So often we pay attention to the results instead of the process, but it is the process that brings together those desired results. It is important to recognize the hard work, dedication and hours put into our results.
Being a part of this industry, one of the greatest, and quickest lessons you learn is how to become a team member. Not only that but you are exposed to numerous individuals with unique backgrounds and various personalities.
At Casa Media, we are a hard-working team, all curious, creative and motivated in our own unique ways. Since becoming part of the Casa Media team, I have learned the true importance of teamwork. We all come together from snowy Montreal, stark Iowa, and even the sunshine state of California to share our talent and creativity with one another.
I could go on and list hundreds of ways our teamwork, creativity and personalities all give our clients positive results, but I won’t bore you with a bunch of clichés. Instead, I am excited to introduce you to our team and give you the inside scoop on who we are, what we do and how we come together to bring our clients the success they deserve.
Gabby Gramentz
I’ll start this off easy by sharing a bit about me. My name is Gabby Gramentz, and I am the Community Manager at Casa Media. I’m not too shy, so imagine me smiling and talking with my hands as I share a little about myself!
I am a senior in Advertising at Iowa State University. I am originally from Minnetonka, Minnesota, and have been working at Casa Media for just over four months. As the team knows, I could use some improvements when it comes to math or geography, but dominate when it’s time for Disney trivia or knowing song lyrics. The Lion King is the best movie of all time, no one can convince me otherwise.
I have a hard-working, goofy and above all, loyal personality. I love meeting new people and *slightly* obsess over my orange tabby, Archie. Those are two reasons why I love a night out just as much as a night in. College ruined my desire to have any drink containing vodka, but I am always down for a nice glass of wine or a fun night of tequila!
My mind is constantly moving at 100 miles-per-hour, or kilometers for those of you that use the favored metric system, so I like to keep myself busy. Two of the most important things I learned to enjoy are music and travel. I blame my father for my concert obsession and vinyl collection, which is so big it doesn’t fit on the shelves. Despite my lack of geographical knowledge, my desire to travel and explore the world can be blamed on my mother. She has helped me explore so many unique places and cultures.
Community Management at Casa Media
As the Community Manager, I have the privilege of bringing a brand’s personality to life. This position plays an important role in growing a brand’s audience on social platforms. I monitor audience engagement among our client’s Instagram accounts.
What does this mean in simpler terms? I am the face behind our client’s Instagram pages. I am responsible for responding to comments and messages other users may leave on an account.
My job isn’t just responding to direct messages and comments, I also engage with the community to keep each brand’s Instagram account relevant and involved among their target audiences.
I post interactive stories for the community to engage with, compile creative ideas I see throughout the community and leave unique messages or comments on relative accounts. With each account, there comes a completely different personality. Some are more professional, while others are humorous, and all are portrayed by me.
Everyone in the Instagram world has seen spam comments on accounts, and no, this is not the kind of message I leave in the community. I leave insightful or unique comments that stand out among others. Being a positive and active member of the community is how a brand grows a loyal following.
When I first started this position, being able to understand and execute the personality of multiple brands was intimidating to me. I was cautious with my comments and unsure if I was able to portray anyone other than myself. All of that quickly changed with the help of the Casa Media team and as I learned the importance of community management. I am the primary figure who creates loyal and trusting bonds between a brand and the public. I transform an online presence into a personable account and work to grow the account following.
Even though I work remotely from Iowa, I still work closely with other team members. My favorite part of this position is the encouragement and respect each of my co-workers shares with one another. No ideas are unheard, curiosity is always welcome and each learning opportunity is accepted.
I also write articles as you probably have learned by now.
Zoé Marchal
Next, I would like to introduce you to Zoé Marchal, the Motion and Graphic Designer at Casa Media.
Originally, Zoé thought she would pursue a career in video editing, but discovered a love for motion design while studying in the small town of Matane, Quebec. Moving to a small town in Quebec may not seem like a large transition to some but for Zoé, that meant moving across the world. She is originally from Réunion Island, a French department located in the western Indian Ocean. I would love to say I knew exactly where Réunion Island was located, but I may have done some geographic research as I learned more about Zoé.
