skillset in data layout, HTML and CSS, grab hold of the next great opportunity, and run with it!

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Victoria H.
Interactive Producer

As 3D Interactive Producer at Saatchi & Saatchi, Victoria produced those cool interactive tours for interior and exterior of cars for the toyota.com Website. She created systems of workflow, organized confidential 3D data/ photographic reference material, and developed schedule milestones.

She also has experience producing media collateral, banner campaigns, Flash page takeovers, video games, and more.

Victoria has a ton of agency and interactive experience and is used to fast-paced highly technical environments.

She is interested in getting to the next level with her experience and available to interview right NOW!
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Airin H.
Jr. Graphic Designer

Airin offers an elegant and clean graphic design that is a sight to behold!

This multifaceted Designer provided skin media for mobile devices while at Motorola, Inc. and has a wonderful emphasis on print and packaging.

Trained at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, her freelance client roster and staff positions/internships include New Line Cinema, Hickory Creek Winery, American Medical Association, JDM & Associates Marketing, CNA Insurance, and many more.

She's strong in InDesign, Quark, Photoshop, and Illustrator and has a great personality.

Just transferring from Chicago to our fair city, give us a call about Airin!
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Ivan U.
Web Production | Coder | Content Coordinator  | and More!

Ivan is a versatile HTML/CSS Web Coder and an experienced Production Artist with a strong professional background in both entertainment and advertising.

He's created sites, created graphics, and more for the likes of UCLA, Medtronic, and The California Association of Realtors.

For Disney, CBS, VH1, and MTV he's created logos, posters, Flash banners, catalogs, packaging, Web pages, and more for projects like "Big Brother", "The Contender", "Acceptable TV", and "Ultimate Love Test".

At San Francisco ad agency Ozone he worked on ad campaigns, Web design, catalogs, branding, logos, and photo retouching and editing.

He brings to the table a truly exceptional attitude to his work and his team, and is always eager to learn more! 
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Nathan R.
Print Production Artist

Can you bring it?? We CAN bring it!

Meet Nathan, Print Production Artist extraordinaire!

Nathan has an incredibly strong background in preflighting and production and has experience with pamphlets, brochures, complex business forms, 200+ page books, and newsletters.

He scored a whopping near perfect score on our rigorous InDesign assessment and is ready to go!

Oh, and did I mention that he has experience with color correction & retouching, vendor management, and tight deadlines???

Bring it on!
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Christina L.
Associate Brand | Product Manager

Christina comes to us with incredible experience marketing to the Hispanic community.

Most recently at Mexican food group giant LALA Foods, she's been responsible for new product launches, strategic planning, brand performance, P&L, promotional campaigns, in-store sampling programs, trade shows, and POP development.

While working on the new product launch for probiotic yogurt drink, LALA's sales force felt that without a large budget for advertising the product couldn't succeed. She did the research and convinced them that in-store sampling promotions, coupons, and POP displays would be sufficient. Her ideas really made the product's success!

Christina has led cross-functional teams, worked directly with the sales teams, and has excellent experience in consumer packaged goods and the automotive industry.

Well spoken, both in English and Spanish, she'd be the perfect fit for any marketing team!
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Shirley S.
Account Executive

Shirley's a terrific Account Executive with heavy direct mail experience.

Her staff experience includes G2 Direct & Digital, Database Marketing Group, Inc. and her prior accounts include AAA Auto Insurance, WellPoint, and many others.

She's well able to manage day-to-day communication, project timelines, processing, and production for major direct mail projects. She's also able to provide a deeper level of direct marketing consultation/recommendations with regard to DM principles in mail, print, and online.

She's a passionate client liaison and advocate and interfaces smoothly with internal creative teams and external data and print vendors.

Shirley has an upbeat, energetic personality and her great attention to detail and top organizational skills make her a "Must Have" AE!
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Nick D.
Junior Interactive AE | Online Marketing Coordinator

Nick comes to Aquent from "across the pond" (London), where he had the chance to work on some amazing clients, agencies, and interactive marketing initiatives.

At Electronic Arts, Nick researched the demographic for "casual gaming", that is games played online that users can easily access through banners, where he gathered data on clickthrus, user behaviors, etc. At Reward TV, he project managed club football (soccer) Websites for many of the UK's largest teams, helping coordinate the content and design of the sites and also writing content and managing deployment for HTML emails.

His advertising agency experience includes internships at the London offices of McCann Erickson and Saatchi & Saatchi. At Saatchi, Nick put together "mood boards" for focus groups to determine what color schemes appealed to consumers in a certain demographic.

He has experience with market research, comparative analysis, online research, and coordination of interactive deliverables like banners, HTML emails, and content updates.

We think Nick is the best thing to come across the Atlantic since the Beatles!
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Paul V.
Marketing Brand Manager

Paul is a marketing professional with a great Agency and CPG background.

While at LALA Foods (the largest dairy company in Mexico) he handled accounts such as Weight Watchers, Great Value (Walmart), and Blue Bunny Yogurt, with 2 direct reports. While onboard, he led and managed the development and implementation of all marketing and objectives, including a Hispanic brand whose sales went from $0 to $50M in 3 short years!

While at Frito Lay International/Gamesa Brand, he worked on all aspects of marketing programs, product development, and merchandising efforts. At Young & Rubicam, he was an AE, managing both the Lincoln/Mercury & Sony Digital Imaging accounts' print, broadcast, radio, and direct mail campaigns.

Paul is thoroughly fluent in Spanish and English and ready for his next opportunity!
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Kok Y.
Presentation Pro | Designer

Here's an amazing high-end Presentations and Graphic Designer with a fine arts background who has done top work for the likes of Toyota , Rhino Records, and Gravis Footwear.

At Toyota his presentations were used around the country both by dealerships and company executives. In fact, they loved his presentation work so much that they asked him to come up with concepts to create an ad campaign reaching out to dealerships. He created a campaign the client LOVED and is being used as their main advertising campaign now!

Kok's strength is meeting with the client, understanding their need and messaging, and creating the concept that best conveys it. He does his most stunning work in Apple's Keynote, where he can create interactive and animated flow charts, graphs, slides and non-linear animation.  His design background allows him to take all aspects of any presentation, slide deck, or print collateral.

In addition to Keynote, he can design in PowerPoint, InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
He also does Web production, using Dreamweaver and coding in HTML, creating terrific Web site templates for clients.

He's an excellent Aquent Talent perfect for creating presentations and marketing collateral as an integrated campaign!

Getty Up!

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And Getty down...

There's this interesting brainstorming device on the Getty Images site called Moodstream.

Dial up your mood on a sliding scale Happy to Sad, Calm to Lively, Humorous to Serious, Nostalgic to Contemporary then let Getty overwhelm you with stock photography and footage, plus a soundtrack from Pump Audio (it does skew Adult Contemporary).

Editor in Chief at CreativePro, Terri Stone used to recently to help her writer's block starting her newsletter. But it's mainly a good place to see some of Getty's great images and get the juices flowing for creative design work.

Definitely worth a look - just click here.

Two-Fers

Best Places Logov6-1

As of last week, our office nabbed Los Angeles Business Journal's Best Places to Work award for all small businesses in LAfor the second year in a row!

And, get this, it had little to nothing to do with the fact that there's always a ton of snacks by our printer.

There are press releases flying everywhere, from Aquent, from the LA Business Journal, and the LA Times is contacting us for a story.

This must be what it's like to be famous.

Wow, we're famous!

And, apparently, a great place to work.

But yeah, I knew that second part anyway.

Congrats, Aquent LA!

"Blog You"

As a veteran Blogger and Internet Merchandise Rater, I hope you'll understand that, as a Citizen of the Web World, that there is nothing in my life that cannot be rated, recommended, or commented upon.

Just so you can understand a typical day in my life, I'd like to give you a rundown of this morning, which started off with a wholesome breakfast of Kashi's Good Friends Cereal.

On a scale of 1 to 10, Good Friends cereal scores a 2 out of 10. Sure, it's fibrous, which is what we're going for here, but does it need to taste like the box it's come in? The site, amazingly boasts "20% more granola, tastier twigs, and 12g of fiber!" as if somehow by replacing the words "new blue marshmallows" and "Power Ranger Prize inside!" with "twigs", "granola", and "fiber" would blow your over-30 mind. It's rare to see a First World country hawk any product by using the word "twig". Sorry to say, but if you serve this to your Good Friends, you might just turn them into Bitterest Enemies.

The box containing the Kashi cereal gets a solid 3. Where's the fun, Kashi? Did you grab people off the street to pose for your box of organic whole grain goodness? Sure looks to be the case. Why don't you find some organic beautiful people to stick on the front? Say, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Now there's something we can all get behind. What better way to start your day than by pretending you're in a relationship with either of them. Or that they're your friends and you're all hiding in France, far away from the American paparazzi.

The cereal bag liner gets a solid 7 out of 10. While not particularly recyclable, it's easy to open, easy to reseal, and has many other uses once it's empty (Say fill it with quartered potatoes, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a packet of onion soup mix, then shake to coat and put into a crock pot to bake while you're at work. Or to pick up dog droppings. The possibilities are endless.)

