Category: Posture Interactive

Intern Spotlight: Carla Henry

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Posture is extra #blessed this summer to have not one, but TWO crazy talented interns! We’d like to introduce you to our super-talented design intern coming to us from her school in State College, Carla Henry:

Who are ya?

My name is Carla-Ann Henry, but I’ve always gone by Carla (hyphens are complicated).

Where do you hail from?

I’m from a few different areas. I’m originally from Northeast Pennsylvania but then moved to Northern Kentucky for 7 years. I then moved to Central Pennsylvania for school, and now I’m in Scranton!


What inspired you to study design?

I was always slightly interested in design work and art in general, but what really inspired me is my older sister, Kara. She always knew she wanted to study design and has been professionally working at a design firm in Kentucky for two years now. Her journey really pushed me to pursue design as a career.

Who inspires you lately?

Personally, I always think my sister inspires me. I constantly see her work and talk to her about different projects and it really inspires me to continue and grow in what I’m doing.

What’s the best thing about going to school in State College?

The best thing was probably how close everything is to each other. There isn’t much outside of State College, but when you’re in it there’s a good number of shops and different places to eat. Downtown State College is always super busy, but when the Penn State students leave it’s always nice to take a trip Downtown.

Why did you choose to come to Posture Interactive in Scranton, PA for your internship?

As I mentioned before, my sister has always been my inspiration and who I look up to. During my internship search, I looked back at her firm and saw how happy she was in her setting. She was surrounded by great people who were all like a family to each other. When I visited her firm I could instantly feel positive energy and the happiness that everyone there shared. They also did GREAT work! So I decided to look for a place like that for myself, and I really think I found that in Posture Interactive.

What is the most interesting project/client you’ve worked on at Posture Interactive?

The most interesting is definitely a visual food menu in multiple languages for a local hospital. I didn’t even know that they were a thing, but I’ve become very familiar with the one I’ve been working on.

What would you tell fellow students who haven’t had an internship yet?

I would tell them to look for an internship with the intention of really getting to know what kind of environment you want to be in when you’re working. There are so many people out there with your exact level of skill, but what will really set you apart from the others is how well you fit into that environment, and that’s what you want to look for.

What is your ideal project?

My ideal project is one where there’s a healthy amount of communication and flexibility between you and your client. Incorporating illustrations is also a plus!

What’s your favorite computer program?

As far as Adobe Creative Cloud goes, I always gravitate towards Illustrator. Making vector illustrations has always been so much fun for me to work with. Other than that, I would definitely go with Sims 4 (if that counts as a computer program).

Do you have a favorite location in Scranton?

I haven’t been able to explore too much of Scranton yet, but if I had to pick a favorite so far it would be the parking lot of this one building downtown that I couldn’t even tell you the name of.

This year for St. Patty’s day (when I wasn’t living here yet) I was invited to a work get-together in a parking lot downtown and I was immediately immersed in the spirit of Scranton. It was the closest thing resembling city-wide parties in Cincinnati, and it felt like home.


True or false: Dogs really run the show around here at Posture.

TRUE! The whole office makes sure to greet every dog that comes through, and every dog gets all of the pets they want!

Intern Spotlight: Gabby Santos

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At Posture, we’re delighted to have so many talented interns come through our doors. This week, we’d like to introduce you to our intern and communications student at Marywood University : Gabby Santos.

What’s your name?

Gabby Santos (AKA “Good At Being Bad Yo”)
Also, you can follow my weenie dog on Instagram: @texas_weiner

Where are you from?

I am from Del Rio, Texas

What inspired you to study communications? 

I took a dual credit class in high school called Principles of Marketing and Finance and my teacher at the time, Ms. G, influenced and inspired me to pursue a degree in marketing.

Who inspires you lately?

A lot of people have inspired me lately. My family always inspires me to work hard and to dream big. My former volleyball coach, Carissa, inspires me to be confident in myself and to thrive in every situation. Lastly, my best friends from home and college inspire me every day to try new things and go on spontaneous adventures.

What’s the best thing about going to school in Scranton? 

