Where does a new fast growing Digital agency recruit that kind of talent? Well, being based in Virginia you go to the closest talent markets…Richmond, VA for creative folks (home of the Martin Agency…Gieco Caveman and Gecko, fame) and to Northern Virginia (NoVA) for Web Developers, Account Managers, etc.
But how do you get them interested in a small, relatively new agency in the middle of nowhere that specializes in social media? Simple, apply what you know… social media. Modea, a growing digital agency in southwest Virginia took a dose of its own medicine and pulled off a subtle but effective effort.
Recently and by accident, we picked up a couple of blog posts that made it into the mainstream media written by Modea employees. The first blog post, written by a recent grad, appeared in Ad Age on 4/13. The article, cleverly written, describes the author’s interview process/courting process with Modea and gave tips for other recent graduates looking for a job in this challenge environment…it also conveniently mentions the firm, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
It describes how she started her search on VCU’s BrandCenter Facebook page (recruiting Richmond talent). She points out that she had reservations about moving to Blacksburg. And, of course she subtlety gets in the plug for the agency…
"Modea is neither an agency nor a think tank. It is an idea-churning society."
Original? Not really, we found the exact quote in a photo of the Modea offices on their Facebook page. It was printed on a piece of paper and taped to conference room wall. Looks like she's "on brand."The second ad/blog post was written by a Web Application Developer at Modea and appears on Handshake 2.0. This post is aimed at the NoVA crowd. Again, cleverly written as a blog post, it describes the experience of another recent hire that left Northern Virginia for the hills of Southwest Virginia.
He starts his story with the fact that he recently transplanted his family from NoVA to Blacksburg…”to take advantage of an amazing job opportunity.” Ah, there it is…the plug.
The author goes on to talk about his pipes bursting while he had the house on the market during a “bitter cold stretch.” He posted a Twitter status update that he was in "good hands with Allstate" and how quickly they responded to his post.
Through telling of his ordeal he also convenient slips in his initial skepticism about Twitter but now how it’s the greatest thing since Web 1.0.
"Here is a brand and a company that, in my opinion, gets it. Here is a visible, public social medium where people are sharing publicly their views and thoughts on anything and everything in their lives. Communities are sharing their experiences and current state of consciousness. Consumers are expressing opinions, both positive and negative, about the world around them and how they interact with it. It would be a missed opportunity for any brand to ignore this medium. Listening and being aware of what is being said about their brand, allows them to, in some cases, actually do something positive and nurturing about it”.
Now I'm not exactly sure what ol’ Mr. Web Application Developers job is at Modea but I’d be willing to bet it has something to do with helping clients with their Twitter strategy.
Anyway, with all this being said I have to take my digital hat off to these guys. Two things could explain this bloggin coincidence and both of them are good.
The first is that this is a well thought out Social Media campaign (which yes, happens to be one of the services that Modea offers). The second is it’s a case of passionate employees who are raging advocates applying their craft to spread the good word about a company they love (or perhaps there’s a big employee referral bonus). Either way…well done, Modea! You’re best in class either way.Author’s note – I have no connection to Modea. I’m not being paid to endorse their services, I have no stake in the company, I’m not even a client…just a fan…or am I? Now, let’s see if they are as good as I think they are…how long before they pick this up and respond?
