Working with GT Universe for the past 5 years has been an amazing experience. Starting off as a Marketing Coordinator, I’d assist my teammates with ad and event coordination, store team communication, publicity and vendor relations for large-scale retail events including Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month and Earth Month!

As a recent college grad, I loved being able to work for a smaller, boutique agency because I was in constant contact with the Director and President of the company, plus, communication with my colleagues was very fluid and fast!  And guess what, the same still holds true today!  As a smaller team, we wear many different hats and act quickly to help with anything that may come up. This may seem challenging to some, but to me, it just contributes to our family feel, makes us flexible, easily adaptable and supportive towards each other!

Fast forward to today, May 2020, where I am a Senior Project Manager, taking control of all event details and am the liaison between clients, my team, Jewel-Osco execs and store teams, non-profits, digital promotions, tastings, in-store bar parties and more. As we find ourselves in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, GT Universe has taken a Steve Jobs mindset of “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat.” And here’s just a few examples of how we’re adapting:

Launching a New Instagram Account
Our first step in late March was to expand on our GT Universe social outreach, to create an Instagram account GT_Eating, where we are able to feature fun recipes, beautiful product shots, live streams, and tout the benefits of the wonderful brand partners we partner with, bringing you fun and safe content from our homes!

Weekly Zoom Meetings
We also have weekly check-in meetings to go over what everyone is working on and provide updates! Often, I will get messages from many of my co-workers checking in on me, my day, my health, my situation and give messages of empowerment, encouragement and even some dad jokes, which always puts a smile on my face! This team spirit and collaborative effort has allowed our activation agency to evolve into a digital activation agency.

Launching Virtual Events
Recently we’ve added virtual events to our repertoire – – fiestas, wine tastings, cooking classes and more via Jewel-Osco’s Instagram and Zoom! It’s amazing how similar it is to planning events in store! I still am managing making sure brands’ visions and needs are met and executed through these digital channels. Finding the right spokespeople, drink recipes, food partners, promotional vehicles, influencers…seriously, I’m ecstatic for the opportunity to be able to still work with our great retail and brand partners to bring some joy and excitement to shoppers.

With that, we invite you to tune into some exciting events we have coming up with an array of different themes with brands like Weber Grills, Imagery Wine, Dr. Praeger’s, Monini Olive Oil and more:

5/7 Mother’s Day Cookie Cake Decorating Class via Jewel-Osco’s Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

5/7 Kikkoman Stir Fry Live Cooking Demo via GT_Eating Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

5/13 Monini Live Cooking Demo via GT_Eating Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT 

5/14 Dr. Praegers and Schar’s Veggie Burgers and Gluten Free Buns Live Cooking Demo via Zoom at 5-6pm CDT

5/22 Imagery Wine Happy Hour with the Benzinger Family Winemakers via Imagery’s Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/4 Chop & Shop with Weber Grill Masters via Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/9 Chop & Shop Program via Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/11 Chop & Shop with Weber Grill Masters via Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/16 Chop & Shop Program via Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/18 Chop & Shop with Weber Grill Masters via Instagram Live at 5-6pm CDT

6/19 FAB Women Empower Hour Hosted by Women-Owned Businesses via Zoom at 5-6pm CDT

6/26 FAB Women Bar Event Feat. Cupcake Wines, Dark Horse, & Bravazzi and Other Women-Owned Businesses via Zoom at 5-6pm CDT

And there’s always more to come! Be sure to stay up to date via: 
@JewelOsco: Instagram, Facebook Events Page, Eventbrite
@GT_Eating: Instagram
@GT_Universe: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

As uncertain as these times are, it certainly helps to have a group of like-minded collaborative, supportive team members who help you expand and grow, who are there for you, professionally AND personally. 

Thanks so much for adapting with us and even tuning into these digital events. We hope you gain some new favorite recipes, products and have a good time while at home. Stay safe everybody, and we look forward to seeing you soon!