Embracing her extremely introverted personality, Zoé loves exploring the world. She has numerous memories of traveling the world with her parents, often by backpack. Zoé finds it challenging to title one experience her favorite, but admires the serenity of Rodrigues Island. Her dream is to one day live in Italy, and I can’t say I blame her!
Not only does Zoé love observing the world around her, but also those she surrounds herself with. She is incredibly empathetic and always there to lend an ear when anyone in her life needs her. If she isn’t listening to the people in her life, she is probably paying attention to a podcast, vibing to indie and alternative tunes or reading a book.
Rather than looking to a specific person for inspiration, Zoé finds it amongst individuals who aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Even in her free time, she continually showcases her creative skills. When a moment becomes available, she enjoys crafting beautiful, handmade rugs.
Motion Design at Casa Media
Zoé works as the Motion and Graphic Designer at Casa Media. As the Motion and Graphic Designer, Zoé ensures that projects are attractive, modern and moving.
This position is essential to Casa Media’s creative processes. Zoé manages to compile the ideas of our social management team and the client’s vision, to form high-quality projects. Throughout the entire process, she must ensure it properly represents the client, their brand and corresponds with the rest of their feed.
Another key responsibility of this position is to constantly improve and modernize media. While Graphic and Motion Design can be extremely time-consuming, it definitely pays off. Adding visual effects and movement to static projects is essential to growing a brand’s online presence. This content allows us to easily share a message with the audience that is visually appealing and engaging.
Zoé works closely with PE, another Graphic Designer on the team, to make sure all designs are cohesive and represent the client’s vision. She also works closely with our media management team to evaluate which visuals perform well and which modifications need to be made.
She says the biggest challenge in her career was learning it often takes more than one attempt to get things perfect.
“You can’t always get it on the first try. As a designer, I have to get over the frustration of my work being rejected and keep an open mind.” Zoé said. “I love the playfulness [of motion design], and I’m lucky it’s a valued profession today.”
With numerous aspects to constantly keep in mind, there is no doubt the Casa Media team holds a lot of trust in Zoé. You likely know someone who excels in what they do. For us, that person is Zoé. She forms playful, versatile and unique designs for a wide range of clients and loves what she does.
Pierre-Emilien Le Peuch
Now I would like to introduce you to Pierre-Emilien Le Peuch, but everyone knows him as PE. He is a talented Graphic Designer on the Casa Media team.
PE currently lives in Montreal but is originally from Dunkirk in northern France. Similar to Zoé, he studied Multimedia in the small town of Mantane, at Université du Québec à Montréal. PE is a curious soul, which drove him to move across the world upon graduating in France. He wanted to experience a new culture and meet new people.
PE has a love for the musical world. His favorite artist is Laylow, a French rapper who he looks to for inspiration. He shared that Laylow is a self-taught creative artist who runs the art direction of everything, such as music videos, album covers, songs, etc. It’s no wonder PE found himself in Graphic Design, his admiration for creativity goes beyond the surface.
In his free time, PE enjoys playing sports and video games, and whenever he gets the chance he loves to travel. I asked the typical question, “if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go,” and he responded with: Asia. PE said he would want to travel to Asia to learn and discover the unique cultures found there.
This curiosity and desire to learn more about the world around him has no one questioning where his talent comes from. While PE’s mother is his primary source of inspiration, he finds himself creatively inspired by Instagram design accounts, specifically Rægular.
The one word he believes best defines himself is ‘curious,’ and I know the rest of the Casa Media team would agree!
Graphic Design at Casa Media
As a Graphic Designer at Casa Media, PE is responsible for creating content for clients and Casa Media. He brings everyone’s ideas to life through intricate visuals.
Before the beginning of each month, PE receives a content calendar from SHIFT’s social media team. The content calendar acts as a guide, telling him exactly what is needed for each client account. He reviews what information is necessary and showcases his creative talent through each design he creates.
This position relies heavily on the client and team feedback. He shares that sometimes the design team and clients find themselves on different pages. PE works hard to ensure each design matches exactly what the client has in mind, making adjustments as needed. He works closely with Zoé on content creation, where they make sure the designs are perfect. Everything is then reviewed by the Casa Media team, where feedback and admiration are shared.
