The Intern Party celebrates the achievements our interns have made over the course of the summer. We invite their families to the agency so they can tour the space and see some of the fruits of their labor. This is also when the interns unveil their T-shirt design. (I'll let one of them tell you all about it next week.) As always, we had a grand time getting to know our interns' parents and once again want to thank them for lending us their children for the summer.
Friday, July 30, 2010
It's tradition!
The Intern Party celebrates the achievements our interns have made over the course of the summer. We invite their families to the agency so they can tour the space and see some of the fruits of their labor. This is also when the interns unveil their T-shirt design. (I'll let one of them tell you all about it next week.) As always, we had a grand time getting to know our interns' parents and once again want to thank them for lending us their children for the summer.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Not just managing brands
Every morning I write a to-do list of the projects I’m working on in the order they need to be completed. That helps to keep me on track, but life at Liggett can be very unpredictable.
All four of us interns have been working on a large research project for a client who is considering creating a new product. We were assigned specific topics to look up and were told to track down numerous encyclopedic articles. The work is very interesting, but can take a while as we need to read, print and highlight all the best facts.
It always seems when I’m in the heat of my research, I’m needed somewhere else! In the midst of all this, I’ve delivered a request for proposal to a prospective client and have helped assemble intricate press kits that will be mailed out later today. I also have finishing my newsletter articles for University Settlement and writing internal case studies on my agenda.
My time management has definitely improved from my experiences at Liggett. Instead of worrying when a new project was assigned to me during the middle of something else, I’ve learned to organize my schedule and kick things into full gear.
The unpredictability of life at Liggett is what makes working here so exciting. You never know what project will be coming your way next!
Katie F.
Brand Management Intern
So, I'm one of those people...
A few weeks ago, Ben, the other creative intern, mentioned the big project him and I had been working on for a few weeks now, a DIY project for a Satellite Media Tour. I remember the day I got the assignment; it sounded exciting and quite in-depth, and I was correct. Not only did I get to create the design for furniture pieces, I also executed the designs and documented every step so people just like you can do it too! It wasn’t until this project did I realize how many actions are required to show how to DIY.
The actual SMT (Satellite Media Tour) is set to be airing during August and then I’ll be able to see my own work on the screen. This is very exciting and I cannot believe I’ve gotten the chance to do things as big as this as an “intern”. This, however, is how Liggett separates itself from other internships; while there will always be the days when you do a coffee run, (like yesterday, my mentor Wes asked very nicely for me to run to Starbucks for him, but he always buys me a drink too- yum frappuccino!) on a daily basis you're handed projects and included in meetings just like any other employee at the agency.
I have acquired many strong pieces for my portfolio this fall, which I cannot wait to show the others in my class. The feeling of seeing my work in public places, online, and in the hands of others really fuels my desire to continue in this field. I’ve never doubted what I’ve wanted to do, once I realized just what that was, and I cannot wait to finish my last two years at school, because it’s places like this and people like this that make it all seem worthwhile. I may never know the science behind how my computer works, and I know that while the necessity is that it works, the execution and idea behind any design always ends up back to the brain of a “creative” thinker. I consider myself lucky to be one of those because when I look back at what I’ve done and look forward to what I will do, the possibilities are endless and forever expanding.
Sasha T.
Creative Intern
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
How may I help you?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Details Matter!
In September, Liggett Stashower will be hosting Worldcom Public Relations Group's annual conference in the heart of downtown Cleveland. This three-day networking extravaganza will feature discussions of the latest PR trends, social media guest speakers, and a cocktail party at Liggett's chic office space. Worldcom guests will also have the chance to visit Cleveland's most reputable landmarks, including The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and critically acclaimed restaurants, such as Lola, Blue Pointe Grill, and Dante.
I've had the opportunity to participate in meetings with brand management execs and witness the hard work they've put into every detail. From securing hotels to booking musicians, Liggett employees seem to have a 360-degree view for planning a corporate event. After partaking in these meetings and having discussions with co-workers, I've realized how important it is to stay organized and prepare for the "what-ifs."
