What Can I Do With a Marketing Degree? Work in Partnerships/Sponsorships!

A lot of people generalize marketing as one huge part of a company where every employee knows how to do everything. Those of us starting to work in various marketing internships and jobs know that is absolutely not true! There are plenty of different routes you can take your marketing degree, not to mention you can work in any industry that appeals to you. The possibilities are endless! In the next few weeks and months I’ll be exploring some different marketing focuses that may tailor to your interests to help you find your perfect fit!

This week I’m exploring a side of marketing that unexpectedly has fascinated me- partnerships and sponsorships. My first internship was dedicated solely to starting, developing and activating partnerships with brands that to some seemed completely unrelated. From there, I’ve made an effort to become involved in the sponsorship aspects of other companies I’ve worked for. It’s incredible what kinds of relationships can be developed with a bit of creativity and strategy!

So what exactly is a sponsorship? Well, it’s easier to understand than to define. Here are a couple of definitions:

Advertising that seeks to establish a deeper association and integration between an advertiser and a publisher, often involving coordinated beyond-the-banner placements. –Marketing Terms

Sponsorship can be difficult to define with a single label. It can mean logo placements, banners and pre-roll video ads—or it can mean streaming concerts, brand-created articles, along with sponsored events and webinars. –eMarketer

You know sponsorships when you see them. The name of the arena in your city is likely named after a brand, you’ve probably entered a contest sponsored by a brand in order to win a trip or tickets to something, or you’ve gone to an event with dozens of logos plastered across banners and t-shirts. These are all different types of sponsorships. Typically, a lot of thought goes into securing these relationships to make sure the brand paying for the sponsorship benefits while the one offering the sponsorship does not upset their own customers or fans.

Although the terms sponsorship and partnership are often used interchangeably, I’ve noticed slight differences in when each term is used. A partnership is more of a dually beneficial relationship between two brands. These tend to be much more strategic in order to reach both brand’s goals instead of just selling logo placement. Since both brands want to benefit, there’s a lot of communication between the other to plan and activate the partnership. You have to know how to work with others in order to be successful!

Why would you want to work in sponsorships? Personally, I’ve found it to be a lot of fun! You get to meet people who work in various industries, which can build your network. Even if it’s an industry you’re not interested in, you’ll learn a whole lot about how it works and how your counterparts in those industries work. You also get to be creative. In my opinion, the best partnerships are those that push the limits on what is considered a normal sponsorship. Take for example this list of Best Strategic Brand Partnerships in 2014 from Forbes–  One of my favorites on this list is between Shake Shack and Big Gay Ice Cream- any New Yorkers remember this?

Shake Shack & Big Gay Ice Cream’s Rainbow Layer Shake: The limited time offer increased awareness of Big Gay Ice Cream in New York City, its base, and drove traffic into Shake Shack. The brand imagery rub off was also a positive, as it positioned Shake Shack as very inclusive, to its highly diverse target audience.

Yummy and effective? That’s my kind of partnership!

If you’re both creative and think strategically, working on sponsorships can be an extremely rewarding experience. There are plenty of internships that specifically focus on sponsorships specifically, but you can also touch sponsorships in other marketing positions. If you’re at a company that does actively partake in sponsorships, ask to meet with the managers in charge to get involved with the process. My favorite part of the entire process is activation. You actually get to see the months and months of planning between the two brands come to life. It’s also awesome to see how guests/consumers/customers interact with the activation!

Even if you don’t work specifically in sponsorships, knowing the importance and strategy of them can be beneficial to you in your marketing career. IEG provides news and data on the sponsorship industry. You need an account to access a lot of their website, but their blog posts also provide a lot of good information!

 

If you have questions about interning in sponsorships and partnerships, feel free to reach out and I can try to answer any questions!

 

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How to Appropriately Speak Up and Contribute Ideas at your Internship

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You’ve landed an incredible internship with an amazing company. You’ll stumble through the awkward first day, get into a normal routine, and before you know it you’re a part of the team, and that includes going to meetings and planning new ideas and strategies.

Companies love interns because they bring fresh minds to the table. That means you! The company you intern for may do the same holiday campaign every year with just a few changes, but you have a great idea to potentially improve the entire campaign. Sharing your idea in front of an entire team is sometimes easier said than done, so how can you let everyone know your new thought?

 

Brainstorm before the meeting.

If you know an idea meeting is coming up, spend time thinking about it before you get into the conference room. Nothing is more embarrassing than when the meeting starts by everyone stating their idea and you have nothing to contribute. Use whatever information your supervisor or colleague has given to begin coming up with creative ideas. At this point no idea is too crazy, so if you think of something write it down.