The other responsibility PE has may just be his favorite. When working with new clients, PE helps determine the best creative direction for them to take. He enjoys the variety of clients, visuals and creativity he encounters in this position.
“Visual language is one of the most powerful,” PE says. “It ensures the right people get the right messages. The way [visual language] is received is way more important than you would think.”
PE loves creating and has always known he would find himself in a career where he gets to showcase it. He loves the opportunities and experience he gains at Casa Media while continuing to work on his studies.
Pei Ling Cai
Meet Pei Ling Cai, known as Pei, the Social Media Manager here at Casa Media.
Pei was born in China but has spent nearly all her life living in San Francisco, California. She studied at the University of California Santa Cruz, majoring in Psychology. Pei graduated when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and decided to reconsider her career path. She found herself taking Marketing courses and found a love for Social Media Marketing.
When first introduced to Pei, you might recognize a quiet girl, but once you get to know her, the extroverted side comes out. You may also recognize a dedicated persona, which likely comes from her parents. Pei finds inspiration in her parents, who immigrated to America from China to give herself and her younger brother the life and opportunities they never had. She says they are the most hardworking people she knows, sharing that everything she does, and the person she is today, are all credited to them.
Pei began weightlifting her junior year of college and has admired it since. Whenever she finds extra time, she loves learning new crafting projects to try. Lately, she has taken up rug tufting. So far, she has completed a few rugs for family and close friends.
If Pei were to eat one food for the rest of her life, it would definitely be pasta. She says her favorite drinks are anything involving green tea, but the Casa Media team knows her love for the bright blue AMF. If you catch her at the right moment, she may even order it in French!
Social Media Management at Casa Media
Day to day, Pei is responsible for brainstorming strategic ideas for the team can implement into social platforms. She pulls weekly and monthly insights for each of the clients, identifying which strategies are working, and which need to be modified.
Pei also forms monthly calendars for each client. These calendars include information about each post, giving the clients an overall template for what the month will look like. Once these content calendars are client-approved, they are passed to PE and Zoé who work with Pei to create content for each month. Pei also creates copy for each post, allowing the audience to grasp the message further.
Pei works to expand each client’s target audience and business on social media. She communicates with clients, sharing insights, accomplishments and growth across their accounts. As a Social Media Manager, she works to gain new audiences, grow traffic sales and build our client’s presence across online platforms.
Pei quickly learned teamwork and communication are vital. Each post, design and deadline requires detailed communication in order to get the desired results. It is also important to communicate team details, time of completion and whether anyone needs assistance as this allows everything to run smoothly and stay on track.
Initially, Pei did not expect to be a Social Media Manager but now couldn’t see herself doing anything else. She gives credit to Casa Media for allowing her to find her path.
“Casa Media is constantly encouraging me to learn and to be confident in what I put out there,” Pei says.
Jake Robitaille
Now I have the opportunity to introduce you to one of the big boys in charge Jake Robitaille, the Creative Director and Chief Marketing Officer.
Jake currently lives in Montreal and enjoys the Montreal night scene. This can be seen throughout an Instagram page known as Bars of Montreal, which Jake and Dorian both run. Jake studied Communications at the University of Montreal, to open multiple avenues as he navigates through his career.
When Jake is not busy at Casa Media, he lives by the phrase “la joie de vivre,” so trying new things is always an excitement. He spends most of his summers out on the golf course, self-titling himself a golf geek. The frigid winters in Montreal serve as a perfect excuse for Jake to hang out with his friends and enjoy many gin-tonics.
Everyone who knows Jake grows to love his extroverted personality and radiant energy. Jake never fails to find new topics of discussion, or good songs to share with everyone. He frequently shares good tunes with the team, giving us all a little motivation for the week. His karaoke song of choice? Bohemian Rhapsody. I’d like to get tickets to that.
His Kahoot skills appear to be exceptional, but may be questioned as he always manages to win somehow. Although, without him, Casa Media would be Kahootless so we let him have it.
