This week we kicked off the intern project at Mullen. As predicted we’ve been assigned to groups with 4-5 interns stretching across many different departments. Our task is simple but broad: create something tangible that challenges the status quo. I’m pretty sure my face read like a book when the assignment was revealed. I could not believe the gave us a project that was so open ended with very little direction at all. My group comprises of myself (an account management intern), an art directing intern, a project management intern and a public relations intern.At first this group dynamic frightened me. With two very leader-oriented people and only one true creative, I was nervous. But between me and my fellow project management intern I feel confident we will stay organized and on top of everything. My fears dwell in the area of development. Essentially they want us to reach out of our comfort zones and be innovative but at the same time use the skills we already possess to make the project as real as possible.
I used the intern project as an opportunity to reach out to the experience designer I’ve been working with on my account. As someone who has done only basic wire frames, HTML and mock-ups for class I wanted to run one of our ideas passed him. Not only did he think we had a great idea, but he was able to offer some brilliant advice. He volunteered to help us throughout the project and it gave me the opportunity to learn more about what he does as an experience designer. Not to mention we got to bond about our shared love for Wegmans.
Additionally, I grabbed coffee with a strategist in hopes of learning more about what she does at Mullen and sharing my interest in the area. She was actually an intern last summer and provided me with a lot of wonderful advice. It was great to hear that she wanted to support my interest in strategy and hopes that I might have a chance to get my hands dirty with a project this summer.
As I end my second week here at Mullen there isn’t much work I can show yet for the time I’ve been here. Despite that, I can confidently say I’m still learning a ton and really love the company overall. The ability to seek help or reach out to those you don’t know is often a challenge. It can be embarrassing to admit you don’t know something or scary to contact someone individually. Mullen has provided a secure and friendly environment that has encouraged me to step up and ask others when I want to learn more. Over the next 8 weeks I plan to reach out to more people seeking not just their expertise for our project but also as an opportunity to learn more about areas outside of the one I’m interning in.
Summer Insight Series Take Aways:
So each week we have a “lunch and learn” event with someone from the agency and all the interns where we have the opportunity to learn more about the area of advertising, the people who work at Mullen and their experience of working in advertising and at Mullen.
This week we had a session with David Swaebe, SVP Agency Communications and Business Development and Kate Kozlowski, Agency Communication Manger, about the area of new business. It was really interesting to learn about Mullen’s pitch methodology and their successful pitches including Zappos, Jet Blue and Acura.
Some key points they mentioned were:
1. Finding companies that are culturally compatible. It is not just about pitching to companies that spend a lot on advertising. It is also about pitching to companies that have the right fit and align themselves with similar standards that Mullen has. Many times they are “challenger brands” like Mullen who have a solid reason for “why” they exist.
2. Getting to know the client earlyMullen spend a lot of time immersing themselves in the companies culture and function from the beginning of the pitch so they can truly understand the brand through in through. This also helps to determine whether the company is compatible.
3. Hyper-bundling! Mullen offers its clients so much! In addition to traditional advertising services (OOH, print, tv, radio), Mullen also has in-house PR, media, digital and experiential departments. This full-service agency can really offer so much collaboration in a single pitch.
Check out some of their pitch campaigns:
Marissa Osowsky 