Horizon's organic milk is my milk of choice and always rates a solid 9 out of 10. Before you say, "Whoa, Ken, give me a break here!", just hear me out. Even Horizon's 1% milk product is good, which is more than I can say about many milks, most of which taste as if they've been frozen into cubes then had the fatty goodness hacked right out of them. Horizon also contains Omega 3s which, sadly, I know little about. But I figure if I can get them without eating mercury-laden salmon, that's a bonus. The copywriting on the side of the carton is informative without being preachy and is in a font I'm a huge fan of, Arial Narrow. Horizon also opted for the easier opening round cap, instead of the "gable top" cartons which I've come to loathe. What's not to love?

This morning I had a choice of two spoons with which to eat my cereal. And those choices were not, as you might think, teaspoon and tablespoon. My ex-wife took all the tablespoons with her when she left, so I have two sets of teaspoons of which to eat my cereal, soup, and whatnot. The white ceramic handled variety is much easier on the eyes, but if you drop it on the floor it's bound to break. For this reason I usually go with the stainless steel ones we picked up from Target a few years ago. Easy to grip, they're the ones I prefer for all my spoon, fork, and knife endeavors except when serving guests (which, admittedly, is rare). Today's spoon, however, wasn't washed very well, so gets a 4 out of possible 10 points.

The garbage man who decided to back up then haul off the dumpster down the street gets an incredibly low 1 out 10 points. If I'd had my druthers, I would have gotten the name and vehicle number off his truck and blogged about him before copying and pasting the whole thing to their customer service department. Hey, it's 7am, dude, don't you think people are eating breakfast or even sleeping at this hour?! I realize your life sucks because you cut classes and hung out at the 7-11 smoking cigarettes and now you're stuck hauling garbage in this awful summer heat, but think about the rest of us. (Actually if that's the reason you're doing it, I'll up you to 3 out of 10 points, because that'd be a pretty good method of revenge.)

4 out of 10 points for the bird singing near my window. Pretty enough but the song… would you even call it a song? I'm guessing it was a Gnatcatcher of some kind with its warbling song, which I'm not wild about. I lean toward the Cardinal family, most especially the Indigo Bunting with its lively whistled notes.

Radio Deejays commenting on weather, road conditions, and celebrities: 2 out of 10. Really, you guys are not funny, and if I could figure out a way to position my radio to get anything but your station, I would. Though I'm happy you fired your annoying female sidekick, I can't believe your axe missed whoever that is playing the "ironic" funny sounds on your board. You can pay $50,000 for a soundboard and clips, but if the guy operating it hasn't gotten out of 5th grade, you've got a serious problem. (Once again, if the Sound Guy is just looking to upset guys like me who finished college, I'll up you to 4 out of 10 points.)

And this is all before I've even finished my cereal!

A quick rundown, without commentary, of the next hour goes something like this (each item out of 10 possible points):

Sonicare Elite 9500 toothbrush: 3
Tom's of Maine fennel toothpaste: 7
Itchy Toscano mock turtleneck wool sweater: 2
Clarks "Orion" shoes: 9
Door handle on the front door: 5
Courteousness of other drivers during commute: 3
Left turn signal at Wilshire and Fairfax: 6 (up 2 points from yesterday)
Guy running through crosswalk even though I have the green arrow: 1
Beverly Hills Chihuahua bus wrap: 4
Errant thoughts about my former wife as I pass by her workplace: 2
Strange whistling coming out of my nose: 3
Outfielders: 4
American Bison: 8
Pandora's Box: 3
Slack-Key Guitar: 5
Type O Blood: 9

As you can clearly see, I'm a busy guy!

I'll let you know right now, while you're ringing up my groceries, checking my oil, or trying to converse with me at a bar, I may be multitasking, that is commenting about you on one of my three blogs or giving feedback to your marketing department courtesy of my iPhone 3G.

Unless, of course, you happen to be my manager.

I'll extend you the courtesy to blog about you and whatever it is you said after you've left the room.

Well, maybe not what you said.

Kind of hard to hear you over all this internal noise.

Sign of the Marketing Times

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In case you've been away from your email for the last month or so (and, curiously, are visiting my blog) you may not have heard about SoCalAMA's Red Hot Marketing Connections 2008 being held next Tuesday at the LA Times Building.

There will be food, hosted beverages, fun, and an Aquent table, staffed with friendly Aquent people (our Area Manager and VP of Membership, Susie Hall and Account Director and noted Pokemon authority Diana Scott and a few other staff members).

Your ticket includes a free VIP tour of the Times' news room and networking with colleagues from the Direct Marketing Association of Southern California (DMAsc), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA-LA), and the Women in Technology International (WITI).

You may even get an Aquent pen!

It works better than a regular old pen, believe you me.

All the details are right here.

Happy weekend!

"Because 7 8 9"

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

  1. Front-End Developer/Designer
  2. Flash Developer
  3. Sr. Flash Developer
  4. Online Product Manager
  5. Web Producer
  6. Information Architect
  7. Web Producer
  8. Director of Product Marketing
  9. Online Marketing Manager
  10. Design Manager, Hardlines
  11. Mockup Artist
  12. Print Designer

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1. POSITION: Front-End Developer/Designer

TERMS: 6- to 12-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Ability to hand-code HTML and CSS
  • 2 to 3 years of user interface design experience following Brand guidelines
  • Must be able to commit to freelance position on-site, 40 hours a week
  • Experience with content management system preferred

PERKS!:

  • Well-known financial institution

PAY:

  • Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

  • El Segundo

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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2. POSITION: Flash Developer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Hands-on skills in Flash AS, OOD, and 3D modeling
  • 3 to 5 years of experience
  • Strong design and development skills
  • Able to thrive in a start-up environment

PERKS!:

  • International company working with cutting-edge technology

PAY:

  • Up to $80 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Hollywood

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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3. POSITION: Sr. Flash Developer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Minimum of 4 years working with Flash
  • Hands-on skills with AS2 and/or AS3
  • Strong understanding of XML

PERKS!:

  • Great agency with large clients

PAY:

  • Up to $95K

LOCATION:

  • Long Beach

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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4. POSITION: Online Product Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 2+ years of working on a community networking site
  • Must have experience with online product marketing

PERKS!:

  • Awesome gaming company!

PAY:

  • Up to $60K

LOCATION:

  • El Segundo

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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5. POSITION: Web Producer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of working in an agency environment as a Web Producer
  • Online advertising experience

PERKS!:

  • Well-known agency
  • Client is well-loved the world over! (Your friends will be jealous)

PAY:

  • Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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6. POSITION: Information Architect

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years of IA experience
  • Prior work on large sites
  • Must have worked in an agency environment
  • Client-facing experience

PERKS!:

  • Well known, cutting-edge interactive agency

PAY:

  • Up to $100K

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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7. POSITION: Web Producer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of working in an interactive agency environment
  • Experience producing large interactive sites
  • Strong technical know-how

PERKS!:

  • Cool interactive agency
  • Great automotive clients

PAY:

  • Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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8. POSITION: Director of Product Marketing

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Internet-based consumer experience
  • Strong background creating marketing strategies
  • Excellent analytical skills

PERKS!:

  • Large Internet services company
  • Could turn into a great permanent opportunity

PAY:

  • Up to $60 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Woodland Hills

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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9. POSITION: Online Marketing Manager

TERMS: Off-Site Freelance

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience creating online marketing strategy and execution geared to European market
  • Experience creating marketing strategies for use on Social Networking sites
  • Background with demographic marketing

PERKS!:

  • Unique off-site marketing opportunity
  • High-end, luxury client
  • Work in your pajamas

PAY:

  • Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Your own home!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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10. POSITION: Design Manager, Hardlines

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 8+ years of experience within the consumer product industry
  • BFA in industrial/product design preferred
  • Strong Brand imaging skills

PERKS!:

  • Passionate, fun, and casual environment
  • International travel 2 to 3 times a year

PAY:

  • Up to $85K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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11. POSITION: Mockup Artist

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Hands-on mockup experience
  • Strong Illustrator and Photoshop skills
  • Packaging experience

PERKS!:

  • Fun team environment
  • Great products!

PAY:

  • Up to $27 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Moorpark

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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12. POSITION: Print Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Prior work designing for large Fortune 500 brands
  • Conceptual experience
  • Clean, corporate design
  • Experience managing/mentoring Junior Designers

PERKS!:

  • Well-established, stable company
  • Help company define Branding

PAY:

  • Up to $45 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Westlake Village

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Forward them this email, then have them drop your name to the Agent handling the position.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

Pinto RIP Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Blog You"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

It's so sad when a vacation finally comes to an end.

After a brief funeral for our Pinto Station Wagon (he requested that his oil be spread over the Atlantic City Boardwalk), we've purchased one-way bus tickets back to Los Angeles.

If you thought traveling cross-country in a car without air conditioning was fun, you can imagine the thrill of sharing that pleasure with 54 or so of your newest friends.

We're tapping into the local Stuckey's WiFi long enough to send this out and pick up more delicious pecan logs rolls.

