Internship Week 3: It’s All About the People

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Well today is the last day of week 3 at Mullen and I’m frightened by how fast this week went by but that’s what you get for having fun.

When I interview for jobs and internships I often ask, “What makes working at [name of company] a different experience from working anywhere else?” 9 times out of 10 my interviewer will include, “The people” in their answer. When you’re spending a minimum of 40 hours a week in an office there is no doubt that those you interact with will have a huge impact on your overall experience. This week I have continued to learn and love the people I have the honor to work with this summer. Between small talks on the elevator, or chit chat in line for coffee, I’ve been able to strike up conversation with pretty much anyone in the office. I also sit right next to the copier room which receives a lot of foot traffic. Every person that passes by me and makes eye contact with me always smiles at me. Even that subtle facial expression brightens my day. From day 1 the members of the Ernst & Young team have been incredibly friendly. Whenever they see me they say, “hi” and ask me how its going, and not in the way of just being polite, they actually sound interested. Even though there are about 400 people in this office I can honestly say I would be comfortable sparking conversation with any one of them. My interviewers here got it right, I feel like I’m working with the most friendly and talented people in the industry.

In addition, I have made really great friends with the interns. We are quite an interesting bunch, reining from all across the country. To be frank, I think that’s what makes getting to know everyone so exciting. We have so many different experiences to bring to the table and it never gets boring. Last year I never really felt like I fit in, especially with the interns. Most of them were from Austin or nearby so they weren’t interested in making friends because they already had ones they could hang out with after work. The fact that many of us picked up and moved to Boston for the summer gives us a common desire to make friends and explore a city we’ve never lived in before.

There have been quite a few slow days for the past 2 weeks but no matter what I always leave the office with a smile on my face because I confidently feel that I fit in at Mullen. The atmosphere and positivity is just inspiring. 

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 Gina Preziosa, VP, Group Digital Media Director, about digital media planning/buying and trends. It was very interesting to not only talk about how digital media has evolved but how it has expanded dramatically since it’s launch in the early 1990s. Some high light’s from her presentation included:

1. Future trends:

  • Near field Communication (NFC): the ability to use your smartphone to transfer information, make purchases and ultimately interact with out-of-home ads. 
  • Physical Technology: things like Google glass, that allows people to wear technology.
  • 3D & Mixed reality: things like augmented reality that increase the user’s experience with 3D interations. 
2. Modern media is about real time
It is not acceptable to just post a banner on a website and expect success. Brands must be relevant and provide content that fits within the context of what is surrounding their ad. In addition, when it comes to posting on social media networks brands must stay relevant. Best examples: Oreo and Tide during the Super Bowl. 

3. Paid, Earned & Owned
With social media being a huge contributor to brands success and revenue they must key in on their paid, earned and owned media. Paid media is the media they purchase, like ad space/time. Owned media includes any assets the brand already has. So this could best be emphasized on free social media platforms. Lastly, earned media is any user generated media, or PR that a brand receives from their audience. Brands must do their best to contribute owned, use paid to increase exposure to gain earned media from users. 

4. “Never take ‘no’ for an answer in advertising”
Advertising is so much about pushing the envelope and being innovative. Sometimes vendors and clients aren’t interested in taking as much risk as advertising agencies are. Even though they may so no at first, it doesn’t hurt to ask again… and again. 
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