Advertising is... lessons learned from my first 5 days as an Intern

Coming hot out of college, with my B.S. Degree IN Advertising, I thought I knew it all.  Definitely not even close.  As a newly appointed Intern here at Bailey Gardiner, (and one of the few men in the office), I am starting to pick up on a lot of things.  

Learning is key in this position I recently acquired.  The first lesson I learned here was not to operate the printer-copier machine on my own because it's basically rocket science to figure out.  Other than learning to avoid the printer-copier, I have done copious amounts of research/excel work.  Also expanding my knowledge on our current clients as well as learning about potential clients and new markets is very beneficial.

One of the highlights was getting invited to a brainstorming session at lunch for one of our clients, Brookfield Homes.  I was very excited for a chance to display my creativity.  I felt a little nervous about sitting in, not knowing anyone and hoping that something will jump-start my brain like a shot of creative-roids from the black market creative doctor.  I mean after all, my Mom thinks I am really creative from all the paintings and projects I've done since kindergarden, but I wasn't sure that would translate into the professional world.  It was a great experience to sit through the brainstorm and hear everyone's ideas on ways to market the new Rockrose development.   

Next thing I am slowly picking up on is that Social Media isn't just about how many friends I have on facebook, or the banner ads consisting of "Meet hot girls in your area".  Nor is about how sweet myspace is for listening to new bands or twitter updates about going to the beach or eating a bag of Cheetos.  Social Media is about connecting brands to the users.  I am still not exactly sure what people use twitter for, but I am confident that will be one of the concepts I learn here at Bailey Gardiner.

I feel like being one of the few men in the office comes into play with my point of view and also me being the Baritone in the Bailey Gardiner Christmas Choir (Coming soon). Which for me was another highlight here at BG Creative.

All in all being here has been a great experience and I look forward to continuing my education from some of the best in the business.  I feel like there is a strong correlation between the contents of my first ever blog post and the advertising industry.  A little random, complex (printer-copier), and constantly changing.  Just like my time spent here.  From brainstorms and social media, to researching "Pet energy bars", and also Bailey Gardiner benefitting from my exceptional vocal chords, it has been a great 5 days and I am excited for what the future brings.    

  

  

Nearing the End

Sadly, I now only have 7 days left here at Bailey Gardiner. Luckily, unlike a lot of intern stories I’ve heard from friends and family, I am actually sad about this fact. I have had such an unbelievable experience here at Bailey Gardiner and will truly miss the people and overall atmosphere that I have been a part of for the last 3 months. I came in not knowing much about this industry apart from what I learned in school and will come out with triple, if not more, the experience. The ad team graciously took me under their wing and taught me things that will continue to benefit me throughout my career.

During my time at the agency, I have learned quite a few valuable lessons:

1.              Don’t forget your chap stick on the first day. But if you do, Rite Aid will assist you in whatever you need.

2.              Thesaurus.com doesn’t just come in handy for college papers.

3.              When they tell you there are enough mugs and you can use the Keurig whenever you want – they mean it. I brought my own anyways, but still.

4.              I’ve added a few new acronyms to my AIM handbook. EOD (End of Day) and DND (Do NOT Disturb) and brought back an old favorite – BRB.

5.              Beware of the toaster. You might think it’s on light when it’s actually on BLACK.

6.              An errand to Hazard Center that takes 15 minutes total could easily turn into 45 when you return to find ZERO parking spots.

7.              You can never own too much leopard print. Or argyle.

On a more serious note, I have obtained more experience than I could ever imagine. I have attended multiple client meetings, including a focus group, where I was able to witness first hand the interactions between clients, the targeted demographic, and the team here at Bailey Gardiner. I performed hours of research for clients – both new and established – including everything from suicide to birth control to San Diego casinos to seed embedded paper. Have I mentioned they have a very broad spectrum of clients here at BG? I researched naming rights and trademark information for new brands and campaigns. I’ve also had the opportunity to assist in putting together a media plan for a new campaign by researching the area’s publications and even negotiating rates for future spots and inserts. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my less glamorous intern days – filing collateral, walking back and forth between Seaport Village and the Convention Center – in heels (still have the blisters to prove it), braving the streets of both Hillcrest and Downtown San Diego with fellow intern, Jen, to put up flyers for one of our client’s events, having my fingers cramp up while tabulating results from surveys, and the inevitable newbie initiation – candy cart. But even tasks such as these have been a learning experience that will benefit me later on.