The best thing about going to school in Scranton is experiencing the diverse culture, meeting amazing people, and making lifelong friends.

What is the most interesting project/client you’ve worked on at Posture Interactive?

An interesting project I’m working on is the Scranton Parking Campaign because I get to see a marketing campaign from start to finish. The most interesting client I’ve worked on is Avanti because I got to go to an event and talk about the product that we’ve created marketing around.

What is the biggest piece of advice or working skill you’ll take with you from your intern experience here?

The biggest piece of advice that I would take away from this internship is to be myself and express my opinion. When you first start an internship sometimes it can be slightly intimidating just because you want to make a good impression but the purpose of an internship is for you to be yourself and to ask questions and test your knowledge.

What would you tell fellow students who haven’t had an internship yet?

For students who haven’t done an internship yet, I highly recommend that they try and land an internship within their field of study. I have done a few internships within my field and it has helped me figure out what I want to do.

What is your ideal project?

My ideal project is one I am actually working on currently which is the parking campaign and developing it from scratch. I get to be a part of crucial market research, data collection, and data analysis. 

What’s your favorite digital tool or program?

I don’t have a favorite program specifically but if I had to pick it would be Chrome.

Which Coney Island is better?

I would have to say the Coney Island underneath the bridge is my favorite one.

Ketchup, Mustard, or other?

Ketchup for sure. 

True of false: Doug knows more bands than anyone else in the office.

I feel like this is true. He gives me a band connoisseur vibe.

Hot Diggity Dog!

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This past week tensions were high. A common Scranton debate had become the center topic of discussion and we needed to end it once and for all. Many locals know about the two Coney Islands located near the 500 block on Lackawanna. They’re both very similar. Small, quaint hot dog shops that serve greasy, heartburn-inducing disco fries and hot dogs piled on with chili, cheese, and onions. In fact, rumor has it that the owners are actually brothers, and after a dispute, they opened two separate shops: one with the original recipe, and one the original location. We knew that to settle our office’s debate we had to do a taste test.

Coney Island of Scranton (Hot Dog A)

Coney Island Lunch (Hot Dog B)

We ordered hot dogs and fries from both locations and sorted them into hot dog A and B, without revealing where they were from. Then we indulged. As the hot dogs dwindled in number and groans of pleasure and regret filled the office we cast our votes.

The sorted dogs

We scored each hot dog out of five, then added them up to get our overall average results. Here were our results:
Hot Dog A: 3/5
Hot Dog B: 4/5

Overall, we thought Coney Island Lunch on Lackawanna had better hot dogs. However, we did agree afterward that the disco fries were better at The Coney Island of Scranton.

After a tried and true measure of testing, the office is still just as divided, but at least this time we have proof which is better.

The winner of the best chili dog of Scranton!

A Branding Jumpstart for Luzerne County Head Start

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We’d like to introduce you to our friends at Luzerne County Head Start.

Nearly 6 months ago we participated in “Cropped“, a creative competition hosted by the American Advertising Federation of NEPA that helps non-profits receive new or updated branding through 3 fast-paced rounds of competition between local marketing companies. Luzerne County Head Start (LCHS) was chosen as last year’s featured non-profit, so they presented their list of marketing needs at the competition in November. Each of the teams had to create a logo, tagline, and campaign strategy in 20-minute segments while using only markers, crayons and craft paper. After each segment, a team was eliminated (“cropped” out) by a panel of judges until there was only one team left. The winning team then worked with the non-profit to complete the suite of marketing materials they proposed during the competition at no cost to the nonprofit.

After some creative crayon drawings, brain-busting brainstorming, and witty word-play, Posture ascended through the rounds and won the competition. The best part? We got to work closely with the wonderful Head Start team and we were even invited to visit their location in Wilkes-Barre to help make pancakes and eat breakfast with the kids.

Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5, in centers, child care partner locations, and in their own homes. This includes a wealth of information of resources for new or soon-to-be new parents.