So get ready to travel along with more gifted Aquent Talent in this week's newsletter.

And don't be surprised if we stop by your office to shower.

Enjoy!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Burke Thomas - Web QA Specialist
Heyward B. - Interactive Art Director
Aleks A. - Flash Programmer
Patrick S. - Art Director & Senior Designer
Richard H. - Web Designer
Russell M. - Account Executive
Phoebe S. - Jr. Product Marketing Manager
Darshna K. - Web Producer
Paul G. - Design | Production
Jason F. - Designer
Melissa C. - PR, Events, Promotions, and Marketing
George J. - Online Editor
__________________________________________________

Burke Thomas
Web QA Specialist

Burke is a recent relo to LA, coming from our Seattle Aquent office where he worked as a Data Specialist and Editor at Microsoft for the last year.

Prior to that, Burke worked at Amazon for over a year as a QA Specialist for one of the larger, top-secret projects, testing the cutting edge Kindle digital book reader.

His technical background as an Online Editor, Audio Engineer, and Audio Editor make him an extremely strong analytical thinker perfect for your next project now!
__________________________________________________

Heyward B.
Interactive Art Director

Looking for an Interactive AD who specializes in developing cutting-edge solutions and lives on the frontiers of multimedia and Web development?

Meet Heyward.

Over 10 years of experience in the Web, print, and Flash worlds, he's created sites for a wide array of high-profile entertainment industry and corporate clients like NBC Universal, Walt Disney Theme Parks, Yahoo!, Touchstone Pictures, Sega, Sony Pictures, Jack FM, lynda.com, and dozens upon dozens of others.

He's done stellar work on both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World sites, developing and producing interactive site features to showcase attractions, accommodations, and dining options.

His extensive background includes developing long-term creative goals, business goals and strategies, and overseeing design staff.

Believe us, you'll be glad you've met him!

__________________________________________________

Aleks A.
Flash Programmer

Aleks is an expert in both Flash and Flex2 (AS2 and AS3) and has experience with PHP, MYSQL, visual C++, Visual Basic, and VB.NET.

His technical experience includes 5 years of experience with ActionScript using Flash/Flex; rich experience with Red5, Flash Media Server, Flex Data Services, and Flex Charting Components; Object Oriented Programming; developing ActionScript-based Flash components (Scrollbar, ComboBox, TreeView); rich experience with AMF services and XML; and so much more.

He has been Lead / Sr. ActionScript Programmer for Cyber Flow Solutions, Matrix Consultants, and Duvenjian Graphics.

We should mention that he FLEW through our rigorous OOP ActionScript assessment in record-breaking time.

Need we say more?

__________________________________________________

Patrick S.
Art Director & Senior Designer

Patrick's an outstanding Aquent Talent with branding, packaging, POP, outdoor, Web design and merchandising experience who has most recently been working for consumer product companies.

In New York Patrick did high-end merchandising design for Macy's, both in-house and as an agency, when he opened his own business as Macy's outsourced Designer. He made those beautiful fashion displays for jewelry, beauty products, and fragrances. He also created signage for handbags and shoes. He has lots of experience with licensing and style guides and has put together high-end brand concepts.

Patrick's industry experience includes, fashion, food products, and cosmetics, and his style is incredibly clean and eye-catching.

Available now, but not for long!

__________________________________________________

Richard H.
Web Designer

Richard is a hot new talent to the Aquent family!

Most recently at Bobit Business Media, he was the Senior Web Designer responsible for all Web projects. There was a small Web team at Bobit, so Richard was the Lead Designer on full sites, microsites, Flash and Rich Media banners, landing pages, emails, and more. His client roster at Bobit included Ford, Mazda, GM, Audi, Toyota, Nissan and more!

Richard was also at Tuesday Group, an advertising agency where he worked with clients like NBC Universal. He created DVD packaging, DVD title pages and menus, landing pages, HTML emails, brochures, postcards and Rich Media Banners.

He also has experience working with aerospace and aviation clients while at the Web design studio The Design Equation.

He has amazing hands-on skills with HTML, Flash, AfterEffects, Photoshop, and Illustrator and has amazing illustration abilities, doing conceptual line drawings as well!

Richard is an awesome visual designer with great technical skills to boot!
__________________________________________________

Russell M.
Account Executive

Russell is an amazing Account Executive who, with three years at an advertising agency, has some very amazing skills!

Russell was most recently at Benenson Janson Advertising, where he was the sole AE on large accounts including well-known non-profits ACLU and Planned Parenthood and high-end luxury clients Beverly Clark and Asha Couture. He worked on integrated campaigns for clients that included print, online, events, outdoor, collateral, and direct mail.

Russell knows how to really partner with clients, creating brand audits to identify and analyze a client's place in the market, messaging to their audience, how successful they've been in reaching their core demographic, and what strategies to adopt going forward.

Russell is extremely sharp, has great communication abilities, likes to multi-task, and loves to service clients!

You'll wonder how you ever got along without him!

__________________________________________________

Phoebe S.
Jr. Product Marketing Manager

Phoebe is an Aquent Talent that can bring style, grit, and expertise to any team.

Most recently at Delta Creative as a Product Marketing Manager, she oversaw the beauty and role-play for children. She is adept at project planning and achieving aggressive goals and is well versed with international production, testing, and project development. She's dealt with $10K monthly budgets and maintaining costs of goods.

While at DuWop Cosmetics, Phoebe successfully increased Web sales with online marketing programs as well as decreasing COG for existing products by 10 to 20%.

Phoebe is a great addition to any team dealing with consumer products.

And let's not fail to mention that she's bilingual, speaking fluent English and Mandarin Chinese!

__________________________________________________

Darshna K.
Web Producer

Darshna is a solid Web Producer with agency experience who has just wrapped up some freelance projects and is available now!

At McElroy Interactive she was an Interactive Producer working on their Nestle account where she managed multiple projects from inception to completion. She moved into a Web analytics role and was managing four major Nestle sites! She has experience with Hitbox, CRM, and SEM (Google and Yahoo!). She worked directly with the client, creating reports from the analytics and making recommendations to future email and other online campaigns to drive traffic.

Darshna has a great technical background and thrives in fast-paced environments.

And would be an awesome addition to any team and invaluable to any interactive project!

__________________________________________________

Paul G.
Design | Production

One of our most popular freelancers!

Paul is an incredibly fast learner, has an original fresh creative style, and is a master of the all the latest software. Paul has directed design teams and photo shoots, written copy, and carried myriad projects from concept through completion single-handedly.

He is, without a doubt, one of the fastest people we've ever seen on the computer.

Paul is easy to work with and has years of real experience with branding, ads, packaging, collateral, books, logos, Web, video, audio, and music.

His staff positions and client roster include American Honda, Higher Fire Media, Campbell Mithun, McMonigle & Associates, KB Home, DynaMedia, William Mercer, Grupo Gallegos, and many more.

If you need a rock star, then call us about Paul!
__________________________________________________

Jason F.
Designer

Jason is an honors graduate from the Art Center College of Design, and ready to strut his stuff!

At Activision, he worked on art direction and idea concepts for advertising (Broadcast, Print, Online, & Ambient), packaging, and promotional materials. He also was called upon for copywriting, editing, graphic design, and the presentation of work to clients.

Through the Art Center, he was chosen twice to work at their internal agency and was exposed to the rigors of the Ad Agency world by working on clients such as Amstel Light, Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, and Omelet LA.

Jason's conceptual design sets him apart, and his entertaining portfolio definitely proves it! He's also a very talented Illustrator... seriously, how much better can it get?

If you're looking for that perfect employee, the one with great design and a great personality to match (and who isn't nowadays), then call us...NOW!
__________________________________________________

Melissa C.
PR, Events, Promotions, and Marketing

Melissa worked at TIGI/Bedhead as the West Coast Manager of Marketing, PR and Events!

While onboard she was responsible for pairing BedHead products with the hottest fashion, entertainment, and sports events in Los Angeles and around the country. To increase brand awareness, she would reach out to all the consumer, trade, and industry insiders to get TIGI products featured in magazines, TV, Radio, Film, and high-profile events. An example of Melissa's marketing prowess can be seen in her huge success of getting TIGI a suite for the Sundance Film Festival, where she had all of the celebrities come into the suite to get primped for the official Sundance photo with TIGI hair and cosmetics products! From that $30K investment, she got close to $500K worth of publicity in magazines, news shows, and more!

Before TIGI, Melissa worked with Nolet Spirits, where she worked on marketing and branding for Ketel One. Her other experience includes fashion PR companies Red Light PR and Uppercut Management.

If you need an awesome Marketing, Events, and Promotions person with an unparalleled Rolodex, Melissa is the one!
__________________________________________________

George J.
Online Editor

George was most recently Senior Online News Editor at The Hollywood Reporter, where he supervised and managed a 7-person news team. He deftly repurposed print content for the Website, sized and processed photos for use on the Web, and edited articles as well as blogs. He also was responsible for using SEO to drive more traffic to the site.

Once a Journalist now an Editor, George keeps up with the trends in technology, can write captions & headlines, and loves to watch teams grow and projects flourish!

