This is why we are the way we are

10 years of aiming for awesome.

Why we articulated our core values, created mascots to represent them and had fun in the process — a paean to 10 years of aiming for awesome.

We turned 10 this year — not an insignificant milestone in this business, but one that made us pause a bit and reflect. For the past 10 years, we’ve been busy hustling, working with awesome clients and growing the company, that we never really paused to think about what made us, well, Hashtag Interactive. What shaped and motivated us to #AimforAwesome in everything we do?

What were our guiding principles, the values we believed in? We realised we never bothered to articulate any of them, so busy were we in carving out a place for ourselves in this demanding industry. So we dug deep into what has truly shaped this company.

Right at the top of our list? Actually putting down what we believed in — the core values that have shaped this company, informed every decision we’ve made, and as manifested in every Hashtagger.

These values have been our trusty compass, keeping us on track and united over the past decade. They have instilled a sense of purpose and shared responsibility among our team, acting as constant reminders of the commitment we hold to #AimforAwesome together.

Articulating and distilling our six core values was the first step. The next? Making sure everyone in the company knew and understood what these were. This required another crucial step: Forming a cross-functional team of creative minds.

The mission? To develop a campaign that reflects Hashtag’s core values, one so informative and impactful that we can make these values an integral part of our daily lives as Hashtaggers.

When the team was put in place, they immediately got to brainstorming and bouncing things off each other to prepare a presentation deck brimming with ideas.

Eventually, the team landed on having mascots represent each core value. An uber-creative member (Thanks, Anna Marie!) of the Core Values Theme Team drafted, drew studies, and fully realised the plan right after the first pitch. She had designs and concepts to present after a day. It was outstanding.

From then on, more fun things ensued. We started crafting a strategic campaign that would captivative and engage our audiences. After nailing the specifics of the rollout, the team made the decision to introduce a lovable mascot every week.

We took our week-by-week launches to Instagram and asked Hashtaggers (some clients even pitched in!) to choose a name for our characters. This way, we got everyone involved and excited about the campaign.

We didn’t stop there, of course. We wanted everyone to fully embrace our core values, so we created an immersive event to beat all Hashtag virtual events: The Core Values Challenge.

Having a virtual office at Gather made it easier to do a culminating activity. We were able to set up various stations where everyone could get into teamwork exercises and problem-solving tasks, with a designated station master giving points for ranking and prizes!

Introduction to the Core Values Challenge.

The Core Values Challenge: Station 3.

Naturally, we wanted to give a spotlight to our outstanding Hashtaggers, too. This led to extending rewards and recognition to those who embody our core values.

Through nomination and voting, we found employees within the company who exemplified the essence of each core value. We found and recognised our Teammate Tilly, Steady Eddie, Do it Daisy, Synergy Sam, Next-gen Nova, and Quirky Quinn during Hashcon 2023, Hashtag Interactive’s anniversary gathering which was held in Taiwan this year.

Hashtaggers receiving their awards on the first night of Hashcon in Taiwan.

We’re excited to continue using our core values mascots in our communication efforts. This is so we can put emphasis on our company culture and ensure that our values are at the forefront of everything we do.

Our core values hold significant meaning to Hashtaggers, extending far beyond the representation of mascots. They provide a compass for navigating our industry’s landscape; they cultivate a strong sense of purpose; and most of all, they propel us to go above and beyond.

After all, they’re not just words on a wall but guiding principles that make Hashtag, Hashtag.

Missed our launch? Get to know our core values mascot here!