Even with such a fantastic wide-spread mission, LCHS still needed a hand with their marketing to help garner the support of more community resources and funding. They actually have a wait list for children to get in because there are many families who can benefit greatly from these programs, but Head Start only has so many open seats for children in the area with their current resources. So in addition to developing a new refreshed logo and a tagline that better expresses the mission of Head Start, we also created a campaign strategy to get the word out.

After seeing how excited Lynn and the team were to use their new marketing materials, we knew we were hooked on Head Start and we couldn’t stop there. The team approached us about giving their website a much-needed overhaul, and we gladly whipped up a proposal for what we know will be a great new chapter for Luzerne County Head Start. Stay tuned for great things to come for our friends at LCHS!

The Greatest ADDY’s

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The American Advertising Awards (or AAA…or Addy’s) is our favorite annual event for local advertising and marketing companies to come together and share in their year of accomplishments. Hosted by our friends at the American Advertising Federation of NEPA, the awards are the culmination of a judged advertising competition that starts on a local and advances to a regional then then national level. For us, it also showcases the amazing growing pool of talent we have right here in NEPA and provides a wealth of inspiration.

To say we had a blast would be an understatement – this year’s Addy’s was the GREATEST Addy’s! The whole event was inspired by the recent musical: “The Greatest Showman,” having the matching theme and triumphant theatrics we all appreciate here at Posture.

We were recognized for the House Party campaign and Seed to Farmacy campaign we did this past year. We love working with clients who give us the opportunity to create innovative interactive experiences. For more info about our project visit our project showcase here.

Congratulations to all winners and contestants, it was a really fun and inspiring night and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

React Training

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Training 4 Development giving Posture’s development team the “low down”

This past week we put the development in professional development! Our dev team completed an intense week-long training that sharpened their coding skills in React, Redux, and Typescript. Web design and development are constantly changing so it’s important to stay on top of the trade’s trends. We’re constantly trying to find new ways to improve our brand’s strategies and help them improve, so we’re glad we got to learn some new tricks from Training 4 Development.

Staying creative in the New Year

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Some people are gifted with the innate ability to come up with brilliant ideas and innovative solutions effortlessly. The rest of us, however, are forced to work with the complexly (and sometimes clunky) mechanical minds we’ve been given. They grind along well enough if we oil them frequently, but it’s easy to get behind on mental maintenance. Creativity requires vigilance and lots of self-care. It’s almost like taking care of your car but deserves a little more thought. 

Here are our tips for keeping your creative mechanics sharp and running well:

1. Preventative maintenance

Keeping cognitive creation at it’s prime requires preventative maintenance like a cars oil change. Instead of chugging the nearest 5W-30 caffeine, make sure you’re paying attention to how well your engines running, and be sure to take measures accordingly. If you’re feeling drained, don’t push yourself more than necessary.

2. Refuel often

A good day’s work of creative output comes from a lifetime of creative input. Your creativity is based on your lifetime of experiences that have led up to this moment. So keep living your life and feeding your creative side. Make sure you are participating in something you are passionate at least once a day.

3. Rotate your tires regularly

If you’re constantly wearing on the same old tricks you’ve always used, you’ll get worn down. You need a new perspective from time to time, and that requires some time and effort. Whether that’s throwing a new

4. Just get in the car, damnit.

Half the battle is showing up, getting your pen on the page. Chuck Close put it best by saying “Inspiration Is for Amateurs—The Rest of Us Just Show Up and Get to Work.” Most of the time while we’re simply waiting for something to spark our creativity, we could instead be putting effort into creating using what we already have in front of us. Sure, you’ll have some days where you’re fired up and roaring to create, but other days you’ll have to make do with what you can get.

5. Drive with confidence

When you’re out on the road, there are a bazillion other things you could focus on, but it takes a bit of focus and self-confidence to really hone in on driving your creativity to the finish line.

You can do it, now get out there and drive!

 

Party on…and keep the Arts Alive

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I knew pretty early in life that I would pursue a career in something related to visual art. Whether it was drawing banners or building crafts as a kid, I was always pretty artsy-fartsy. I identified and thrived in this area because I was exposed to it and given the opportunity in school and at home to be as artistic as I could.  I was lucky. Not every kid has those opportunities.