The Giving Web

76169852 F8De484Fb8

The future keeps getting brighter, doesn't it?

Hear me out... what about a Website that changes according to whatever you like to see in sites. Say one that senses whether or not you are detail oriented (and let's face is, is anyone who browses the Web?) and then changes according to those findings.

Science fiction?

SCIENCE FACT!

Okay, that was a little much, but researchers at MIT's Sloan School of Management are looking to help make sites adapt automatically to each visitor, depending on that person's style of thinking.

It'd be like walking into Whole Foods and everything turned into organic 70% dark chocolate.

Well, for some.

The researchers have already built a prototype for British Telecom that, within 10 clicks, the system makes a guess at the user's cognitive style and morphs to fit.

Yes, 10 clicks is a lot, but then again you have to consider that the calculator my father was using in college took up the wing of a building.

So it's a bit more advanced than that.

The full article is here at Technology Review.

Fun With Surveys!

We were recently bouncing around a bunch of ideas about career opportunities for Aquent Talent.

I mean, beside the whole everyone-in-the-office-trying-to-place-Talent-at-great-companies thing we do every day.

So we made some inquiries and we came up with an online poll of some of (what we think) are the strongest ideas.

Let us know which idea you are most in love with and, by gum, we may just do it!

(No kidding, we used to do a ton of portfolio reviews, but when the job market got hot, fewer and fewer people wanted to attend.)

Would you take a moment to let us know? Or, if you have some other compelling suggestions, email me or drop a comment in here.

Thanks!

What could Aquent provide to help you better reach your career goals?

View results

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

  1. Interaction Designer
  2. UI/Flash Designer
  3. Web Project Manager
  4. Interactive Project Manager
  5. Flash, Video, & AfterEffects Guru
  6. Interactive Strategist
  7. Proposal/Fund Raising Writer
  8. Design/Packaging Project Manager
  9. Associate On-Line Community Manager/Designer
  10. Product Design Manager
  11. HR Assistant

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1. POSITION: Interaction Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years of large site experience
  • Prior work on large, content driven sites
  • Wireframe samples
  • Understanding of information architecture

PERKS!:

  • Cool start up!

PAY:

  • Up to $90K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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2. POSITION: UI/Flash Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • At least 5 years of UI Design experience
  • 1+ year of mobile UI experience
  • Working knowledge of Flash

PERKS!:

  • Large, well-known mobile company
  • Fortune 500

PAY:

  • Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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3. POSITION: Web Project Manager

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years project management experience
  • Expertise in all aspects of project management with emphasis on the technical aspects of planning, execution, and deployment
  • Must have produced multimedia

PERKS!:

  • Cool interactive streaming media company!!!!

PAY:

  • Up to $45 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Encino

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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4. POSITION: Interactive Project Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of experience
  • Prior agency experience

PERKS!:

  • Great agency!

PAY:

  • Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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5. POSITION: Flash, Video, & AfterEffects Guru

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Hands-on skills in Flash animation, AfterEffects, Final Cut Pro, and video editing
  • Able to integrate video into Flash
  • Knowledge of AS2 and/or AS3

PERKS!:

  • Work on luxury brands
  • Smaller, family-oriented agency

PAY:

  • Up to $75K

LOCATION:

  • Santa Monica

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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6. POSITION: Interactive Strategist

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years of experience leading an interactive team at an agency
  • Experience working with clients to develop comprehensive online programs
  • Experience with multimedia digital campaigns (including off-line video)
  • Samples of URLs!

PERKS!:

  • Top interactive agency
  • Working with large clients on high-profile accounts

PAY:

  • Up to $90K

LOCATION:

  •   El Segundo

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. POSITION: Proposal/Fund Raising Writer

TERMS: Freelance (Off-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience writing communications for fundraising efforts
  • Healthcare or medical industry experience preferred

PERKS!:

  • Off-site, project based work! (What more could you want?)

PAY:

  • Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Your own home

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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8. POSITION: Design/Packaging Project Manager

TERMS: Six-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3 to 5 years of experience managing packing design projects on a cross-functional team
  • Experience leading strategy setting and decision making sessions
  • Able to provide leadership perspective and innovative thinking
  • Experience with process development

PERKS!:

  • Leading consumer products company
  • Ability to set process standards

PAY:

  • Up to $45 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Near LAX

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. POSITION: Associate On-Line Community Manager/Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience managing content for Web and handling Web maintenance
  • Hands-on design skills (Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, & Illustrator)
  • Must have experience with dynamic content
  • Must have experience with user profiles, blogs, games, and content

PERKS!:

  • Gaming for major entertainment studio

PAY:

  • DOE

LOCATION:

  • Glendale

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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10. POSITION: Product Design Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience managing teams of toy designers
  • Experience creating toys and products for kids' industry
  • Hands-on design skills including 3D design and drawing ability

PERKS!:

  • Working at a well-loved global consumer brand

PAY:

  • DOE

LOCATION:

  • Torrance

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11. POSITION: HR Assistant

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 1 year of HR experience
  • 1 to 2 years of administrative experience
  • Strong organizational and computer skills

PERKS!:

  • Get to work in a fun, creative non-profit environment
  • Entertainment environment

PAY:

  • Up to $45K

LOCATION:

  • Santa Monica

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

MPG Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Memorandum-dee-dee-dum "

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

We're still on the road, folks, and the '74 Pinto Wagon is once again in for service.

For the third time this week.

Seems 450,000 miles can be tough even on a hearty Pinto engine.

Luckily for us, we've broken down in Detroit, which is FULL of friendly people who love to work with cars!

A nice young man even sold us our hubcaps back.

And, get this: Free WiFi access with every hubcap purchase.

Score!

So we're still able to provide you with Los Angeles' hottest available Talent on the market, which is a big score for you.

Enjoy your low humidity and don't forget the Motor City!

Vrroom.
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Memorandum-dee-dee-dum "

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Jill F. - Web QA | Content Manager | Web PM
Chan P. - Copywriter | Editor
John J. - Flash Designer
Gerry S. - Interactive Creative Director
Darian G. - Internet Marketing Specialist
Doug P. - Sr. Designer
Sam W. - Print and Web Designer
Jorge P. - New Media, Online Marketing & Promotions
Amanda K. - Project Manager | Product Manager
Debbie M. - Executive Assistant | Coordinator
Tamara K. - Interactive | Digital Media Strategist
__________________________________________________

Jill F.
Web QA | Content Manager | Web PM

Jill is an amazing Aquent Interactive Talent looking for her next home!!

She was most recently at Napster, where she helped roll out their latest version: Napster 4.0. Jill was responsible for platform compatibility, delivery and subscriptions service, over air delivery for mobile users, content updates, user testing and focus groups, analysis, reports, and much more. She kept the wireframes updated (using Visio) to coincide with all changes including terminology changes, flow changes, navigation changes, and more!

Before Napster, she was at fitness giant Beachbody as Web QA Specialist and Web Project Manager. She worked on a proprietary CMS tool to manage workflow, Developers, and the creative teams. She was responsible for the creation and delivery of a bi-weekly email newsletter as well as targeted email offers and promos and tracking user behaviors, source codes, promo codes and trafficking all Web assets. On top of all that, she watched for bugs, URL redirects, functionality, and any technical or code issues!

Jill is extremely detail-oriented and can manage any Web project including launches, site re-designs, online advertising, emails and much, much more.

She is a "Jill" of all trades!!!
__________________________________________________

Chan P.
Copywriter | Editor

Chan is one of Aquent's tried and true Talents!

With over 10 years of experience in copywriting and editing, he was most recently at EarthLink as Senior Writer. He worked with a proprietary CMS tool and wrote both for print and online collateral: advertising, product and technical descriptions, emails to the customer base, and ever so much more.

Prior to EarthLink, he was Web Editor at Kaiser Permanente. There he used TeamSite to write and edit content for the Web that included health information, physician profiles, news and events, and member information.

Chan is a Talent that is incredibly reliable, hardworking, and a standout Talent that's made many an Aquent client ecstatic!
__________________________________________________

John J.
Flash Designer

John is a multi-talented advertising professional with experience in Flash production design, ad banners, Web marketing, and a lot of rich media (including Flash video).

He has worked with a variety of interactive agencies and clients including Grey Advertising, Beyond Interactive, Exile on 7th, Macromedia, Freestyle Interactive, Modem Media, iTraffic, SBIonline, FREEmagazine, Samsung, DZNdesign, DisneyShopping, Terry/Heinz & Associates, NBC.com.

You need Flash?

Well, John's available NOW!
__________________________________________________

Gerry S.
Interactive Creative Director

Gerry is a mastermind in creative who possesses a plethora of talent.

As Sr. Director, Creative at Yahoo he managed a team of 13 where he built digital products for two key audience seg-ments, increasing unique visits and retaining audience engagements on the Yahoo! network.

He has corporate and entertainment (Warner Bros, The Walt Disney Company, Bank of America); agency (TBWA\Chiat\Day, Saatchi & Saatchi, Sapient, WHITTMANHART), consulting (Move.com, Yahoo! FIFA VIP Club), and nonprofit experience (American Cancer Foundation, UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Foundation) under his belt all within vertical industries.

