Reposted from Journal Record on April 24th …. http://tinyurl.com/d3zz3s

TULSA – Many companies are hiring social media directors, but Tulsa-based Cubic decided to go a different route.

In response to client demand, Cubic will open a Social Media Lab this summer.“We have been living social media because it’s been our passion, and we have been doing it for years,” said Jeff DeGarmo, vice president and chief technology officer for Cubic. “We’ve been on Facebook and Twitter and we do not have to hire one person to develop this.”

The Tulsa-based creative agency signed a lease to take over more than 1,800 square feet for the lab.

About a year ago, Cubic moved into a building that provided expansion capabilities at 1631 S. Boston Ave.

“From a sociology standpoint, social media has been around forever,” said Winston Peraza, creative director for Cubic. “It’s a good bridge between the digital realm and the offline world.”

Billy Kulkin, president of Cubic, said social media – like any form of communication – needs to have a strategy in place.
There are two aspects to Cubic’s Social Media Lab: one targeted toward students and the other for the business community.

Cubic plans to hire up to seven interns to work on projects for its clients, said Peraza.

“We also hope to learn from these kids because, for them, this idea of social media is a natural part of life,” he said. “The lab is more of an environment for experience.”

DeGarmo said he thinks the company will get value out of the interns’ social media knowledge.

“We are developing a strategy and giving them an opportunity to look at tactics while we are watching them,” he said. “These college kids are the ones that know what’s coming and the ones more engaged to what’s happening right now.”

Kris Oakes, director of interactive media, said the lab could serve as a marketing tool for Cubic.

“If we can get the brightest students in, this gives us an opportunity to mentor them and help them grow,” he said. “Ultimately, we find the brightest kids out of college and potentially hire them.”

Kulkin said he’s actively involved with organizations – like Tulsa Young Professionals – that aim to keep the younger population in Tulsa.
If Cubic can show the next generation that the agency is on the forefront of trends, people may be encouraged to stay local instead of find jobs in other cities, he said.

Cubic also wants the lab to provide an educational resource for the business community. DeGarmo said they are in talks to bring in speakers and possibly hold monthly social media forums.

These troubled economic times have not put a damper on business, said Kulkin. The company has charted steady growth at about 20 percent every year. Kulkin said this year’s first-quarter numbers were better than a year ago.

While they offer similar services to an advertising agency, Kulkin said Cubic is not designed like one.

“I believe most agencies sell a process,” he said. “We don’t sell a process; we are selling the way we think. We felt the term ‘creative agency’ doesn’t limit us.”

Peraza said when Cubic was created several years ago, the company believed in a strong focus on technology and how it can bring value to their clients.

At a traditional advertising agency, less than 10 percent of the staff is technologically trained. About 70 percent of Cubic employees have tech skills, said Peraza.

“I say being a tech person is a lifestyle,” he said. “Technology has already become so embedded in this world.”