The End of the Beginning

As we wrap this internship up, I just want to add a few things I’ve picked up in this last week. It is very important to end on the right foot, and if I ever need a reference or something in the future, I want to be remembered as having worked until the last minute. And you should to. So this is a short list of some things I have kept in mind for my last week at LS. They have really helped to put the cherry (I hate cherries) Oatmeal cream pie on top of a great experience.

Don’t Burn Bridges- This was mentioned in our field trip with Munch, as well as a few other times throughout the internship. Our industry is much smaller than we would like it to be, especially with social networking now in the picture. Being courteous and respectful goes a long way and will certainly be remembered.

Contact- Along those lines, be sure to get contact info for the people you really liked and want to keep in touch with. That way, when you see something maybe dealing with a client that person worked on, you could send it to them with a note of congratulations or your thoughts. This helps you to stay in touch and front of mind. After Ham Day, we got business cards from all who attended.

Stay Focused- It’s easy to get distracted by what is coming next. I have an exciting year coming up, this being my last one, but I still had work to be done this week so focusing on my tasks was even more important. Don’t get Internitis, the intern strain of Senioritis. The future will come; be in the present.

Evaluate- I took some time to go over all of my assignments from this internship, and read some e-mails that dealt with the process of completing work. Reviewing past projects gave me some great insight into some things I can do better and some areas I can grow in. One tidbit of advice I got from an old e-mail was, “When sending an assignment in for review, always assume that it is the final version for final approval. It saves everyone time, especially the client.”

Hopefully you enjoyed our posts, as we greatly enjoyed posting. Thanks to everyone at LS for such a great experience!

Evan R.

Brand Management Intern

I'll Never Forget...

As the final day of my summer at LS draws near, I’m forced to step back and reflect on what I, along with my fellow interns, have been able to accomplish in two short months at the agency. Between the meetings, the projects, the field trips and the various agency events, it’s safe to say that I will truly miss being a part of this office. As a testament to the contributions of the intern class of 2009, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite moments as a member of Liggett Stashower:

*Talking sports with Mark “Munch” Bishop at the ESPN 850 WKNR studio, where Munch and I spoke of our support for Browns all-purpose weapon Josh Cribbs receiving a new contract.

*Sampling the Little Debbie muffins Evan won for the agency thanks to an entry he submitted. For the record, I prefer blueberry.

*Receiving my first LS paycheck, if for no other reason than it allowed me to continue to support a handful of nearby parking facilities.

*Catching a glimpse of renowned Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz during our tour of the newspaper’s headquarters. I couldn’t wait to brag to my mom about it.

*Witnessing Liggett’s own Jimmy K. make a 30-foot putt at the AAF-Cleveland golf outing. It was truly awe-inspiring.

*Carrying on a 27-minute phone conversation with a user of one of our client’s brands for the sake of receiving his testimonial. At one point during the call, I couldn’t help but wonder about the size of the agency’s long-distance plan.

*Making my film debut along with the rest of the interns on the spiral staircase leading up to the third floor. All I can say is, acting isn’t easy, even if you don’t have any lines.

*Hosting a few rounds of Family Feud during our intern Fun Day. I can only hope I made Richard Dawson proud.

*Helping to detail a vendor’s truck at the Duct Tape festival. I like to believe my efforts helped sell a few extra units that day.

*Finding out I have an “it depends” personality during our DISC personality profile overview. Some days I agree with the results, other days I don’t. It depends on my mood I guess.

*Experiencing Ham Day in all of its glory. If it falls on a similar date next year, the forgotten month of August may finally have its own national holiday.

Patrick Bensi
Creative Intern

That's a Wrap

As Rachel mentioned, yesterday was Ham Day/intern book reports. I was even given the opportunity to design the internal poster for this day.









Logo Design Volume 2 was the book assigned to me and it was right up my alley. More than half of the book is occupied with around 2000 logos and the remainder contains about a dozen case studies on brand identity.

As an avid skier, I found the Making of Burton Outerwear Fall//Winter 2007 case study the most interesting. This case study touched upon the unique approach the design firm took to finish this complex yet enjoyable project. Their main focus through the process was to create a cohesive idea and look, which is what Liggett does for clients. I also noticed some similarities between things I’ve learned during this internship – do your research, strive to be organized, ask questions, take chances and have fun. Those ideas will result in a project you can take pride in.

As this week comes to an end, I eagerly await the start of the fall semester back at Kent State. I feel prepared and inspired to do my best and continue to improve my design skills. Many people here at Liggett have taken part in my preparation, and I thank them all.

Abie M.
Graphic Design Intern

Is there a new way to approach branding?

Today the interns had the opportunity to present our book reports to the agency. Each book seemed extremely appropriate and interesting – and all very different from one another.

My book was Branding Only Works on Cattle by Jonathan Salem Baskin. It's about how branding doesn’t work.

You can probably see why I was a little nervous to present my book to a branding agency. But, I figured I was assigned this book to present an opposite viewpoint in order to evaluate the future of the advertising industry.

Baskin makes it clear to his audience that he believes traditional branding techniques are a waste of time and money, and will not bring success, consumers or sales anytime soon – try telling that to your hopeful client!

This book does illustrate how every industry is constantly evolving. And whether or not Baskin's thinking is correct, he does present some interesting ideas. He claims that companies and/or agencies need to start looking at their brands, their techniques and the world in a new way. They need to begin to understand that consumers are bored and are done paying attention to traditional branding practices.

Through this book report assignment, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the world of branding. Even though it was only Baskin’s opinion that I was attempting to understand, I was able to get a glimpse of where the industry may be heading.

As this is my last blog entry, I will end by saying that I will leave this internship with an extremely well-rounded experience. I truly believe that any experience is good experience. Projects come and projects go, but at the end of the day, what you add to the company, and what you take from your experience are what matter the most.

The Final Salute

It’s like this. One Monday morning you are in an elevator nervously awaiting your first day on the job, and nine weeks later its Monday morning and you are coming to grips with the fact that the summer is over. At least, I am.

It was a whirlwind of experiences. I have some strong portfolio pieces to take with me, great networking connections for the future and fond memories to look back on.

My biggest piece of advice to bestow upon future interns would be, do not be afraid to ask. Ask questions . . . but more importantly; ask to assist employees with projects and work. Doing so will demonstrate a proactive approach on your part and it will allow you more pieces to use in your portfolio. It is important to make yourself useful while here at LS.

My other piece of advice is to accept that this is a learning experience. Just because you have come straight from the classroom, does not mean you are fully equipped with every skill needed to be the SUPER intern. Every agency is different. They have a different voice, a different culture and a different philosophy. Listen and learn all you can about each place that you work because that is the best way to contribute in a way that is consistent with the way they do things. Even if you learned writing one way at school, you may find that LS (or anywhere you work for that matter) does it differently. Be able to adjust. Do not get stuck in your ways. Make flexibility your best friend.

Tomorrow is Ham Day, which is a day where our Director of Brand Voice brings in a giant ham, and the interns give our book reports. My book is called “How We Decide”. Though it looks fun because of the three ice cream cones on the cover, it is actually about neuroscience. However, I have found it interesting. I look forward to talking about it in front on the agency tomorrow . . . I think.
Hmmm… I can’t think of any other words of wisdom to impart. So I guess I will bid you all adieu. It has been a pleasure working here for the past nine weeks, being able to feel apart of such a creative industry at an agency that reflects that industry.

Morgan P.

Brand Management Intern