He uses Flash for design and animation, has pitched and won new accounts with $10M in project billings, and managed a multi-disciplinary team of 25 working with a budget of $5M. He's fluent in Mandarin Chinese, knows conversational French, and understands German.

Currently working on his MBA at USC, he excels in conceptual, interactive, and Internet strategies, is an expert on entire Adobe Suite...

And would be an outstanding leadership addition to any team!

__________________________________________________

Darian G.
Internet Marketing Specialist

Build it and they will come. That's the philosophy of our newest Talent, Darian!

With a background in print and Web design, he understands how important user interface is, what design means, and how small details can impact business. His understanding of SEO and SEM contributed to the creation (and selling) of two very successful start up companies.

His experience includes PPC campaigns, search algorithm search development, and data analysis of sales production.

At californialicense.com as a SEO/SEM Specialist, he noticed that the company was getting tons of traffic and ranked highly on every search engine, yet continued to lose 50% of their customers at the shopping cart. Darian made a small suggestion that resulted in HUGE results (their conversion rate increased by 30%).

Here's the outstanding Talent who absolutely need on your next project!
__________________________________________________

Doug P.
Sr. Designer

A Sr. Designer with great entertainment experience!

While at Disney Consumer Products, Doug was responsible for and managed the design and production of marketing materials for the successful Walt Disney Art Classics division. Materials included POP, postcards, posters, newsletters, and print advertising materials.

At Animated Animations Company he designed marketing materials for fine art prints for clients such as Nickelodeon, Fox Animation Studios, and Warner Bros. Animation. While onboard he successfully launched the Stars Wars Fine Art line, high-end collectibles that really wowed the clients!!

His freelance experience includes work for HBO, Lionsgate, Lifetime, Oxygen, ABC Family, Warner Bros. Television, VH1, Velvet Candy Entertainment, as well as for performers Ann Magnuson, Lypsinka, The Nellie Olesons and Emrys Hanley.

We say THAT'S entertainment!
__________________________________________________

Sam W.
Print and Web Designer

Skills across the board!

Sam hot skills include Storyboarding and Illustration as well as hands-on work in AfterEffects, Avid, Photoshop, and even some Flash!

As sole designer at a high-end auto customization company, Sam created and updated Websites (including creating the digital photography) using Dreamweaver, Flash Animation, Photoshop and Illustrator. On the print side, he created all company media kits, brochures, one sheets, ads, signage, and much more.

Sam was also a Storyboard Artist at Santa Monica's Playground LA, where he designed created, and managed storyboard elements for museum exhibits and planed and produced (many times using Flash Animation) animated storyboards for video exhibits.

Super organized, Sam can manage his own workflow, do all design and his own production, and would love to work with a top Creative Director to enhance his skills!

__________________________________________________

Jorge P.
New Media, Online Marketing & Promotions

Jorge is a New Media and Online Marketing guru in the entertainment world!

He was most recently at Fox Interactive Media working on MySpace TV, a new competitor to YouTube featuring original content. Jorge put together the media and marketing plan around "Roommates", an online Web series that followed young people pursuing their dreams in Hollywood. He developed video components, advertising, media plans, and traffic metrics with Double Click to track viewership. He also spearheaded all partnership opportunities by overseeing the creation of sales and marketing tools, media kits, pricing structures and sponsorship deals, which led them to get big players like Toyota, Ford, and Target! MySpace TV is doing extremely well, with large audiences in their target demographic, thanks for Jorge's amazing work!

Prior to Fox, he led the new media efforts at Univision Music, one of the worlds largest Latin Music companies. He supervised and concepted digital marketing tools like artists' Web pages, micro-sites, flash e-cards, email marketing campaigns, interactive games, and more. He strategized and managed huge campaigns and budgets. He was always successful in creating "viral buzz" around new artists, which meant providing original content to AOL, La Music, and also smaller fan and music sites. He also worked with mobile carriers like Cingular to bring original content, ringtones, and games to mobile phones.

Jorge's success in marketing in the New Media world is second to none!

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Amanda K.
Project Manager | Product Manager

A top Project Manager with an extensive background in product management.

As a Project Manager at EMAK Worldwide Inc., Amanda was responsible for coming up with the concepts for new plush and plastic toys as well as promotional items for clients such as Burger King, IHOP, Kohl's, Macy's, and Mervyns. Once she received the green light from the client, she established timelines, scheduled, and facilitated kickoff meetings, and ensured that products were produced within budgets.

While at Danu Corporation, a leading global plush company, she was responsible for developing new plush products and presenting them to buyer/licensors, generating and maintaining the project plan and master schedule, and managing product/project specifications between the customer and factories in Asia. Her clients included Disney Stores, Disney Online, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Build-A-Bear, and Babies "R" Us.

Amanda is a great team player who can make sure all your projects get done on time and within budget!
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Debbie M.
Executive Assistant | Coordinator

Debbie is an experienced Executive Assistant with several years in the entertainment industry.

While working as Executive Assistant for Village Roadshow Pictures, she assisted the CEO, CFO, and SVP of Legal and Business Affairs coordinating meetings, arranging travel, and serving as a liaison to outside sources.

She's also worked with Full Moon High Tide Productions as a Development Associate where she pitched ideas for projects and assisted with casting and interacting with Agents. Debbie was also Head Coordinator for contestant casting at Stone Stanley Entertainment for the show "Shop 'til You Drop".

Her experience also includes coordinating special events.

Looking for her next role as either an Executive Assistant or Coordinator, she'd be perfect for any Marketing or Creative department!

__________________________________________________

Tamara K.
Interactive | Digital Media Strategist

Working directly with clients since 1999, Tamara has helped them understand and navigate the interactive space; showing them how new technologies can help them further their brand, and working with them to develop customized solutions and programs that can solidify their new media presence.

Most recently at VideoJug America, a free online video content library resource, Tamara ran the production team on all branded content. She partnered up with major accounts such as Nike, Zappos, Williams-Sonoma, and Screwpull to develop original content to further clients' brand messaging.

As the Director of Production at Web development service provider Ehaus, she was responsible for production of all company designed and built Websites, CDs, DVDs, WAP, mobile content and applications, motion graphics, streaming audio and video, digital video production, print media, databases, content management systems, applications, and then some!

Tamara has an incredible background, understands strategy, and has a list of clients that will amaze you!

"Memorandum-dee-dee-dum"

To: All Budding Writers, Actors, and Musicians currently employed at Rupert Hafley & Sons
From: Rupert Hafley, Esq.

It has come to my attention, repeatedly, that many of our law firm's staff members have been endeavoring to introduce more "creativity" into their work.

I understand that we all work in the so-called Entertainment Capital of the World and many of you have dreams beyond working here at Hafley & Sons, but I must request that you curb your creative instincts until the time you leave our premises.

Though I myself enjoy a great book, concert, or subtitled film, I do not wish, upon entering our law library to be greeted by the "Tax Attorney Gone Acoustic," as just happened this past Friday. Nor do I expect to be treated to a Poetry Slam while I am trying to use the men's washroom.

Memos and emails are used to conduct business and layout policies and procedures, they are not your personal forum to attempt to write in poetic forms such as iambic pentameter, sonnet, or haiku (e.g., "Brand new procedure/Please use recycled paper/The Earth will thank you"). If you are compelled to write in verse, save it for notes to your loved ones and for bathroom walls at the filling station.

The same goes for writing a memorandum in the style of Shakespeare, James Joyce, or (and I still have no idea why anyone thought this would be a good idea) Snoop Dogg.

Likewise court presentations should never read like the latest independent film offering. I'm not going to point fingers at whose work this is, but I'll let you consider for yourself how this would sound to a judge:

"The plaintiff looked around, and, seeing no one, took the confidential papers from the drawer."

"Enter, ED BEVICK, Security Guard. Ed is 38 and has never had much to offer since his successful high school football career ended. Ed's life is just as you would think it might be, eating his dinner alone in an empty apartment watching TV and drinking a Miller Lite."

There's a reason why courtroom scenes in movies are so unrealistic: courtrooms are tedious places. Please do not try to brighten things up with your dramatic flair.

Which brings me to my next point: if you are a budding actor, please refrain from introducing theater to the courtroom by acting out testimonies or hiring your acting "buddies" to do so. You may not have been around long enough to realize that our firm was found in contempt of court when three junior partners staged a "rock opera," with full orchestral accompaniment, in the late 1970's. This is an episode we have been trying to downplay for more than 30 years, let's not bring it back into the light of day.

Judges do not wish to hear you cross-examining witnesses in phony cockney, South African, or German accents, nor do they expect to see Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, or Susan Dey presenting a case. I guarantee each of the judges and jury members has a DVD player and a local video store if they feel the need to be entertained.

Using acting exercises, such as proposing the plaintiff be blindfolded and asked to fall back into someone's arms to prove her or she has trust issues, is not only preposterously bizarre, but verifies that you know absolutely nothing about the law.

Do I really have to point this out?

