ADVERTISING AGENCIES WITH SHAYNI SHECTER
What costs $5.5 million dollars each, sold out on January 27, and accounts for 45 minutes of the biggest football game of the year (Forbes)? You guessed it — Super Bowl ads!
For 22% of people, advertisements are the most important part of the Super Bowl (Forbes). These ads accumulate millions of views on YouTube and are analyzed as some of the most important pieces of advertising of the year. However, we rarely think about the people behind the ads.
Most ads are not done by the companies themselves, but rather by an advertising agency that works closely with the brand to help them bring a vision to life.
Ad agencies range in size and scope, but most offer full-service marketing and advertising in a variety of different industries. While the people that work internally on a brand may know the products well, advertising agencies help companies to ensure that their messages will be well understood by and resonate with consumers.
Services offered by ad agencies usually include (but are not limited to) market research, branding and identity, digital communications, media creation, campaign messaging, campaign success monitoring, and campaign modification. Notable advertising firms in the industry include Doner, Ogilvy, and Wieden+Kennedy.
This week, Shayni Shecter sat down with MCMP to walk us through her path from the University of Michigan to Doner, one of the top advertising agencies in the country. From hearing her anecdotes and asking her detailed questions, MCMP members were able to gain insight into the world of advertising and learn countless life lessons from her experiences.
Shayni boiled down her advice into a couple of main points:
Don’t be afraid to deviate from your original plan.
Shayni was halfway through her second year at Michigan when she realized that she had a change in heart for the career path she wanted to pursue. She switched from the School of Kinesiology to the Ross School of Business to pursue studies in strategy and advertising.
Networking is absolutely crucial for getting your dream job.
Keeping in contact with people she has met along the way has been the key way that Shayni has gotten her foot in the door. Many of the opportunities she has had came from close personal relationships with individuals who knew her work quality and dedication to the industry.
Put yourself out there.
Nothing happens when you just sit still. Shayni made some of her most important connections and relationships by going the extra mile. Go to office hours, set up coffee chats with the CEO of your company, write handwritten letters to say thank you.
Get experience.
Starting from when you are in college, Shayni suggested taking advantage of all the opportunities you are surrounded by (getting an on-campus job, joining clubs, getting internships). Shayni also noted that she knew which specific field was right for her through the experiences she had.
Thank you again to Shayni and to all who came to her presentation.
Next week on Tuesday, March 2, make sure to tune in to hear from Marketing Strategist, Corynn Myers. She will be talking about her extensive experience in the marketing field and how to get your foot in the door.
—— February 22, 2021 by Stephanie Reifman
