The fame. The glory. The Blue Yeti Award.

Symbolizing raw talent and sheer, utter genius, the Blue Yeti Award is a revered cultural experience for team members at Avalaunch Media. Every two weeks, the company founders consult each other (and management) to identify an employee who has demonstrated effort and attitude worthy of receiving the Blue Yeti Award: a much-beloved statue of our mascot, Eddy the Yeti. The statue is bestowed for a variety of digital marketing feats—valiant leadership, plucky salesmanship, or a particularly click-worthy campaign. Every member in every department has a chance to be recognized for their contribution to Avalaunch’s bottom line. “Being recognized as a top employee in the company meeting has quickly become an award we all strive to win,” said co-founder Jason Coulam. “It’s also become a fun part of our culture.” Why the Yeti? A recent addition to our institution, the Blue Yeti Award was established in 2017 as a formal way to reward outstanding knowledge and skill. Our founders read studies that showed employees feel greater satisfaction and motivation in the workplace when their impact is acknowledged. While Avalaunch encouraged “shoutouts” at biweekly meetings (and still does to this day), we wanted a more meaningful way to express gratitude to those best representing Avalaunch’s core values. After seeing a Yeti statue in Delta’s Sky magazine, Jason purchased it and painted it Avalaunch Media’s branded cyan blue. The Blue Yeti sits on each winner’s desk for two weeks, until the next employee is praised and validated in front of their peers. “I think the Blue Yeti award brings a friendly competitiveness that raises the bar for everyone,” said co-founder David Mink. “Employees want to win the award. It gives our team insight into the ways people are going above and beyond the job description.” What Makes the Extra Mile? Who deserves the Blue Yeti Award? Award winners demonstrate fantastic creativity, grit, and a focus on client experience. These stories are woven into our company culture to serve as models of the clever problem-solving that brings our clients back for more. The following elements contribute to the award decision:

• Manager recommendations
• Teammate recommendations
• Client testimonials
• Client wins such as ROIs and other metrics
• Outside achievements such as earning industry awards, speaking at events, etc.

A few Yeti wins have become company lore. Motion graphic designer Rick won the Yeti for his hard work on our Telly-winning video. Account manager Emily won it for her stellar PPC- and SEO-focused client strategies. And, of course, there was the time we surprised co-founder Andrew Melchior at the company fish fry. But our latest ceremony upped the ante when a client heard of our award and recorded a personal “thank you” to Jimmy, one of our graphic designers: If that video wasn’t enough, Jimmy also got to bask in the Blue Yeti glory while the award sat on his desk for the next couple weeks. What Has the Yeti Brought to Avalaunch? Beyond giving credit where it’s due, the Blue Yeti keeps our team members connected and productive. As we continue to grow and take on clients both big and small, it’s important not to neglect the fact that our employees’ excellence got us here. We feel more purposeful in our goals and more respectful of our employees’ skills and expertise than ever before. With only 52 weeks in a year, and 26 Blue Yetis to award, the stakes have never been higher. Our expectations for digital marketing heroism have risen dramatically. The employee that wins the most Yetis within a year is awarded 50,000 Delta miles. With such an engaged, loyal workforce, you can guarantee Avalaunch is invested in its clients’ achievements. Contact Avalaunch today to launch your brand.