As of this memo, I do not expect to find any staff member on premises uploading their latest mini-film onto YouTube, putting the finishing touches to their latest hit single, or painting a tromp l'oeil on their ceiling to "generate inspiration".

This is a tax law office, people, it is supposed to be quiet, boring, and mind-bogglingly tedious.

If you don't feel like working in a place where, comparatively, a Jane Austen novel moves at lightning speed, please make an appointment to see me.

If you're looking to see some speed, I think you'll be surprised at the pace in which we fill vacancies at our firm.

Thank you for your time.

5060569 F01A017Abd

Flashforward2008 is rapidly approaching. Well, not exactly approaching, as it will be in to San Francisco, but you know what I mean. As ever, Aquent is sponsoring, along with Lynda.com.

During the event Lynda's company is premiering Creative Inspirations: Big Spaceship, which is their documentary series which looks "at the inner workings of one of the web's most innovative firms." True enough, they've done work for Nike Air, Adobe, HBO, and a host of others.

You can watch the first three movies gratis here on the Lynda.com site. For the rest, I believe you have to subscribe to their Online Training Library. But heck, for $25 to get inside the heads of the staff at Big Spaceship, that's a very small price to pay.

Reason #21:

Giamela's Meatball Sub

Img 2362


I used to eat at this place back when I worked at Sunset-Gower Studios in Hollywood. You'd never suspect that I lived, literally, 7 blocks from one. Probably because the last time I got a meatball sub there was the last time I worked from home.

The trick they pull on you at Giamela's? A full sandwich (pictured) is twenty-five cents more than the half. What a heart-stopping deal!

And yes, when I biked home, Jared from Subway was standing by the road crying just like that Native American, Iron Eyes Cody, used to do in that 1970's commercial.

I'd tell you I only ate half, but I don't really like to lie on the blog.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Click

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It's not often that I'm promoting things that don't work, but this one is fascinatingly out of whack.

Jenn had sent me a link of a JavaScript script that supposedly can tell your gender by your browser URL history.

Xerox has a patent on a similar process. (Apparently they've never heard of open source.)

Well, if this JavaScript worked then it probably wouldn't have pegged Jenn as 50% man, 50% woman (which I saw recently at the circus) or me as 95% female 5% male (seen on my recent commute home).

Or this JavaScript is so smart that it knows something we do not.

Either way, try it out and give me some feedback.

Just click here.

And, by the way, isn't this the saddest picture you've ever seen?

Okey Dokey, Computer

Rh Final Master (04222) 300Dpi-2

Don't get me wrong, I like Radiohead and I like the way they often push the boundaries.

Like the fact that the video for "House of Cards" uses 3D recording instead of cameras and that they're encouraging fans to use the images of Thom Yorke's head to make their own videos and post here on YouTube.

I mean, yes, it's incredibly creative and amazingly interactive.

But it that video and that song still creep me out.

(Regardless, the whole video can be watched here at the Creativity site.)

And, as always, thanks to Jenn for pointing me in the right direction.

"No, It's My Space!"

The Aquent ASAP Job List
"No, It's My Space!"

Friday's Job List everyone!

And don't forget, Aquent LA is still blogging! Today's post: LINK

Interested in a position?

PLEASE E-MAIL THE AGENT (see links for each job):

  • A recent resume which reflects all the must haves
  • A brief summary of how your experience matches the MUST HAVES
  • Any samples, if requested

See something for someone else? Forward to a Friend!

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Not finding anything you're interested in? For more jobs go here.

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THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

  1. Print & Web Designer
  2. Flash ActionScriptor
  3. Flash Designer
  4. HTML Coder
  5. Web Designer
  6. Account Manager Supervisor
  7. Account Executive
  8. PR Manager
  9. Managing Editor
  10. Fashion Apparel Designer
  11. Print Production Manager

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1. POSITION: Print & Web Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of professional experience
  • Hands-on skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver
  • Heavy experience creating high-end sell sheets and marketing collateral for print and Web

PERKS!:

  • Very stable company
  • Really great benefits
  • Wonderful team

PAY:

  • Up to $65K

LOCATION:

  • Mid-Wilshire

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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2. POSITION: Flash ActionScriptor

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3 to 5 years of ActionScripting experience
  • Ability to build technical Flash apps
  • Skills in AS2 and AS3 with clear understanding of OOP principles
  • Experience with Flex highly preferred

PERKS!:

  • Great start-up environment
  • Brand new ecommerce technology set to rock the world!

PAY:

  • Up to $100K

LOCATION:

  • West Hollywood

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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3. POSITION: Flash Designer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 2 to 5 years of experience
  • Great Flash, Photoshop, and Illustrator skills
  • Sketching abilities
  • Able to thrive in a PC environment

PERKS!:

  • Create really cool icon designs for a major electronics company
  • Possibility of permanent employment

PAY:

  • Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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4. POSITION: HTML Coder

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • At least 3 years of professional Web experience
  • Strong skills in hand coding HTML and CSS
  • Able to work with design and engineering groups
  • A great eye for design

PERKS!:

  • Very exciting start up
  • Growing company
  • Hip and casual environment

PAY:

  • Up to $70K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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5. POSITION: Web Designer

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of professional design experience
  • Knowledge of Flash
  • Entertainment or related samples

PERKS!:

  • Leading global entertainment company
  • Work on promotional materials for new shows!

PAY:

  • Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Burbank

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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6. POSITION: Account Manager Supervisor

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 7 to 10 years of agency experience
  • Must have CPG account experience
  • Experience developing branding strategy for large clients

PERKS!:

  • Global, well-respected agency

PAY:

  • Up to $110K

LOCATION:

  • Miracle Mile

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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7. POSITION: Account Executive

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Must have advertising agency experience
  • Minimum of 2 years of experience as an AE or Jr. AE
  • Direct mail experience a plus
  • On-line, print, and outdoor experience a must

PERKS!:

  • Small agency with plenty room to grow!
  • Great clients

PAY:

  • Up to $60K

LOCATION:

  • Mid-Wilshire

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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8. POSITION: PR Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years of experience
  • Strong B-2-B experience with a high-tech background (servers or enterprise solutions)
  • Demonstrated success targeting on-line media, blogs, and other non-traditional media

PERKS!:

  • Highly visible position
  • Direct the PR efforts for the company, including marketing communication

PAY:

  • Up to $80K

LOCATION:

  • Pasadena

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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9. POSITION: Managing Editor

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5+ years as a Managing Editor or similar position
  • Experience managing a team and following company style guides
  • Experience creating marketing collateral and on-line content
  • Excellent project management skills

PERKS!:

  • Cool non-profit!

PAY:

  • Up to $70K

LOCATION:

  • Santa Monica

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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10. POSITION: Fashion Apparel Designer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 2+ years experience as a Fashion Designer
  • Clear understanding of first patterns and grading for garments
  • Ability to measure fit samples and create technical specs
  • Great hands-on skills in Excel and Adobe Illustrator

PERKS!:

  • Large entertainment and consumer products group

PAY:

  • TBD

LOCATION:

  • Burbank

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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11. POSITION: Print Production Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5 to 7 years of print production management experience
  • Must have Direct Mail experience

PERKS!:

  • One of the top agencies in their industry
  • Stable company

PAY:

  • Up to $68K

LOCATION:

  • Woodland Hills

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Forward them this email, then have them drop your name to the Agent handling the position.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

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THAT BIT AT THE END

More Web Advice from Jenn

(Jenn's the go-to person here for everything Webby. If you don't have anything to do tonight except watch Olympic weightlifting, you might as well create a voting widget, right? Cheezits or Ritz? Lucky Charms or Cocoa Puffs? The possibilities are simply endless I tell you...)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

How-To of the Day: Web 2.0 Voting Widget!

If there's anything that I have learned about modern society, it's that people *love* to voice their opinions.

One of my personal favorite features for almost any Website is being able to rate, on a scale of 1-5, how much I love or despise something.

If you are interested in featuring a neat Web 2.0 voting widget, Jack Herrington of sitepoint.com offers a Flex developed alternative to traditional voting apps.

Click here to learn how!

"Kill the Wabbit"

I am an opera singer.

So you should listen closely when I tell you which is the world's greatest aria.

Or where to get the city's best great pastrami sandwich. (Langer's.)

You should also take my advice when I let you know which cars are safest to drive. Not because opera singers are such outstanding judges of car safety (most are not), but because this is a subject I have always taken seriously, and I consider myself expert in this particular matter.

If I let you know that velvet is the best material in which to make a cape, you might want to write that down.

However, I beg you, do not take my advice on faux Arts & Crafts furniture or where to get a good kayak.  If I am speaking to you ad nauseam about either at a party, please just take it with a grain of salt, as I do have a tendency to go on after a few glasses of Pinot Noir. And while I'm an authority at diagnosing my own maladies, I am not a trained doctor, so my asking to see your lower lumbar region is in no way appropriate.

If you see me backstage after one of my performances, please give me some room, as singing for hours takes its toll, and I need plenty of fresh air. This means no crowding for autographs. Though this has rarely been a problem in the past, I would hate to see it become one in the future.

