09 Oct My Customer Relations Internship
I embarked on seeking a workplace practical opportunity as part of a practicum fulfilment of the BBA (Hons) in Media Operations Management qualification. I was fortunate to be granted a customer relations internship opportunity at BWD Advertising for a period of two weeks.
I was allocated to Dimpho Sibanda, Social Media Manager at BWD Advertising as a supervisor to guide me throughout my internship program. Despite the short duration of my internship, I was equipped with the necessary skills and capabilities which are key to a media practitioner role.
Overview of my host employer
BWD Advertising is a marketing agency which combines business intelligence with great ideas to deliver real results. The company’s slogan is “Grow When You Grow” which is incorporated in branding, design and digital marketing to connect their clients with their clients. BWD Advertising collaborates to uncover and develop real opportunities that help businesses matter more and perform better. Moreover, it believes in the power of great creative ideas that are intelligently researched and sharply executed to achieve memorable and measurable results.
On my first day, I went through the onboarding process to understand what BWD Advertising does, for whom, how they conduct the business practices and why it exists. This taught me a lot about the BWD Advertising culture and what sets them apart from other advertising agencies.
Highlights of the internship
The customer relations internship at BWD Advertising gave me an insight into the facets of an advertising agency. BWD Advertising capabilities include marketing, public relations, strategic planning, media buying, brand identity, customer analytics, creative design and events management.
I learned the basics of media planning and its significance to an advertising agency. I learned about the criteria of identifying and selecting media outlets in which to place paid advertisements.
I also had an opportunity to be directly involved in the production of content for a client. I was part of a studio session to record a voice over for an advertisement and was allocated the general assistant role for a client’s photo shoot.
These functions taught me a lot about the inputs or processes which go into BWD Advertising services and the importance of aligning the company’s efforts or activities with the objectives of the campaign.
The internship also taught me how to compile a social media calendar. Thereafter I was tasked with compiling a one-month social media content for the company. This taught me a lot about creating engagement in the most effective way.
I also learned how to compile a social media strategy. I had to conduct research on a brand and come up with a compelling strategy to pitch to the client.
This task taught me a lot about the process of developing an idea. For instance, the communication channels were chosen based on their suitability to the campaign objectives.
I could go on about my lessons at BWD Advertising non-stop. I still have a lot to learn and I am grateful for being granted a foot into the world of advertising. I would like to thank all the staff members at BWD Advertising for making this experience worth looking forward to every day.
Word of advice to future interns
-Exhibit a positive attitude and greet everyone you meet to establish good work relationships.
-Do your research, make it a point to do research and learn all you can about the company and industry to become familiar with the company’s culture.
-Set personal goals and keep yourself busy, if you find that your work is done to ask for new projects to ensure that you gain the relevant skills employers are seeking when hiring future full-time employees.
-Ask questions about everything you don’t understand. The more questions you ask the more you will learn about the job and how the industry operates.
-Be professional, maintain a professional image both inside and outside the office i.e make efficient use of your time by avoiding the use of company time for personal phone calls and emails.