As a part of the Worldcom planning team, I truly feel that my assistance has been meaningful. For my first task, I wrote a dine-around-guide featuring 14 of Cleveland's best restaurants. This guide has been sent to Worldcom partners to spark excitement about experiencing Cleveland's unique dining attractions. I've also researched transportation services, received quotes, and created a pricing table for my team's review. My newest assignment is to research catering options for the cocktail party Liggett will host the first night of the conference. I've been in communication with various catering companies to ask for sample quotes and price points. To cover my bases, I've taken notes and written memos to make sure that I am doing my job as well as the other members on the planning committee.
What I've learned is that every detail matters, and I'm so glad that I am able to contribute to such an important and exciting event!
Rachelle Patsey
Brand Management Intern
Thursday, July 22, 2010
My time at University Settlement
The past five Wednesdays I’ve spent part of the day at the Settlement meeting with program managers, board members and volunteers, interviewing seniors in the Adult Wellness Program, and sitting in the Hunger Center talking with clients as they pick up their groceries.
From the interviews so far, I’ve written 18 stories for the Settlement’s newsletter. Since I started my degree in journalism before switching to public relations, I was thrilled to be able to use my newspaper background while interviewing and writing these articles.
I learned quickly, however, that there are small, but important differences between newsletters and newspapers. Since these stories could be used in the Settlement’s newsletter, website, and even letters to donors, I’ve learned to write the facts while centering the stories about the Settlement’s greatest strengths.
It’s also been incredible to work one-on-one with the Settlement’s director of development. Each Wednesday before my interviews we discuss the project’s progress and he gives me constructive criticism about the stories I’ve written.
Working with the Settlement has taught me a lot about how a small organization works to promote their mission and has allowed me to meet with some really wonderful people. Though I'll be leaving the Settlement with the final stories in just three weeks, the lessons I've learned from their organization will help me for a long time to come.
Katie F.
Brand Management Intern
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ham Mania
Among the many exciting days full of field trips and free food this week, me and my fellow LS interns are still working towards deadlines and meetings around the office. Next Friday the agency will be celebrating Ham Day, a Liggett annual event - not only do we get to enjoy ham and the company of the agency, we get to show everyone what we’ve been working on these past seven weeks. Each of us will be presenting our thoughts and ideas in a sort of “book report” style based on a book assigned to us at the beginning of the summer.
The fun part, though, is we get to promote and advertise this event ourselves internally. Ben, another creative intern, and I have been working towards concepting for the poster and there’s way more possibilities than you would think of how to utilize a pig in a poster. From a cartoon, to an outline, to Porky, and just a plain sandwich, we’re trying to find the best way to say “Hey! Come eat and enjoy yourself.” Some of the agency staff will see that visually, others will see it in words. It’s the correlation of both things that will make our poster stand out from the rest and worthy of being posted to the agency walls.
The actual process is something interesting to think about. While something can graphically say a lot, it cannot say it all. The constant back and forth between Ben and I is never-ending- in a good way. We use each other’s brains to pull out things we could not see alone and when we fall short of words, we have two minds searching for them, instead of just one.
Behind the scenes
One of the projects Sasha and I are working on right now is for a Satellite Media Tour (or an SMT). We will be televising a step-by-step instruction video on how to custom decorate furniture and accessories at home, using one of LS’ clients’ products. So, you might be thinking: hire some pretty girl, throw her in front of a camera with some paint, tape, furniture and say action. Well, you probably know it takes more work than that, but it’s a lot more work than I expected.