Spend some time planning your ideas out.

When you have some extra time, do some research about what your idea could do for the company or what it would require to be successful. Have other companies done something similar? Would it be expensive? You don’t have to go in-depth answering these questions, but showing that you thought about them will make your ideas much more viable in the conference room.

 

Say it.

Many companies have brainstorming meetings that are meant to throw out ideas and have them evaluated by the group. If you find yourself in one of these and have an idea no one has yet mentioned, go ahead and say it! The worst that can happen is they reject it- but even so, you’ll impress the entire team with your confidence and willingness to help. Don’t worry about what people will think at this point- the purpose of these meetings is to hash out all of the crazy ideas the team has brainstormed. What you say could spark another idea, which sparks another, and before you know it the team has a great plan in place. Once you get used to sharing once or twice it will get much easier in time.

 

Talk with your supervisor.

At one of my internships, I was a part of a brainstorming meeting for an upcoming holiday promotion that didn’t end in any wow ideas. However, a few days later I thought of a way to combine the positives of a couple of different thoughts to create a concept that could probably be successful. After talking through the idea with my supervisor, she thought it would be a great idea for me to send it to the manager in charge of the promotion. Very quickly the entire team was on board and my idea began to be brought to life! That conversation with my supervisor helped me realize the idea’s potential and gave me the confidence to share it with others. Talking with your internship supervisor or other colleague you’re close with is a great way to receive feedback while in a more comfortable setting.

 

Don’t go overboard.

It’s one thing to throw out an idea while planning a new promotion- it’s another to spend your entire internship coming up with ideas on how the company you intern for can be perfect. Remember to keep your ideas within reason, and know when you’ve contributed too many. A handful of thoroughly thought-out ideas are much better than sending your supervisor what the competitor does better on a daily basis. Get a feel for how encouraging your company is with creativity, and know when to draw the line.

 

Never stop brainstorming.

While you may have settled on an idea for a specific project, you should never, ever stop thinking of ways the company can improve. As an intern you bring fresh eyes to the company and likely will notice things other employees will not. Use this to your advantage and speak up if there’s a better way of doing something or you think they should try something new.

 

Seeing one of your ideas come to life can be incredibly rewarding, so resist feeling insecure and unwilling to share. You have good ideas, spread them!

My Top Three Favorite Brands on Twitter

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They may not always be winning awards or coming up with jaw-dropping campaigns, but these three brands have consistently created entertaining and useful Tweets that I always enjoy. What’s one thing they all have in common? Authenticity. Today’s social media world is so focused on engagement rates and conversion that tweets have become too scripted and ad-like. These companies have used Twitter to engage their fans and create a lifestyle around their brand that I truly admire.

Taco Bell

@tacobell

Oh, Taco Bell. Thank you for changing the Twitter game. Their social media marketing strategy is exactly what they needed to stop losing our health-conscious generation. Somehow Taco Bell has become one of the funniest and most interactive brands on social media. They’re entirely aware of trends in pop culture and use them to their advantage by collaborating with celebrities and posting timely tweets. When you go to their Twitter page you’ll find everything from promotions of new items to retweets from fans doing ridiculous things for Taco Bell. At the end of the day, this Twitter page is just fun. Plus I love tacos, so there may be some bias.

Aerie

@aerie

A Twitter page that gives you fashion advice, motivation, and lets you know of great sales? Yes, please. Aerie seems to really understand their customer and provides a blend of tweets that work. Sometimes you’ll get a body-positive motivational image (which does a fantastic job of promoting their #AerieReal campaign), other times you’ll get a flash sale of 10 for $30 undies. They’ve successfully used social media to develop their brand. An additional bonus- they interact with fans all the time. Nothing better than getting a tweet from a company, especially one that makes you feel absolutely beautiful!

Marshalls

@marshalls

I’ve been obsessed with Marshalls’ tweets for a while now because they make me want to shop there immediately- which is dangerous because I live so close to one! Too many brands are constantly trying to use social media as a way to make an immediate purchase. Since Marshalls does not have an ecommerce website, they’re at a disadvantage compared to other retailers. Marshalls does a great job of balancing brand development and advertising, which in my opinion may retailers miss. I love that they share content from bloggers ranging from fashion to home. While I may not always immediately buy something they feature, their blend of tweets makes me feel more inclined to shop there because they understand me and my needs as a budget-conscious and fashionable female.