Research shows the arts offer benefits far beyond creativity — they increase productivity and focus, they boost confidence, teach problem-solving and so much more. Regardless of their benefits, budgets and curriculums in our public schools make it difficult for our children to be exposed to visual and performing art.

So when our team started thinking about what local organizations we wanted to support this holiday season it was only natural that I thought of something that has had an impact on me personally.  I’ve had the pleasure of working hand in hand with Arts in Education NEPA, a partnership organization of The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and NEIU 19. Their mission is to advocates for arts education in schools and communities. They administer quality learning experiences in the performing and visual arts.

 

The most widely known AIE NEPA program, Arts Alive, is celebrating their 26th year this summer. Arts Alive pairs professional working artists and students in grades K-12 for four intensive weeks each summer. And the outcome is nothing short of remarkable.  They create a safe space where no one feels like an outsider and anything is possible. Students self-esteem skyrockets and the boost in confidence trickles through all of their studies improving their grades and attitudes with lifelong lessons they will take with them throughout the year.

What’s even more remarkable is the effect these programs have on children with more serious needs. I’ve personally met autistic children who entered the program as a nonverbal student and have found their voice through Arts Alive… literally and figuratively.

 

Support of AIE NEPA provides scholarships and transportation to students that otherwise wouldn’t have access to quality educational art programs.

 

Show your support for the arts and build a virtual gingerbread house for AIE NEPA!

Join the Posture House Party now through December 31st and share your house on social media with #PostureHouseParty to vote for AIE NEPA as the winner of our grand prize — a cash donation plus design and digital support totaling $5,000!

Start building here.

Dip your toes into Our Pocono Waters with Posture’s House Party

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Our Pocono Waters is dedicated to protecting the exceptional value streams of the Pocono area. What’s an exceptional value stream? I’m glad you asked. An exceptional value stream is a classification given to streams that have the cleanest and highest quality of water. In the Pocono’s region, we have over 80% of the state’s exceptional value streams, and a lot of the streams are threatened by bad environmental practices. Our Pocono Waters wants to help protect these streams.

Our Pocono Waters is also important to me personally too. I grew up out in the woods messing around, falling in streams, building forts. Now, I spend a lot of my free time outside fishing or hiking around these same beautiful streams and outdoor spaces.

They’re a source of endless inspiration and relief when nothing else suffices. You really can’t beat standing in the middle of a stream with a fly rod in your hand. It’s a magical feeling hearing and feeling the stream flow around you. When you’re out there like that, you start to get a sense of how important a small stream can be to the local environment and the people around it. Pristine beauty like the streams of the Poconos need to be protected for generations ahead of us to experience. I’d hate to think of a future where kids couldn’t spend their time alongside a babbling brook. If you want to learn more about their organization visit ourpoconowaters.org

 

Our Pocono Waters Logo
Support the protection of a local resource by
building a house for Our Pocono Waters 

Join the Posture House Party now through December 31st and share your house on social media
using #posturehouseparty to vote for Our Pocono Waters
as the winner of our grand prize — a cash donation plus design and digital support totaling $5,000!

Start building here.

We’re having a party… and you’re invited!

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The Posture elves have been busy working on something really fun for this holiday season — we’re having a house party, and you’re invited! No need for a covered dish or party clothes, you can join in the fun right from your couch if you like.

The Posture House Party is an interactive gingerbread house building extravaganza!

 

We’re asking our friends, families, clients and the community to build their own digital gingerbread house and share their holiday creation on social media.  But what’s even better is each house built will be a vote for one of our favorite non-profits. The organization with the most houses shared in their honor will be awarded a cash prize and a boatload of our time for their design, web, and digital content needs — all totaling $5,000!

 

The Posture team put our heads together to identify the causes we care about most —  as a result, we’re thrilled to be partnering with Arts in Education Northeast Pensylvania, Blue Chip Farm, Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, The United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, and Our Pocono Waters.

 

We’ll be partying on until December 31st and we’ll announce our winner in the new year!

What are you waiting for? Start building at PostureHouseParty.com

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