If you weren’t able to attend the 6th Annual Internship Panel, read about some of the key takeaways from the panel.

By: Lena Verga

On Monday October 30th in Emerson Suites, IC PRSSA hosted its 6th Annual Internship Panel. The event, which was co-hosted by IC Women in Communications, featured a diverse panel of upperclassmen who shared with the audience some of their best experiences and advice from past internships. The panelists included Laura Amato, a senior IMC major, Katie Baldwin, a senior TV-R major, Elijah Greene, a senior applied economics major, Jake Goldberg, a senior TV-R major, Brett Levine, a junior IMC major, Nadja Perez, a senior IMC major, Maddy Schoap, a senior IMC major, and Kyle Stewart, a senior journalism major. The panel was moderated by Lexy White, a junior TV-R major.

Here are some key takeaways that I gained from the panel:

1) There are many ways to find out about and obtain internship opportunities – you can even use Ithaca College as a source!

Katie Baldwin, who interned at the Ellen DeGeneres Show last semester, knew from the beginning that she wanted to work for Ellen, so she used her Park school connections to help her get into contact with the show. This included going around and asking professors, advisors, and other resources in Park if they knew anyone who worked at Ellen. When Kyle Stewart interned in the U.S. Congress, he found the opportunity through Cornell’s Washington D.C. program. Elijah Green attended a Cornell Career Fair, and used the IC Alumni services for his opportunities at Goldman Sachs and BlackRock.

2) Always do your research.

Research the companies and position that you are applying for. Make sure you know all the ins and outs of the organization, because it will be impressive during the interview. Brett Levine told a story about his interview with AMC Networks. He had never watched an AMC show before, and decided the night before to watch the pilot of The Walking Dead. Good thing he did, because he was asked which AMC character he felt he most related to. Lexy White added that if you know who is interviewing you, research them as well. This will impress the interviewer because it not only shows that you know your stuff, or that you are really interested, but that you also went to the lengths to relate to the interviewer and their background. Use tools like LinkedIn or Google, and make sure you know your facts before you go into the interview. And if you can do research on the company or interviewer, they can easily do the same for you. Which leads me to my next point…

3) Be smart with social media!

Maddy Schoap got her interview with Kardashian-West Brands through the Ithaca College Los Angeles (ICLA) internship database. She said that the brand followed all of her social media accounts so they could see what type of a person she was. This can make or break an opportunity, so please, be smart about what you post. Think to yourself before you post: Would I want my grandmother to see this?

4) Your internship does not decide your career.

You’re there to learn at your internship, and if you don’t like it, it’s okay. Through her internship experiences, Nadja Perez discovered that she prefers smaller agencies more than a larger one. She has worked at agencies like Young & Rubicam and Rosie Labs, LLC. Nadja is interested in creative and likes the smaller agencies better because she found it easier to hop onto different projects. She also found that her work was getting more recognition. Kyle Stewart also found that he didn’t like working in Congress, but it gave him a unique advantage when he applied for Roll Call, a broadcast company that covers the news of Congress. Lexy added that you shouldn’t be afraid to turn down a permanent job that could come out of your internship, especially if the experience wasn’t for you. You want to wake up happy every day because you are going to a job you love. An internship helps you determine whether or not that job is for you.

5) Make the most of it.

A typical internship lasts for about 10 weeks. You will be incredibly busy and won’t have that much time for relaxation or downtime. But when you do get the golden hour of not having much work, make the most of it. Laura Amato interned for Carat and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Whenever she got a break from her work, she would do research on their client’s competitors or keep up with industry news. Because Laura was knowledgeable about the industry and the company, it gave her a competitive edge compared to other interns. Jake Goldberg worked for NFL Films and the New York Redbulls. Whenever he had downtime, he would ask if he could shadow other editors and producers. Jake asked questions relating to editing techniques, got opinions from professionals in the field, and networked within the company. It is important to make the most of your internship. It’s a learning opportunity and you are there to learn as much about that field as you can. Don’t be afraid to offer help to the other people working at the company/organization, or to just start doing some research about the company, the clients and the competitors. It will pay off in the end.

I personally found the panel very helpful and insightful. Everyone had unique experiences and takeaways from their internships. Application season begins in February…I think I’m ready.

Read about the tactics used by Netflix to promote season two of Strangers Things.

By: Tori King

After much PR and marketing buzz leading up to the release of season two of Stranger Things, the show finally became available for Netflix users to watch on October 27th. Fans were unusually eager to find out what would happen next in the Upside Down – and for good reason. Netflix managed to heighten the anticipation for the show’s next season with creative guerilla marketing tactics and unique brand partnerships. As we reflect on how successful the campaigns were, here are three lessons to learn from the show’s marketing tactics.

1. Make it interactive.

On the countdown page for the release of the second season, Netflix hid an easter egg which when clicked, flipped the screen into Upside Down mode. In this mode, everything turns dark with creepy music and eerie vines – much like it is in the show. The cursor acts as a flickering flashlight and every couple of seconds, the demogorgon pops out. Ad agency Doner L.A. also created a 1-800 number for the show. It functioned as a real corporate one would with a hold ringtone, menu directions and automated responses, allowing users to report outages or suspicious activity occurring in Hawkins. These tactics are simple yet effective. It doesn’t require much on the marketers end, but it’s a big step in the right direction for peaking consumer interest.

