Final Job Memo

Although probably one of the more generic job titles, I’m currently working as a marketing intern for a small consulting firm. To be a little more specific, I work in influencer and celebrity relations. My internship is multifaceted, but to state it briefly, I help brands influence culture by developing relationships with those who create it. 

There is a lot to unpack in that statement so let me take a step back. We live in a dynamic time where the intersection of technology and entertainment has become a large part of our daily experiences. The smartphone that is probably within 3 feet of you right now allows you the opportunity to stream music, watch TV, and play games at any given time. For this reason, the recommendations you receive from your peers have never been more important as they have the power to shift audience perspectives. The need for brands to create authentic, compelling stories has never been more important and achievable. This is where I come in.

During my day-to-day activities, there are three roles I play in my internship that will help better paint the picture of what I do. These roles are;

1. The Detective

2. The Strategist

3. The Storyteller

The Detective

When I start a new project I take on the role of a detective in desperate need of information. It's like an episode of criminal minds—right after the murder but before they crack the case open. The detectives want to get into the victim's mind with hopes it will lead them to an answer. Many times, they will start by looking for elements and people closely surrounding the victim.

In a less dark and morbid way, I also play the part of the detective. This role is necessary for any marketing job because you are trying to get into the mind of your consumer. The goal is to understand their wants and needs. In a similar sense, I investigate who and what is catching the attention of the market after targeting a certain demographic or target audience. I take the term "stalking" to a new level as I spend hours looking for who is behind the current trends in pop culture.

The Strategist

This leads me to the second role in my job; strategist. Once I know what interests the consumers I am targeting, I then need to find what marketing tactics will lead to the best results. In my job, organic and authentic approaches lead to the highest sales. It's kind of like when you see a commercial of Lebron James endorsing Samsung products but then find out he is actually an avid user of Apple products. More times than not this serves more harm than good for a company like Samsung actually paying for endorsements.

In a similar sense, I leverage people of influence by offering free services and products. This encourages them to use and enjoy the product themselves. Eventually, they begin to share, post, and talk about the product, allowing for a more authentic promotion of a product to their large followings. 

The Storyteller

Then I use the information to tell a story. Although this storytelling may be different from the traditional “once upon a time” story, it is still my job to narrate what is going on. There are many ways I can do this, but most of the time I use numbers.

After completing my roles as detective and investigator, it is now time for me to tell the story. Without the proper storytelling, a number is simply just a number. For example, if my company runs a campaign and results in one million views on Instagram, that does not say much to the average person. However, if I told you with the engagement of two micro-influencers on Instagram, or rather accounts with 10,000-50,000 followers, my company was able to increase views by 40%, the numbers begin to tell a story.

At this stage, I am able to get a bit creative. Typically I work with a team to come up with reasons for this phenomenon. Putting on our thinking caps, we look at the numbers to draw conclusions. Moving forward, we are able to see what worked well and what did not in order to improve views even more during future campaigns. Then we do it all over again!

Flesh Reading Ease: 61.2%

Flesh Kincaid Grade Level: 9.1

Passive Sentences: 0%