Not only do we have to have multiple test runs to make the process foolproof for live TV, but we also have to write detailed instructions for every step of the painting process-which is where I come in. I was assigned to write directions on how to turn your measly coffee table into a functional, modern piece of art. Each step requires a picture to make sure even the most artistically challenged can execute this design like Martha Stewart.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Viewing PR as a Skill
I once had a discussion with a friend who happened to be a marketing major. He playfully commented, "PR is a joke. It's basically just like saying you graduated from college--no specialty in particular." Besides being offended, I couldn't have disagreed with him more!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Getting ready to Crawl
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
TV Legends
The intern crew, as well as Sean from the LS Project Management group, headed over to WKYC television (the Cleveland NBC affiliate) studios this morning with a fun day ahead of us. When we arrived, we were greeted then immediately taken to the set where “Good Company” (an information and entertainment based “talk show”) is filmed. We arrived about halfway through the show, so we got to watch the final half-hour or so be filmed. After, we toured the studios a bit and met the people that “make the magic happen.” So many parts and pieces go into each production. The amount of multi-tasking is phenomenal.
We got a chance to not only view the sets, but also have a little “playtime” with the special effects. If we weren’t already into our fields, I bet we all could be the next big anchor or weatherman.
Next, we watched the taping of the noon news program. We split and watched half in the studio and half in the control room. I have a new respect for live directors and anchors- anything can happen on live TV and since it can, it probably will. If any of you watched today, you know one can lose sound bytes just for them to re-appear again and a man dunking his head in a kiddy pool of ketchup is sometimes just something that happens.
So, work doesn’t always mean no fun. You just have to find the time to make it fun while learning along the way, and then treat yourself to burgers and Cokes after.
Thank for the great trip WKYC!
Sasha T.
Creative Intern
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The brand at hand.
Today has been busy, to say the least. It’s hard to believe the projects that were first assigned at the start of this internship are now coming due. Book reports, t-shirts, posters. Sprinkle that on top of the bed of client work already in progress and you’ve got yourself a stressful salad. But it’s the good kind of stress. The stress before a deadline that knocks your behind into gear, producing some of your best work.
My latest challenge has been the intern t-shirt concept. As Rachelle talked about yesterday, we thought we had a t-shirt concept down, ready to print. But that is clearly not the case. We had some time to think on our own, talk with some helpful intern alum, and really dive into what is going to make this t-shirt better than the others.
I’ve been doing some branding research for the upcoming POV. I’m looking into how successful brands got their start. Most of the articles I’ve seen all pointed to the same thing. You must dig deep within your company (or self) to find out what you have to offer that separates you from the rest.
Back to the t-shirts. We have to create a t-shirt design that represents our intern class. Our brand. We need to dig deep within ourselves and figure out what makes us so much cooler (or lamer) than other intern classes. Then mold that into a t-shirt design Liggett employees would want to wear.
This is a pretty daunting task. Imagine, looking at yourself, like REALLY looking at yourself, and figuring out what makes you unique. If you had to get one tattoo, one permanent thing on your forehead, what would it be of? What would your logo be? What would your tagline be? Remember, like these intern t-shirts, your brand will be an impression of who you are, that sticks with someone for the rest of their life.
I’ll be sure to keep your posted on how these t-shirts turn out.
Ben L.
Creative Intern
Monday, July 12, 2010
Groupthink
Friday, July 09, 2010
Witnessed
Thursday, July 08, 2010
The heat’s a-risin’& deadlines are a-flyin’
With the temperatures reaching the 90s here in Cleveland, I have to continually wipe my head from the sweat pouring out of every pore across my brow. It’s Cleveland for gosh sakes; why can’t even a fraction of this warmth stick around for the winter? But, let’s not even mention the winter; it brings back horrible memories (snow up to my knees again?! No thank you!). It seems all this heat is getting to everyone. I look outside of my window at Liggett and there are not quite as many people outside and there’s a race every day around noon for the tables in the shade. However, while most are seeking the air conditioning, I’m seeking more time.