If you happen to run into me while I'm shopping for groceries, please don't ask whether I think Verdi or Andrew Lloyd Webber is the better composer. Really. I probably just came to get Hebrew National Franks and more clumping cat litter. I did not intend to give a formidable lecture on what is right (and what is so very, very wrong) in musical theatre today. And if you make me forget to give the checker my Discount Club Card, I will be extremely cross.

I come from a long line of trained professionals in what so many consider to be the highest form of art, so please treat me with great care.

The fact that I am treated like a national treasure in Austria, but don't rate for a convenient parking space close to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in our City of Angels, does not in any way translate to you treating me the same way you would the man who stands outside a seafood place dressed as a lobster.

And though we are all in a rush to get to where we are going, shoving me while we are both in a line does not mean you will wherever you're going any faster.

Speaking for all of us craftsmen who practice this fading art, I will let you know we would all appreciate a great deal of courtesy, patience, and genteel treatment whenever you come upon any of us, in this city or while traveling abroad.

I'd like to thank your teachers and the Franklin Elementary School Principal for letting me come and speak with all of you today.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your recess.

Wabbity Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Kill the Wabbit"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

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HOT TALENT

Good news, the Hot Talent Newsletter is on the road again this summer!

For the next 3 weeks we'll be reporting on this amazing country of ours and helping prove that places you've never heard of actually have free wireless Internet access.

Okay, Hay Springs, Nebraska was a little iffy on the WiFi.

They also weren't so wild about our repeated requests for vegan menu options and warned us that outside agitators would not be tolerated.

It's Day 3 and the most amazing thing we've seen so far is how quickly our 1974 Pinto Wagon can get from zero to 80 (and stay there until it hits the Nebraska state line).

Looks like we'll be getting to NYC a little earlier than expected.

So, while one of us keeps the night watch at the Doberman Acres Motor Hotel, please look over the finest Talent our city has to offer, from Art Direction to Brand Management.

We'll definitely leave the light on...

For us.

Enjoy!

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FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Hannah M. - Graphic Design | Art Direction
David S. - SEM/SEO
Dana G. - Account Executive
Alex A. - UI/UX
Insung H. - Art Director | Designer
Michael B. - Print Designer
Ben S. - Print & Web Designer w/ HTML
Jamie G. - Brand/Product/Marketing Manager  with CPG and MBA
Monica R. - Production Artist | Designer
Sherilyn H. - Jr. Marketing Coordinator
Monica L. - Events Sponsorship & PR
Gina K. -Proofreader | Editor
__________________________________________________

Hannah M.
Graphic Design | Art Direction

Fresh off a long-term assignment for DIRECTV, Hannah is a blazing hot Aquent Talent and ready for her next creative challenge!!

She has superb hands-on skills, an amazing eye for design, excellent communication skills,  a full at home studio, and her deft hand has helped create some seriously awesome AWARD-WINNING advertising. (Her team's efforts produced ads that resulted in over 10 ADDY Awards!)

Other clients include Nestle, Disney Catalog, Gerber, Motorola, H+agen Dazs, Pillsbury, Citibank, Sega, Wells Fargo Bank, KOS Pharmaceuticals, and many more.

She received RAVE reviews from her most recent assignment and she is tried and true, long-term Aquent talent who WILL enhance any project you have... off-site or on!

__________________________________________________

David S.
SEM/SEO

Meet David!  With over 6 years of SEO/SEM experience, and over 13 years of experience in the Web world, David is the man when it comes to getting people to go to your site and take action!

His latest success was managing a $450,000 Pay-Per-Click budget for a 25-office California-based law firm. He helped increased their call traffic by over 300% and email traffic by a whopping 400%.

David has managed many successful projects related to Web development and marketing, and has consulted and contracted with a multitude of large corporations including Honda, Farmers Insurance, Disney Interactive, AT&T, State of Nevada, Xerox, Specialty Merchandise (eMerchantclub.com), and many others. 

Call us about David before someone else does!
__________________________________________________

Dana G.
Account Executive

Dana is a top Account Executive with agency experience within the Latino/Hispanic and general markets.

He's worked at Quigley-Simpson Multicultural, JWT Specialized Communications, and La Agencia De Orci where he's been responsible for all day-to-day management of advertising and marketing for clients including The Boeing Company, Allstate Insurance, and Dreyer's Ice Cream.

As the primary client contact, Dana manages the development of the communications plan and writes creative briefs and consults with creative, media, production and traffic departments. 

Dana has managed competitive and research data, print collateral, advertising, TV, radio and on-line emails, banners, and sites. He also has excellent PowerPoint skills and a strategic flair for 360 marketing plans.

A great speaker, he's well skilled in communicating across departments and a great people person...

In any language!
__________________________________________________

Alex A.
UI/UX

Alex has managed the UI development and production for TV, DVR, DVDs, games, and Web sites and run large projects and teams for clients such as TiVo, DIRECTV, HBO on Demand, Electronic Arts, and Sony Pictures.

Most recently Alex was the Creative Director for Scope Seven, where he managed the concept, development, and production of games on movie DVDs for WB, DreamWorks, and Fox.

Alex would be great in a mobile, Web, game, or new media environment; he's incredibly conceptual, strategic, and can manage gargantuan projects from IA to post production.

Please contact us for his resume and URLs!
__________________________________________________

Insung H.
Art Director | Designer

If you need a concept person with hands-on experience, Insung is your go-to guy!

He's managed teams as large as 12, has run his own agency, and has provided excellent work for the likes of Columbia Tristar, Disney, Fox Sports Net, UCLA, and The Los Angeles Film School, just to name a few.

As an Art Director / Designer, Insung's design is clean, concise and creative. He has agency, corporate, and freelance experience and has designed DVD packaging, sell sheets, labels, logos, trade ads, and much more.

He has a strong background in entertainment, but is open to any challenging and rewarding roles throughout other industries. He enjoys conceptually creating and designing Web sites and is comfortable working hands-on for Mac or PC.

__________________________________________________

Michael B.
Print Designer

A Designer with EXCELLENT hands-on skills, Michael scored a whopping perfect score on both our arduous InDesign and Photoshop assessments!

Plus, he has the proven ability to create innovative and dynamic design that will WOW your audience.

As a Designer at Primedia/Source Interlink, he was responsible for the design, execution, and layout for a range of national sports and automotive magazines. He also worked on posters, flyers, newspaper ads, and promotional ads, as well as art directing photo shoots and creating their yearly calendar.

You can count on Michael to keep up with the latest trends in design and software, remain calm and professional in any situation, and create designs that POP!

__________________________________________________

Ben S.
Print & Web Designer w/ HTML

Ben is a Mid-Level Print and Web Designer whose style can range from a clean high-end look to edgy.

Currently creating print and Web work for small to mid-sized clients that include indie music record labels and high-end gourmets, his background also includes work at a full-service boutique agency designing and encoding interactive CD-ROM presentations and a staff Designer position at a record label.

Ben is a rare mix of great design and strong technical know-how (he nabbed a perfect score on our HTML hand-coding assessment!)

He is looking for a great opportunity to flex his design muscle at a company who could use someone with his awesome mix of skills!

He is available to start ASAP!
__________________________________________________

Jamie G.
Brand/Product/Marketing Manager with CPG and MBA

A recent MBA grad from USC, Jamie is a go-getter with both domestic and international marketing experience.

Prior to getting her MBA, she worked with a stock photo house as their Marketing Manager, managing marketing and promotions for 2 on-line stock photo sites and was responsible for on-line and off-line advertising, catalogs, and research and analysis of programs.

Working for Tyson Foods in China, she assisted with strategic planning and analysis of consumer market potential for a new frozen food product. She was also the Sales and Marketing Manager for an in-store advertising medium for pharmacies in Shanghai. She created the product concept and sales packages, sales projections, pricing and strategy and also designed a survey of shoppers to have data for the Chinese buyers who hadn't worked with this type of media before.

She's incredibly well spoken and would be a great asset for your team!

__________________________________________________

Monica R.
Production Artist | Designer
 
Monica has top-notch hands-on skills and a wealth of experience in InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

On staff at Schwarzkopf & Henkel for 6 years, she designed packaging, POP displays, marketing materials (including new product renderings, sell sheets, trade advertisements), and comps for new product research.

Her production skills include label and display layout, prepress color separations, and package comps, and she's adept at press checks, proof approval and coordination of artwork specs with vendors.

And she's available right now!
__________________________________________________

Sherilyn H.
Jr. Marketing Coordinator

This recent UC Berkeley grad is a highly motivated, superstar Aquent Talent looking to strengthen her marketing, advertising and communication experience.

While at Berkeley, Sherilyn was part of a team selected by Honda to work on a national campaign to launch the new Honda Accord Coupe to college students. Her role was to develop a marketing and PR campaign to promote the new Coupe.

Because of her incredible efforts, her group took second place among all teams in the US!

Most recently, Sherilyn was at Source Book Publications executing PR campaigns (including mass-mailers and book tours) and helped in the development of ad sales through marketing services.

Believe us, when you meet her, you will absolutely want to bring her on!

__________________________________________________

Monica L.
Events Sponsorship & PR

Having the ability to work from her left and right brain, Monica uses her solid background with contract administration to leverage and negotiate amazing deals for her clients, events, and products!

