Much has been written about making yourself more valuable in the workplace, but too often I’ve found the advice is incomplete: Get more skills and more certifications — then, get more responsibility. We tend to focus on the practical side of work, ignoring the emotional intelligence and soft skills required to truly excel. In today’s workplace, the best way to demonstrate your value as an amazing employee is to manage up.

“Managing up” is a working style in which you use empathy and strategic thinking to consciously enhance your manager’s work and add value. In short, it means going beyond your day-to-day work to interject additional value into the equation. This added value can produce a better relationship with your boss, a more productive working environment for everyone and better advancement opportunities for you. Who would say no to that?!

Oklahoma, with its awe-inspiring natural beauty, boasts a diverse array of tourist destinations that will captivate any traveler's heart. From the pristine beauty of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to the eclectic and nostalgic attractions sprinkled along historic Route 66, like the Blue Whale of Catoosa, there's something for everyone to explore!
For National Travel and Tourism Week, we asked some of our favorite locals for their favorite destinations around the state. Keep reading to learn about some of VI's favorite spots in Oklahoma!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 3, 2023) – VI Marketing and Branding (VI), a leading marketing agency headquartered in Oklahoma City, has been named the strategic media and creative agency for the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO). The incumbent agency won the business after its previous contract expired and will continue to provide its full range of marketing and communications services to promote safe driving and reduce the number of fatalities on Oklahoma roads.
 
VI has created a variety of successful campaigns for OHSO, including the Road Science campaign to encourage motorcycle safety and the Gameshow campaign which emphasizes road safety.

Every year, Big Tobacco spends hundreds of millions of dollars marketing deadly products to Oklahomans in hopes of getting them hooked. No one is off limits to the lies, no matter their age, race, gender or socioeconomic class. Big Tobacco won’t stop until everyone is saddled with a lifetime of addiction. 
Those lies … just didn’t sit right with us. Thus, Shapeshifter was born.

Recently, I attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. It’s one of the largest festivals of its kind, held each year in Austin, TX. What started out as a small music festival in the late ‘80s that attracted around 700 people has grown into a massive annual event with around 300,000 attendees each year. They host conferences on film, music, interactive technology and even comedy. If you’re a filmmaker, SXSW is probably already at the top of your list of places to submit your film.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 18, 2023) - VI Marketing and Branding, a leading digital marketing agency in Oklahoma City, took home gold at the 2023 local American Advertising Awards on Saturday, February 18^th hosted in Oklahoma City. The VI team is proud to have won 16 total awards, including the prestigious Best of Show.

VI also moved on to the district level and won three Silver ADDYs. The district 10 winners include: "It's Like They're Smoking" in Public Service TV and Integrated Media Public Service categories and Social Media Campaign, Mascots TikToks. The district winners are now moving on to compete at the national level. The national competition winners will be announced at ADAMERICA this June.

As marketing professionals, we understand the power of creativity in capturing attention, engaging audiences, and driving brand success. From stunning visuals to thought-provoking messaging, art plays a crucial role in shaping the look and feel of brand campaigns.

We’re stoked to introduce VI’s new Director of Business Development, Chas Stoker! 

In 1908, a group of women marched in New York City to demand better pay, shorter working hours, and the right to vote. Three years after that, the first annual International Women's Day was celebrated, and 112 years later, this annual holiday is recognized in more than 27 countries and is celebrated by people around the globe on March 8th.

International Women's Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality and equity, and recognize the challenges that still exist. By celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women everywhere, we can educate ourselves and start important conversations that lead to positive change in our world.

At VI, we're proud to celebrate the women who bring so much value to our team every single day – but especially on International Women's Day. So, to celebrate the 112th anniversary, we asked the most phenomenal women we know to share their stories, advice, words of encouragement, and insights on what it means to be a woman in the modern world:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (February 27, 2023) - VI Marketing and Branding, a leading digital marketing agency in Oklahoma City, has been named a 2023 Google Premier Partner for the fifth consecutive year. Achieving Google Premier Partner status places VI in the top 3% of Google Partners in the US, distinguishing the company as a Google Ads expert to clients and the industry, and recognizing the agency's superior expertise and success in the Google Ads platform.

Every year, millions of people tune in to watch the biggest football game of the year, and advertisers are eager to get in on the action. From emotional storytelling to humor and everything in between, VI marketing masterminds break down the key elements of successful, and some not-so-successful, advertising during football's biggest game of the year.

Marketing is a fast-paced and demanding industry that requires creativity, hard work, and dedication. However, the pressure to meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality work can sometimes leave marketing professionals feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and burnt out. One of the biggest challenges marketing professionals face is achieving a healthy work-life balance, especially in an agency setting where long hours and tight deadlines are often the norm.