Netflix also partnered with Lyft shortly before the release to give fans an unforgettable ride-share experience. On October 26th and 27th, Lyft users were given the option to switch their app into ‘Stranger Things’ mode which turned the cars on the screen into waffles, string lights, trucker hats and even the logo of the show. On October 27th and 28th, users in certain cities were able to take a ride that included malfunctioning seats, flickering lights, a warped ceiling, an acting driver and an Eggo waffle. While Netflix was able to reap the rewards of giving fans something new and different to talk about, Lyft benefited as well. This leads into our next tip.

2. Get the help of other brands.

Not only did Netflix choose to partner with Lyft, but they also decided to hone in on the show’s connection to the frozen waffle brand, Eggos. Because Netflix doesn’t offer paid placements, the Kellog Company wasn’t aware that their product would even be used in the show. But after the first season’s success, Eggo was able to use social media to their advantage by posting about the show’s waffle references.

The clothing store, Topshelf, also took to redecorating its London Oxford flagship store for one day in honor of Stranger Things. Spotify, the music streaming platform, used a subtler approach by creating playlists for each of the characters in the show, including ‘Eleven’s Breakfast Jams’ and ‘DemoGorgons Upside Downers’. When a campaign uses other brands to help out its own, it engages a much wider audience than what it would normally reach. With that being said, it is important to only use brands that make sense. The audience of that brand shouldn’t be drastically different and it helps if the tone of the brand is similar to the one being promoted as well.

3. Use what you have.

As a retailer for the show, Target was able to dedicate an entire section of their website to promoting the new season. The page starts off with 80’s inspired, vintage looking Stranger Things swag, ranging from toys to t-shirts, but as you navigate deeper into the site, regular products such as pudding snack packs and trap keepers start popping up. It’s Target’s way of bringing back 80’s era products that connect to the show. With the help of Target, Netflix was able to give fans of all ages something to talk about by combining the nostalgia of another generation with one of this generation’s most popular TV shows.

As Stranger Things progresses through new seasons, Netflix continues to encourage those inside the field of communications to think outside the box. By turning simple ideas into well-thought out campaigns, the show has managed to set the standard for the way marketing should be utilized in the future.

Sources:

https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/23469.aspx

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/10/26/how-netflix-turned-marketing-upside-down-the-return-stranger-things

Read about the internship experience of blogger, Amanda Emmer, who is currently studying in Los Angeles as part of the ICLA program!

By: Amanda Emmer

As a senior this year, I am proud to say how far I’ve come. I am very grateful for my four years at Ithaca College. Ithaca has taught me a lot and provided me the skills I will need soon for the real world. I am also grateful to have studied this semester in Los Angeles, California. For those of you who don’t know, the Park School offers programs for students to study in LA, London or New York. I decided to pursue the LA Program because I was interested in learning about the entertainment industry, specifically in TV.

Choosing to come to LA was scary at first. I didn’t know too many people out here and wasn’t sure how my experience was going to be. After a couple months of exploring the area, I lost that feeling of nervousness. I hiked to the Hollywood Sign, toured the Los Angeles Museum of Art (LACMA), traveled to Santa Monica, visited the Long Beach Aquarium and more.

When I signed up for the LA Program, I had to find an internship. The program helps you find the internship that is in the realm of what you want to do in the future. After applying to many companies, I ended up interning at Turner Broadcasting TBS/TNT Company. I am mainly the TBS PR intern but at times, I help with the TNT related tasks. My supervisors are in charge of public relations for different areas. The different areas in the department are Events and Awards, TBS, TNT and General. Each supervisor is also in charge of public relations for different TV shows.

During my internship, I have been able to apply what I learned in my classes to my job. I also learned a lot through PRSSA and my other internships. For example, I update the pressroom with images and media releases, like I learned about in classes like Public Relations and Writing for PR. I also review the PR campaigns that have been done in the past. Yet, I have learned many tasks that my classes haven’t taught me. This includes putting together press clips, contacting celebrity representatives, utilizing IMBDPRO and editing itineraries for celebrities. I have enjoyed working for a TV network because I have also learned so much about the networks’ current shows, cast members and producers.

Before coming to LA, I knew I wanted to pursue public relations. What I didn’t know is how much I would love being a PR intern in the entertainment industry. Studying in LA gave me the opportunity to not only see what life is like out west, but also how the work culture is. Throughout my internship, I have learned that public relations is a very demanding but rewarding job. My internship is a hands-on experience and taught me if there is something you want to learn, you have to ask for it. No one is just going to hand you tasks. You have to prove how dedicated and ready you are to take on new challenges. When there is nothing to do, you either make work for yourself or ask around the department.

Networking in LA was also an important part of my internship. It’s always important to show that you care by asking your supervisor questions. I had the opportunity to get to know everyone in my department and ask them about their careers. I was able to talk to people not only in public relations, but also in different departments. It is important to know the other departments in a company because the more you know outside your department, the better knowledge you will have about the company.

Overall, I am happy that I studied in LA. I would encourage anyone interested in this field to get involved with as many internships and experiences outside the classroom as possible. I would also encourage anyone thinking about pursing PR in the entertainment industry to spend a semester in the ICLA program. This city is filled with many opportunities for not only film, but also public relations. Taking risks and going outside your comfort zone will help you long term in your career.