Throughout all of this, I’ve been able to improve my communication skills through email with people in the office, potential vendors, and many more. I’ve been a part of projects that have yet to hit the mainstream market. I even got to flex my culinary muscles for the Halloween potluck. I’m putting the past 3 months in a very special place in my memory and consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to call myself a Bailey Gardiner intern. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to send in my resume in response to a job posting on Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid someday.

Fingers crossed.

Product Placement

Ever since starting my internship at an advertising agency in San Diego, I’ve become hyper aware of advertisements. (Duh, I know.) From the paid advertisements on Google to soda machine covers at trolley stations, I notice it all. But right now, I’m especially intrigued by product placement. I always knew it existed and even noticed it a few times before in movies and TV shows. But I never paid much attention. Shows such as American Idol (Coca-Cola) and Top Chef (Gladware) have exceptional amounts of product placement. However, no amount of product placement can compete with that found in one episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Between the tear jerking introduction to the needing family and the final reveal, copious amounts of product placement take place. Companies have found a gold mine in this show. Everything including window manufacturers (Pella windows) furniture brands (Sears), kitchen appliances (Kenmore), the family’s vacation (Disneyland Resorts), giveaway vehicles (Ford) and even gifted prescriptions to those dealing with an illness (CVS Pharmacy) are all featured on the show. Weekly. Ever wondered how they get all of this “free” merchandise to help build and furnish the house? There’s your answer. To me, this seems like the easiest and most effective way to get your brand name out there. In respect to Extreme Makeover especially, these brands are seen as generous and willing to help the average American, which speaks to about every person watching the show. It’s almost impossible to watch the show and not feel slightly guilty complaining about…anything. After watching a couple that already had 4 children of their own and took in their 6 nieces and nephews (between the ages of 16-22), no questions asked, into a 3 bedroom, dilapidated house - my life doesn’t seem quite so difficult. The products and companies lucky and/or smart enough to be featured on Extreme Makeover know what they’re doing. I’ve even caught myself googling (is that considered a word, yet?) some of the things I see. Hmm…mission accomplished? In a world where TiVo and DVR are becoming so prominent, it seems as though companies have found their loophole in advertising to the general public. 

The Importance of an Internship

As a student that wants to break into the creative side of advertising there are two main components for getting in. The first is an awesome portfolio filled with great ideas and the other is who you know. But what if you don’t know anyone in the advertising industry are you doomed to go from one closed door to then next, even try to see if you can wiggle open a cracked window? Well that may be the case but there is an easier way. Get an internship. A creative internship is beneficial for educating, networking, and getting real work.

Creative internship gives you education that you can’t get in a classroom. It puts you at the agency right in the environment. Where real projects are going on around you and the creative team is pitching ideas that can actually be published. You can get advice from Art Directors and Copywriters who are doing this everyday. They are there to give you the experience to get started in the business. A place to see where you fit in right, maybe it’s a small agency, maybe it’s a big agency, or maybe it’s somewhere in the middle.

Having a creative internship makes for great networking opportunities. Not only do you know all the people in the creative department by first name you have their email and phone numbers. And as long as you don’t screw up your internship they will probably answer future questions you will have once the internship is done. Possibly giving you letter of recommendations or a great reference for your resume. Another cool thing is that the advertising industry is a close knit one where a lot of people know a lot of other people in the industry. So your Art Directors and Copywriters know other Art Directors and Copywriters in the area or maybe even out of the area. Where one contact can easily become 5 contacts, then even 20 contacts. And for a business where getting in is half based on who you know, it’s a good way of meeting people.

A creative internship is also great for getting real work for your portfolio. This is based on getting an internship where the agency actually lets you do work, besides running errands and getting coffee (I’m very sorry if your in one like that). A student portfolio is based on make believe clients that a lot of agencies wish they could have. The thing is none of that work is published; the only place it can be seen is in your book.Interning gives you the chance to get your ideas published, and having published work in your book, as a student, is quite an accomplishment.

So I bet your wondering how you get in a creative internship. Well first you need to do your research, find out where you want to intern. Once you found where, you need to find out who the creative team is and you will want to contact them to find out if they offer internships. If they do offer internships then send them your resume along with some samples of your work. If they tend to take a little while to respond be patient, they are very busy people, but you can always send a polite friendly email asking on the status. If they ask you to come in for an interview treat it like an actual job interview, they don’t want someone who can’t be professional interning at their agency, so be prepared. Talk to your career services at your school for some tips. Most agencies are more willing to take on an intern than hire a junior with no experience, so put yourself out there and see what you can do.