What are some of your favorite brands on Twitter? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @hermarketing!

These Verbal Mistakes Are Making You Appear Less Confident at Your Internship

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You’ve heard the news and may have already experienced it firsthand- before even entering the workforce woman are at a disadvantage versus their male counterparts. Fortunately progress is being made. Young women earn an estimated 93% of what males their age make. Still, us women often approach work environments differently than men. As a result, tiny mistakes we don’t even realize we’re making can often add up to undermine our confidence at work.

Even the words we say can make a difference in how we are perceived at work. The following may be so subtle you hardly notice yourself saying them, but over time they can make a huge impact on how you’re viewed in professional situations. Avoid the following common verbal mistakes and you’ll be on your way to exuding confidence at work!

Over-apologizing.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the data that backs this up. Women are more likely to say “I’m sorry” for things they have no reason to be sorry for. This video from Pantene puts it into perspective. How many times have you apologized for the same thing these women do?

I’m sorry for everything. Sorry for you bumping into me in the elevator, sorry for interrupting you typing on your computer, sorry for interjecting my opinion, sorry for taking too long to get my thoughts together. When I noticed how much I apologized, I realized I was appearing to be an interruption to the entire world- not true!

It will take a lot of practice, but start noticing when you say “sorry” without really meaning to apologize for something. Once you’re aware of the situations in which you blurt it out, you can start preparing other statements that don’t immediately cut down your credibility. With some practice, you’ll be on your way to exuding absolute confidence. Sorry, not sorry.

Using the word “just” in every email.

Another word that comes out of women’s mouths/emails far too often is the word “just.” When was the last time you started an email or spoke up in a meeting with:

“I just wanted to see if…”

“Here’s the project, just let me know…”

“I just think…”

The word expresses a need to ask for permission as if the words that follow are not regularly permissible. But really, you don’t need to ask permission to state your opinion or check on a project. Now take a second a reread those statements, this time without the word “just.” The meanings of the sentence are still intact and they come across as more authoritative and confident.

Many of us subconsciously throw in “just,” so take some time noticing when you use it. You likely use the word in the majority of your emails, so before you hit send next time do a quick scan. Typically if you come across a “just,” all you need to do is delete it and the meaning of your email will not be lost. From there, practice avoiding it in speech. You’ll find yourself feeling much more confident and others will take you seriously!

If you still don’t believe me, take it from a Google executive.

Starting your sentences with a negative.

I recently learned this one after being called out by a supervisor. Once she said it, I realized how often I made this little mistake when talking to my superiors. Starting with a negative goes something like this:

“I was only able to get to…”

“I didn’t finish all of it…”

“We had some issues with…”

All of these phrases imply negativity but will likely be followed by a “but” and something positive. It’s setting the stage for failure! Especially when circumstances are out of your control, make sure you always start on a positive note. There will be time for any negatives at the end of your email/conversation. If you set yourself up as a failure from the start, why would someone want to keep listening? The accomplishment will likely outweigh the negatives, so impress your supervisor first and then see if those negatives are even still worth bringing up.

Saying, like, like too many times.

I hope I don’t need to go into too much detail here. We all say it and we all know we say it, but we can’t stop. However, before you start vowing to never say “like” again, read this opinion piece by John McWhorter from the New York Times:

“Like” often functions to acknowledge objection while underlining one’s own point. To say, “This is, like, the only way to make it work,” is to implicitly recognize that this news may be unwelcome to the hearer, and to soften the blow by offering one’s suggestion discreetly swathed in a garb of hypothetical-ness.

While this may be reassuring after watching painful videos of your speeches in speech class, don’t think of this as a free pass to not worry about saying “like.” In a professional setting the word is still very distracting. Take for example other distractions. You’ve probably tried to focus in a meeting or class but instead have found yourself mesmerized/bothered by someone’s nervous habit, such as foot tapping, gum chewing or the repeated use of “um.” Saying “like” over and over again in presentations and meetings can have the same effect and detract from the information you are presenting. Not to mention it can also make you appear less confident.

Start noticing if you do say “like” too often, and if so, try to figure out trends of when you say it. Once you realize a pattern you can prepare yourself to avoid over-using it by either tolerating brief pauses or learning how to flow from one idea to the next more smoothly.

At the least, don’t ever say “like” in an email. Email is your chance to thoroughly plan out exactly what you want to say- don’t mess it up!

I hope these tips are helpful to providing you with more confidence at work. It takes time to notice why and when you say them, but within time you’ll get the hang of it!