Interview with Paul Simón from Liquid Agency
The creative industry is a highly competitive and complex network of agencies, brands, and studios, who all share a common goal: to tell impactful stories that evoke emotion. The road to the top is rarely a straight line, with the big players in the field often jumping between different roles and agencies until they find the perfect opportunity.
In order to gain a greater insight into the industry, I am interviewing creative heads to get a better understanding of their work, the services they offer, as well as their goals and passions.
Paul Simón from Liquid Agency
Recently I had the chance to speak with Paul Simón, Creative Director from Liquid Agency in Portland, OR.
I asked Paul about how he got started working in the creative field, and it was very interesting to hear about his journey.
Paul hailed from sunny California, where he graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a strong interest in journalism. Initially, Paul wanted to start his career working for a big newspaper – but he soon realized that the money being offered wasn’t quite up to par with what he was hoping to make.
Thus began his search for other opportunities, which eventually landed him a job working as a writer for a local agency.
As Paul’s work gained recognition, other agencies became aware of his talent. This leads him to accept an incredible opportunity to work as a Creative Director at RazorFish – today, better known as the creative agency, Publicis Sapient.
Without hesitation, he took on this new position and moved to beautiful Portland, Oregon, and boom – a new chapter in Paul’s life had begun.
Over the years, Paul started his own consulting business and successfully brought his services to multiple Fortune 500 Companies. Today, Paul serves as the Creative Director at Liquid Agency in Portland, tasked with helping companies with their brand culture.
So, what the heck is ‘Brand Culture’?
I got really hooked when Paul was explaining to me the core service and value of their agency. That baby has a name, and the name is brand culture.
After hearing Paul put so much emphasis on the term, my curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t resist – I had to dig deeper and make sure I completely understood Paul’s services and his philosophy on brand culture.
Luckily, Paul was super nice and took the time to explain the value of it to a rookie.
What I learned:
Big brands are losing a ton of money in the recruiting process. Hiring the right people for the right purpose, who also have the right attitude and the right passion and goals, has become increasingly more essential in order for companies to be successful.
But who are the right people? And who is defining what characterizes the right person for a specific job?
Brand culture should help to answer those important questions. Ideally, the service or product of a company should be aligned with the purpose, beliefs, and values of the employees.
It’s simply put but requires a constant effort.
Paul brought up an excellent example which really helped to put this idea into perspective, “Tell an alcoholic to get rid of all his liquor!”
While there is a significant amount of effort that must be put forth to accomplish this task, it will be extremely beneficial in the long run. The fact is that every company that takes brand culture seriously will end up saving a lot of time and money. Ultimately, the company will be stronger and the brand will stand out from the crowd.
The goal is clear; employees should believe in the brand that they are working for. They should believe in the product, service, and ideals the company sells. That is the ultimate goal of brand culture.
This is where Paul comes in. He works with his team of strategists to develop a customized roadmap consisting of guidelines and strategies to help identify and implement your individual brand culture within your company.
It was a great experience meeting with Paul and his team, and learning about the important role brand culture plays within a successful company.
Now it’s your turn!
- What do you think about brand culture?
- Have you already identified your goals within your company?
- What steps have you already taken to achieve these goals?
No matter what step you are at on your brand culture journey – take the initiative and reach out to Paul and his team of specialists at Liquid Agency.