As a high school junior, I came into this internship with a less than a basic understanding of marketing. I knew it was something I had thought about as a college major but had no idea what that entailed. However, after completing my internship with Williams Whittle, I can confidently say the marketing and advertising world is one I plan to pursue. I found WW, through an externship program with my Northern Virginia boarding school, and was immediately drawn to the agency because of its work with widely recognized non-profit organizations. Without hesitation, I contacted WW and was greeted by enthusiasm, kindness and generosity. The WW team took their time to prioritize my areas of interest while teaching me as much as they could in the short 2-month time frame.
When I first joined the agency, I had the expectation that I would be answering emails, and completing mindless busywork. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was assigned to create brand audits for incoming clients, work on the WW social media pages and attend client meetings. Furthermore, I found all three of these tasks to be incredibly engaging and useful. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the brand and communication audits which served as a summary for rising clients. Additionally, I found working on WW social media pages to be compelling, and the creativity behind social media marketing fascinated me. Yet, I gained the most experience through the client meetings I was able to attend. In my free moments throughout the school day, I had the pleasure of attending various meetings with WW client, Virginia Hospital Center. I listened in as Kelly and her team reviewed plans for a new tagline, website edits, newsletters and social media posts. All of these hands-on experiences allowed me to understand the role of advertising agencies.
As I’ve learned non-profit organizations tend to follow similar trends, in terms of marketing. To stand out, a non-profit must market itself creatively. Whether it’s fundraising events, partnerships with large corporations or using their social media reach. WW helps companies to do those things. With that goal in my mind, I was able to practice a variety of skills. These include my ability to effectively communicate with a larger audience, perform thorough and detailed research, and generate creative ideas. By practicing these skills, I am now well prepared for my final year of high school, and beyond.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with amazing non-profit organizations and the entire WW team. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Zoom meetings, and differing schedules, WW successfully trained me in all things marketing. The firm is compiled by a group of professional, compassionate, and dedicated individuals, and I am immensely proud to have been a part of it. Thank you, Williams Whittle!