As Director of Client Services at sports agency Fegan Management Partners, her strong conceptual marketing paid off big with their Nike and Vitamin Water campaigns. Prior to Fegan, she worked with Fox Sports and TV Guide, helping produce major award shows and special events.

Monica rocks marketing, operations budgets, sponsorship, and fund raising. She welcomes challenges, doesn't fold under pressure, and has a proven success record in sports, entertainment, music, and corporate.

Exuding confidence and poise, Monica is the mover and shaker that you want on your team!
__________________________________________________

Gina K.
Proofreader | Editor

Gina brings strong proofreading and editorial skills to any table!

For the past two years Gina's freelanced as a Proofreader, Editor, and Copywriter for the beauty, retail, household, and entertainment industries.

At Warner Bros. she created copy for print and Web for in-house products, services and production facilities; proofread, edited, and performed technical rewrites on existing trade literature; edited and wrote Web content for Web sites; and supervised a staff of 5.

She has a great "can do" attitude! 

Word of the Day

Pre-app

Pronunciation: \ˈprē-ˈa-p

1 : the food (e.g., the chips, M&Ms) eaten while your lunch or dinner is being heated in the microwave


(Say what you will, but my word Pescatarian, used right here in this blog in Feb. '07, just got into Merriam Webster. Take that American Heritage Dictionary!)

Resume Your Position


2654401569_db43202bab_o.jpg

Really, there are better ways to get people to look at your resume.

Julia and Tony, our stellar Recruiters here at Aquent LA, pointed out that Update Your Resume Week is coming up on August 11 - 15 (right in the middle of Psoriasis Awareness Month if you can believe it).

And unlike, say, National Catfish Month, there seems to be a reason Monster picked this point of the year to celebrate. According to them, "In 2007, as in past years, August continued to be one of the busiest months for employers to view resumes on Monster."

Though I know the last thing you want to do after a hard day is pull up your resume and start working on it again; but like a 401(k), if you don't start now, it's really going to bite you in the behind. (Not to get all PG on you.)

Here's an idea, start here on these links and let it settle in.

Drink 4 cups of coffee in rapid succession and then start working on your resume.

Figure that you'll throw the first several tries in the trash. That should ease the burden up a bit.

Let's start with the articles... I'll get the coffee brewing.

Update Your Resume Week

Declutter Your Resume in 5 Steps

Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes

Tailor Your Resume Without Starting From Scratch

Speaking of scratching, don't forget to celebrate Psoriasis Awareness Month in your own way.

Wear Your Aquent!

ADA%20Ride.jpg

This is Jim.

He's a dyed-in-the-wool Aquent Talent (though maybe dyed-in-the-Gortex is more appropriate...)

So much so, that he told us on his Tour de Cure ride for the American Diabetes Association he'd even wear a jersey with the Aquent logo emblazoned across the front if he had one.

Wouldn't you know that Susie and Sharon said, "Heck yeah!", and surprised him with the jersey in under a week.

He's a truly great Aquent Talent and we're proud to have him on our team.

Jim's words of wisdom about bike ownership and doing charity rides:

"...get a bike that feels comfortable. You don't necessarily have to spend a fortune, but be mindful of comfort. Buy an upgraded seat. Add a gel pad!" and...

"Wear a bicyling helmet! Oh yeah, and wear a bicyling helmet! Did I mention wear a bicyling helmet? You should definitely wear a bicyling helmet."

I'll second that last point.

If you fall on your head, yeah, you're going to need one.

"Please Tip Your Waitress"

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

  1. Sr. UI Designer
  2. Web Designer
  3. Web Project Coordinator
  4. SEO Analyst
  5. Flash Designer
  6. Web Designer with Coding Skills
  7. Associate Marketing Manager
  8. Executive Assistant in Marketing
  9. Traffic Manager
  10. Production Artist

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. POSITION: Sr. UI Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 5 to 7 years of UI/UX experience
  • Prior work on large sites or products (Web apps or software UI)

PERKS!:

  • Great startup environment
  • Cool office space!

PAY:

  • Up to $100K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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2. POSITION: Web Designer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • At least 3 years of Web Design experience
  • Prior work on heavy content or large Internet sites
  • Must have HTML and CSS knowledge

PERKS!:

  • Great startup environment
  • Cool office space

PAY:

  • Up to $75K

LOCATION:

  • South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. POSITION: Web Project Coordinator

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Content and Web project management experience
  • Able to develop and manage timelines for new projects
  • Prior experience managing multiple projects for major sites
  • Company intranet experience a plus

PERKS!:

  • Great benefits
  • Voted the #1 best place to work in LA
  • Fortune 500 company

PAY:

  • Up to $65K

LOCATION:

  • Downtown

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. POSITION: SEO Analyst

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 3+ years of SEO experience at a high volume Web site
  • Extensive experience with site analytics, link building tools, density analysis, and keyword search
  • Willing and able to build strong relationships with key business partners

PERKS!:

  • Major global entertainment site

PAY:

  • DOE

LOCATION:

  • Burbank

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. POSITION: Flash Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 2 to 3 years of agency experience
  • Hands on skills in Flash and AfterEffects
  • 3D modeling a plus

PERKS!:

  • Small team working on luxury client accounts

PAY:

  • Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Santa Monica

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. POSITION: Web Designer with Coding Skills

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • At least 3 years of experience designing and producing Web sites
  • Able to design Web pages, emails, banner ads, and on-line stores
  • Must be able to code in HTML

PERKS!:

  • Great benefits and an in-office gym
  • Terrific in-house training program (including leadership)
  • Great place for opportunity, company promotes from within

PAY:

  • Up to $75K

LOCATION:

  • Beverly Hills

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. POSITION: Associate Marketing Manager

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Experience working in a traditional packaged goods company, preferably food industry
  • Able to commit to a 2 to 3 month contract
  • Prior experience developing and executing marketing plans
  • Consumer and competitive analysis experience

PERKS!:

  • Work for great international consumer products company

PAY:

  • Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Glendale

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. POSITION: Executive Assistant in Marketing

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • 4+ years of experience assisting VPs, SVPs, or above
  • Must have excellent MS Word and PowerPoint skills
  • Advertising, Marketing, or Creative background a must
  • Strong organizational and project management skills

PERKS!:

  • 25-year old global company with a start-up feel
  • Fast growing company with lots of innovative products

PAY:

  • Up to $60K plus bonuses

LOCATION:

  • Currently in East LA but moving to Playa Vista in a year!

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. POSITION: Traffic Manager

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Prior experience project managing on fast paced, large scale accounts
  • Must be a driven, team player able to work with very little direction
  • Agency background a plus

PERKS!:

  • Working with a great group of talented folks and awesome boss
  • Lots of room to grow!

PAY:

  • Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

  • El Segundo

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. POSITION: Production Artist

TERMS: 1-Month Freelance (On- and Off-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

  • Great hands-on Illustrator and Photoshop skills
  • Able to commit to a few days a week on-site in Oxnard
  • Hands-on CS3 skills
  • Packaging skills a plus

PERKS!:

  • Flexible on-site schedule

PAY:

  • Up to $26 an hour

LOCATION:

  • Oxnard area

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Forward them this email, then have them drop your name to the Agent handling the position.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

Lessons from Her Geekness


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Though I'm not really a fan of the word "geek" (wonder why that is?), especially when it's used to refer to someone who is incredibly sharp at what they do, Anne-Marie Concepcion calls herself one and we'll just have to go with that.

Anne-Marie runs DesignGeek Central,which is a great site if you're looking to get help:
  1. Lending a hand when clients hand you files so ancient or obscure that they're unreadable
  2. Making editable arrows in Photoshop
  3. Converting custom letterhead to Microsoft Word templates
  4. Screen-sharing with far away clients
  5. Teaching Microsoft Word to Creative Pros

Not so geeky, huh?

I mean, no one would ever call Bill Gates a geek, right?

Well, not to his face.

While vacationing on his yacht.

Not me, anyway.

Bill, are you listening?

Thanks again to the sharp folks at CreativePro.com who may or may not be geeks for pointing us to this great site.

Authors

Events

Aquent/AMA Webcast: Demystifying Social Media Measurement

25 March 2010

Speaker – John Lovett, Senior Partner at Web Analytics Demystified.

The social media frenzy is escalating as millions of consumers flock to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and F...

thinkLA: AdU

23 March 2010

Program Overview

The perfect course for junior-level employees, professors and college students, AdU gives a broad introduction to the various departments within an advertising agency. The ...

APALA: Print's role in integrated marketing

23 March 2010

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Learn how print is being
used in integrated marketing campaigns, both in traditional and in some
innovative ways.

DMA presents Anritsu Sales Lead Case Study

23 March 2010

How a sales lead campaign succeeded in opening previously closed doors for the sales dept. and won an ECHO Award along the way.

Search Engine Strategies (SES) 2010

22 March 2010

Approximately 5,000 marketers and search engine optimization professionals attend SES New York each year to network and learn about topics such as PPC management, keyword research, SEO, social medi...

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