XM Gravity Indonesia regularly uses social media and mobile technology to create innovative communication solutions for its clients. So the agency decided to use some of its experience with social media and technology to make its own people a bit more happy, and more connected with their working environment. It created a unique, in-house mobile application, the XM Gravity Happiness App.
“As a digital agency, we help our clients leverage technology and social media every day to meet their business goals. This time, we’re leveraging that know-how to help us achieve our own goals. Happy staff who feel connected, and cared for, are committed staff who give their best,” says Kevin Mintaraga, XM Gravity’s CEO.
The application, primarily and solely targeted at the agency’s employees, utilizes four main features with different functions – Mood, News, Task and Contact. The Mood part allows users to express their feelings each day by choosing on the wide range of mood selections provided. In fact this particular feature allows the agency to keep track of employee sentiment and help them solve various issues. According to Mintaraga, employees who consistently log in negative emotions would be approached by their supervisors for a heart to heart chat aimed at solving whatever issue is weighing on them. “So, the Happiness App serves as a sort of hard check up on everyone in the company. That’s what the Mood part is specifically for,” he explains.
The app also includes the News section, which keeps the staff posted on the company’s news, updates and announcements right in the palms of their hands. Mintaraga points out the content of the news and announcements section would largely about matters related to individuals in the company, from professional-based updates, such as who’s been promoted, to more personal news, like who’s getting married.
Meanwhile, the Task feature is dedicated to assist the clients by supporting their on-going campaigns. Users would be able to re-tweet, ‘Like’, or share key posts on the brands’ social media pages with the purpose of creating a viral effect. The task part of the app not only strengthens the role of an agency as its clients’ business partner – it treats clients as part of XM Gravity’s growing family. “Seeing the clients as family members, we feel the need to be able to help them spread valuable messages in their campaigns. We feel this task section would best satisfy this need”, Mintaraga said.
The company has also proven the enormous power of social media when it comes to promoting materials in the online sphere. The 
agency’s XM Gravity’s Harlem Shake video has garnered more than 150,000 views within 2 weeks and driven 300 people to apply for jobs on the company’s website. “All it took was everyone in the office tweeting the link to our Harlem Shake video. We’re sure the same thing could be applied to our clients’ digital campaigns using this task feature”.
XM Gravity Happiness App, which operates on three different platforms including iOS, Android, and BlackBerry OS, is also equipped with a Contact page that contains the list of each person’s phone number, e-mail address, and social media accounts. “But of course, we can’t forget the fact that now everybody’s keeping in touch on social media. This is why we put on the employees’ Facebook and Twitter accounts on the Contacts page, making it easy for them to get connected online”, he adds.
To encourage participation on the App, active users would be rewarded by points and have a chance to win coveted prizes every month. “Since XM Gravity was established, one of my main goals has been to promote a family culture among us. Family means everybody is heard, and everybody is taken care of. That way, they would be happy, which would eventually lead to a great performance in their work. Happiness underpins the broader culture that the agency aims to sustain through this app,” Mintaraga concludes.