Creative Director at Casa Media
As the Creative Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Jake makes sure all the links in the chain work together. We depend on his management, organization, humor and communication to function as a cohesive unit.
Jake oversees all social media aspects at Casa Media. He monitors Pei, me, and the design team to ensure we are all working in the same direction, in a timely manner. With Jake, the entire Casa Media team is able to have clear instruction on what to do, and how to execute our creative strategies.
Another responsibility Jake handles is client relations, sales and public relations. That being said, communication is critical. He closely communicates with clients to get a clear understanding of their expectations. He relays that information to each team member and works with us to form content strategies and engagement goals.
One of his favorite responsibilities is brainstorming. If you get the privilege to witness Jake brainstorming, you will have no disappointment. He routinely gets the team together so we can come up with original, clever and creative ideas. We are a group of curious and creative individuals, so brainstorming sessions often lead to successful ideas. He coordinates with the creative team and determines how to make our wild ideas come to life.
“It’s always fascinating to throw something at the wall, and see what sticks,” Jake says, “I live for the moments when someone says something and it just clicks.”
“We work well together and it’s just an enjoyable environment to be in,” he said. Jake loves working with Casa Media’s young, curious and determined team as we’re all driven to constantly improve.
Dorian Reeves
Finally, I would like to introduce you to the head honcho, the big dong in charge, Dorian Reeves.
Dorian, is the Founder and Chancellor Supreme of Casa Media. If you know him from hockey, you likely refer to him as Dori. This makes complete sense once you’ve seen his sense of direction, it’s comparable to Dory’s from Finding Nemo.
When he is not busy at Casa Media, you will likely find him still keeping himself busy. As a matter of fact, he shared his typical work-free day, explaining he would likely, “wake up around 9, have coffee and maybe play some video games with the boys, go to brunch with friends, play [hockey, tennis or go to the opera] all afternoon, get home and take a nice, hot shower, then cook dinner and make cocktails with close friends, before enjoying a house party or going to a nice bar.” If that doesn’t give you an insight into how organized and busy Dorian is, I don’t know what else will.
Dorian was born and raised in Montreal and studied Communications and Marketing at Université de Montréal because starting a company was something he wanted to do. With his open mind and approachable personality, there’s no questioning how Dorian made this reality.
He hates choosing favorites and enjoys each unique experience whether it is a vacation or a song. He does, however, agree with me that the Lion King is the best movie, and with Jake that a gin-tonic is the best drink.
Chancellor Supreme at Casa Media
Dorian is the one guiding us all at Casa Media. He receives insights from everyone around him, looking for ideas and ways to innovate.
This position suits him perfectly as he is very much a team player. Dorian pays close attention to each team member, working to understand each person and their unique ideas. In meetings, he forms a positive structure, which allows us to find creative solutions to any problem. Together he helps us execute original, strong campaigns. He also works closely with clients, gaining a strong understanding of what they expect from us at Casa Media.
One of the biggest challenges Dorian faces is battling his perfectionism. When he started out, he found it hard letting others take control of projects, as he wanted to overview the entire thing. He learned it is all about teamwork and being able to find the right employees for the job. With everything running smoothly, Dorian is able to focus on CEO responsibilities and less on the typical day-to-day tasks.
Similar to Jake, Dorian loves our brainstorming sessions. As a team we bounce ideas off one another, coming up with strategies, direction and designs. He enjoys watching each campaign come to life.
Dorian has always been extremely curious, making him a perfect person to hold this position. He is able to see the talent, strength and opportunity this team has. He continually offers insight and encouragement to each team member and works with them to accomplish goals.
We’d Love to Meet You!
At Casa Media, each of us has our own strengths and hobbies, yet we all come together to form a strong team. We come together from all across the world to share our skills and curiosity with each other and our clients. Working closely with one another, we are able to brainstorm and execute campaigns for clients across the world.
Casa Media is a group of welcoming and positive workers who would love to meet you. If you or anyone you know needs a little TLC on your social marketing platforms, we’d love to meet you! Reach out to Casa Media here and learn more about why we’d be a great fit for you and your brand.
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