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By Hannah Stewart (Comm鈥�19)
Crossing the pond
The Consumer Insights course is new to the college, as is another London program led by information science faculty. During the Ethnography and Design of Making Data Strange course, eight students studied international data while visiting hot spots like Bletchley Park and Warner Bros. Studios.
鈥淲e really wanted to make sure we were offering something truly new, with learning objectives that would be best served by being abroad鈥攏ot just taking something in our existing curriculum and teaching it in a different location,鈥� said Amy Voida, associate professor.
Those programs join CMCI鈥檚 long-standing International Strategic Communication course, which is held in Paris and Amsterdam. That course runs directly before Consumer Insights, allowing students to take both courses and gain additional experience abroad.
Britons drink more than a billion cups of tea every day鈥攊t鈥檚 the national beverage鈥攂ut English youths aren鈥檛 sipping as much as their elders. Last June, 13 students from the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design set off across the globe to learn why.
鈥淟ondon is where account strategy was invented. It鈥檚 the hub of advertising for Europe and beyond,鈥� said Morgan Young, an assistant teaching professor of advertising who is leading the study abroad program. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e prioritizing here is learning from industry professionals.鈥�
All students studying advertising strategy have to take the Consumer Insights course. In London, they tour advertising agencies, tea companies and, of course, cultural landmarks. The immersive three-week program culminates in the development of campaigns.
Getting firsthand experience
Junior London Selah said her favorite experience was visiting Mintel, a global market research firm.
鈥淟istening to someone鈥檚 experience and seeing the day-to-day life of what it would be like to work in one of these agencies is really helpful,鈥� she said.
Selah was an engineering student before switching her major to strategic communication at CMCI, which she said allowed her to challenge herself creatively while still using her analytical skills. The study abroad program gave her a better feel for the field while validating her decision to pursue a new professional path.
For senior Emily Iliff, the agency tours were exciting, but equally important was connecting with her peers.
鈥淚鈥檓 very impressed by the students who attended, and it speaks a lot to CMCI and the APRD department itself,鈥澨齭he said. 鈥淭here are people who are more creatively inclined, then there are people who are very keen with numbers. With our combined talents, we鈥檝e become kind of a superpower.鈥�
For Selah鈥檚 final project, she worked with a group to create a tea brand, including developing marketing plans and building engagement strategies targeting 18- to 28-year-olds. Visits to advertising and research agencies鈥攊ncluding firms that work on brands like PG Tips and Yorkshire Tea鈥攚ere instrumental in understanding how to create the right messaging and target their campaigns effectively.
鈥淰isiting different agencies and getting real-world experiences has prepared me for what I might see when looking for jobs after graduation,鈥� Selah said of her time in the United Kingdom. 鈥淚 enjoyed being able to apply what I learned on an actual project.鈥