Kiera's Story: Brand Strategy Internship in New York
This is Kiera!
She graduated from The King's College, New York where she is majoring in Media, Culture and the Arts. Kiera is one of the Creative Diversity Scholarship recipients for the Summer 2021 internship. She did an internship in New York at Code and Theory as a brand strategy intern.
What was your role during your internship?
I did a brand strategy internship at Code and Theory, a creative digital-first advertising agency that bridges creativity and technology. I work within the Creative Strategy department.
To quote one of my seniors, “There’s no such thing as intern work.” Everything that I’m doing are things that need to be done and would likely be a part of my responsibilities as a junior and even mid-level strategist.
One of Code and Theory's projects for Amazon
What were some of your responsibilities during your internship?
My main responsibilities vary from project to project, but social research, deck building, brainstorming, and organizing creative strategies are often a part of my day. As a brand strategist, our focus can be on developing brand pillars, conducting competitive audits, developing campaign strategies, or deciding what platforms launches will take place on. This may vary based on one’s specialization within brand strategy.
Two of my favorite projects have included pitching to a brand going public on the stock market and developing editorial content for a prospective lifestyle brand.
Kiera with her colleagues at Code and Theory
How did this internship impact your career?
This internship has provided me with invaluable professional experience, confidence, and creative friends and acquaintances that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Creative Strategy is a bit of a detour from my long-term career goals (screenwriting and directing), but it exceeded my expectations.
From a creative standpoint, I’ve gained a new lens for storytelling and understanding different audiences, which will serve me well in my long-term filmmaking goals and any advertising work I continue to do.
Adidas' campaign by Code and Theory
Above all, I opened a door that I didn’t think was possible. While my sights were not initially set on creative strategy, I’ve come to enjoy it, and I feel confident that I would succeed in the agency world. I have a wide network of strategists and creatives across the industry and know agencies would be interested in bringing me on. Things seem to be only up from here. I can now say that I’ve worked on projects for Amazon, Adidas, Mars, J&J, Con-Ed, and more before having graduated—not too bad for an intern!
ArtBound Initiative has helped me the most by expanding my view of possibilities for the future. Prior to going through the program, I think I had a very narrow view of what was possible at this stage in my life. I have a lot of aspirations and goals, but sometimes I place myself in a box.
What did ABI help you with the most?
Laura and the entire team showed me how much I could obtain now! I never imagined that two agencies would fight for me even without formal experience in advertising, and yet, I received a counteroffer from my current agency after another agency made a slightly higher offer. As an intern, I was presented with options that would both be career-defining! I am most grateful to Laura for believing in me and being willing to coach me and push me beyond what I thought was possible for myself.
ArtBound Initiative has helped me the most by expanding my view of possibilities for the future.
Kiera
Brand Strategy Internship | Code & Theory
See some of Kiera's work here.
Interested in the program but don't know where to start? Check your eligibility here!
ArtBound Initiative is a fee-based global internship program for creatives. We prepare students for their careers through an online coaching curriculum and by helping them secure an internship in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berlin, Melbourne, and Sydney. With an expansive network of leading creative companies, our program provides access to creative industries that are notoriously insular.
Read more about ArtBound Initiative New York Internships here.
Questions? Contact us at info@artboundinitiative.com