Written by Jack Niemeyer, Morgan & Co. media planning intern.
I thought I was more than prepared for the professional world, but it was not until I decided to join the advertising team at Loyola University New Orleans that I realized I had more to learn.
Loyola competes in the National Student Advertising Competition every year. This is a premier college advertising competition that provides more than 2,000 college students the real-world experience of creating a strategic advertising, marketing and media campaign for a corporate client. This year, we were challenged with developing a marketing plan for Tai Pei Frozen Foods.
I never held a leadership role where I would be working with an actual client, so having the opportunity to work on a national campaign has been rewarding to say the least.
The work we have been doing is work that actual professionals do daily. However, in the professional world there are no safety nets. If you mess up, it is on you. It is no longer about what grade you might get on a paper. For me and my team, this competition has helped shape our future as advertisers.
As my associates and I have been working harder then ever for the majority of the school year on this one project, I have been able to focus on my strengths in digital media and media planning to tackle any daunting challenges that came my way. We had to constantly change tactics and strategies in order to outperform any competition we came across. In the many months leading up to this competition, I have gained unmatched experience and learned several critical takeaways:
-
You must be able to work well with others if you want to get anywhere in your business. It is important to always be outgoing when conducting business, and always go above and beyond.
-
Do not procrastinate, ever. If you do not complete your work on time in the real world, someone will replace you. There is a vast number of individuals out there hungry for your position and they will do whatever it takes to get it.
-
Respect everyone you work with. Respecting opinions is essential to being able to work with others.
-
Good leadership skills require receiving positive and negative feedback while assigning roles and being able to get the work done. Multitasking skills are essential.
Loyola has a history of placing in the top 5 every year. This year we came in second place!
Learn more about the AAF National Student Advertising competition
Learn more about Loyola’s Advertising Team