We have now been here at Liggett for five weeks. I sit back and think where has this time gone? It doesn’t feel like I’ve worked for five weeks, mostly just got stuff done and then had fun. Not only did we go to the Indian’s game, but also, we make regular trips to the corner Starbucks and a nice little restaurant call Bricco down the street. Ben even got a complimentary birthday brownie Tuesday! I suppose I’m mirroring my last post in saying, after work, we play. Luckily, all the time we spend working pays off in the smallest ways.
I’ve never been the type of person to do anything short term, and I remember when I found out I had 10 weeks here at Liggett. At that time, I felt it was long (over 2 months). I look now, and it really is too short. I haven’t quite figured out this hate for the cubicle or office work many people speak of. Yes, some days seem to last longer than others, but five o’clock always comes and the sun is still beating around eighty-something for about four more hours.
We are finally making some head-way on our intern t-shirt and soon it will be Ham Day (Liggett’s own annual internal holiday) but only after our intern party, all scheduled for the end of this month. Next week we have a field trip to WKYC studios and the week after that Oliver Printing and The Plain Dealer. There’s still so much to do but with so little time and with all this fun going on, I could do this job for an extra five weeks, no problem. Luckily, deadlines make me work even harder when they come creeping up, so with all the work out of the way, these last few weeks here will fly by (unfortunately). The end of this internship means the end of my cubicle, my new friends, and the end of summer. Let’s delay it, can’t we?
Sasha Thueringer
Creative Intern
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Why didn't I think of that?
In today’s world, it’s all been done before. As time progresses, it becomes harder and harder to come up with an idea that’s completely original, that has never been heard of before. But when an original idea does come along, you kick yourself for not conjuring it up yourself.
Take Silly Bandz, for example. These oddly shaped rubber bands that are worn on your wrist and traded like baseball cards, are all the rage for today’s youth. Who could’ve predicted the success of such a simple idea?
When it comes to writing copy, which lately is what I’ve dedicated most of my time to, I’m trying to come up with a completely authentic, never-before-seen way of saying something. Whether it’s a tagline or how-to directions for a website, I want to say it in a way that is different from the way it’s been said before. But how?
It’s challenging to write something completely original without making up new words. I’ve got the entire English language to use; it’s just a matter of putting words together to get my message across without being repetitive or boring. A puzzle, if you will. Luckily, working close with art directors and graphic designers, I can add more pieces to the puzzle with audio or visuals that’ll enhance the message.
I witness some of my favorite messages every day. I can’t get the AT&T Pure Imagination commercial out of my head: “Remember when you were 5? And anything was possible? Happy 5th birthday again.”
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
We're Halfway There!
Brand Management Intern
Friday, July 02, 2010
No Place for the Timid...
I know it’s difficult coming out of your shell. I’ve been there. And I can remember the moments in college that started the process for me. That’s what I hope this internship is for our interns – the start of the process.
Every summer I see interns come in with wide-eyed expressions that I liken to deer in headlights. They are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to be embarrassed. For some, they quickly get over it. Others never seem to embrace the notion that agency life is not for the timid.
While it may not always be super models and photo shoots, agency life is exciting, fast-paced and hectic. Clients look to their agency partners for expertise, advice and direction. Agency folks need to be ready, willing and able to step up, push back and take charge. We have to win and maintain the respect of our clients and we can’t do that being bashful - or dopey for that matter.
So, agency interns everywhere, no need for an alter ego, simply start the process. Talk to the staff at the agency not just your fellow interns. Ask questions. Ask for help. Volunteer for projects. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Admit agency life can be tough and you need us to show you the way.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Take me out to the ball game!
We're also going to get the chance to talk with Rob Campbell, executive development fellow in social media for the tribe. It'll be an amazing opportunity to ask him how he made his way into sports public relations and to learn about his experiences working for the Indians. A very good friend of mine has been trying to break into baseball PR since graduating, so I am ready to go with questions!
It's going to be such a beautiful day, so I have a good feeling about us defeating the Blue Jays. Keep an eye on the game this afternoon by following the updates from @tribetalk, the Indians' Twitter account.