6 Key Takeaways from a 12-Week Marketing Internship at Wolff Olins

As I enter the last few weeks of my internship at Wolff Olins London, I’ve been reflecting on my time here and I am thrilled to say that it has been one of the most informative professional experiences I’ve had. 

Coming out of my second year of studying English Literature and French at university and into this internship, I must admit that I knew nothing, and I mean nothing, about what marketing really involved on a day-to-day basis, especially in an agency environment. All I had was an inkling that this might be the career for me but, thanks to Becca Peppiatt, Rachel Barnes and Tal Kamin, I’m now certain I was right.

Throughout this opportunity, I’ve learned that marketing is a lot more than simply digital and running social media accounts, and that entry-level positions aren’t about getting everyone coffee - shoutout to The Devil Wears Prada for convincing me of this in my teen years!

I’ve compiled a list of six insights I’ve gathered that would be useful for a prospective intern in any field:

Creativity and organisation go hand in hand

During my placement, I was involved in the production of a video exploring the internship experience at Wolff Olins across different departments globally, for social media use, including being an interviewee myself. From a creative viewpoint, this role and my mentors guided me to think about things I may have otherwise taken for granted such as location, lighting and sound. I also made sure to create a welcoming environment for each intern so that we could produce more fluid and fun answers in a conversational and authentic environment.

However, alongside the creative aspects, this role required organisational skills. In order to ensure a smooth process, I had to brief the interviewees on the questions, schedule the best times to shoot with the team and collaborate with the New York studio to receive the videos of their team’s interviews too. 

This experience taught me that marketing relies on both creative freedom and the stability of structure.

Get stuck in

At Wolff Olins, I was given the opportunity to help with the drafting and posting of some of the social media posts for the agency. This entailed testing and posting content across different social channels, monitoring responses online and learning more about the process of how social content is written and adapted for different platforms. This was a deeply enriching experience that gave me a glimpse into how collaborative the process is, working with the design, engagement and verbal team at different points. As well as this, the experience also taught me to be meticulous and to have an acute attention to detail. 

Research is key

One thing that struck me is how wide the scope of marketing is. In fact, some of my favourite tasks had nothing to do with social media. For example, my first major project was to help the team research a venue for an annual non-profit event. I was given a brief that led me to research over 35 different venues in the central London area. After working with the team to create a shortlist of 20 venues, we narrowed it down to the top two venues that we then visited in person. 

Throughout my internship I have also helped conduct research into various C-suite level speakers for guest speaking slots at events and even merchandise suppliers; I can say with ease that examining and reviewing information is an essential part of marketing and it was great to learn more about the considerations that go behind decision-making.

Mistakes create growth, not failure

With this being my first introduction into the industry, I naturally made a few mistakes along the way, however I have grown to see the value of making mistakes and learning from them. This was an environment where the team made me feel comfortable in not knowing everything about everything. In fact, I was encouraged to ask questions and lean in.

When you’re the newest and the youngest team member, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing you need to prove yourself and justify the position you have already earned. This approach is stifling and leads to a paralysing, perfectionist mindset. Experienced or not, you will make mistakes which is a good thing because it’s a sign that you are taking that leap of faith and trying. So, let your focus be on learning instead of being perfect.

There is a correct way to disagree

Thanks to DebateMate’s Convince and Influence Masterclass hosted by Wolff Olins, I learned some techniques to keep in my back pocket. For example, when disagreeing, it is first important to focus on the big picture argument instead of picking apart the little details. Another nugget is to always add a counter idea or compromise when disagreeing with someone’s proposal.

If you are considering an internship in any field, take the leap

So, my advice to a prospective intern is to remember that you’ve been hired for a reason. Your team wants your input, insight and ideas, so speak up. Ask questions about how things work and why. Take the extra time to consider what you can do to make projects run more smoothly then make suggestions. Your team wants to hear from you.

Having started this internship fresh out of my second year of university, it is safe to say that I have gained more experience and knowledge than I thought possible. This has been an amazing ride and I am glad to say that this is only the beginning of my exploration into the marketing industry.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to everyone at Wolff Olins for a wonderful time. And, special thanks to Becca Peppiatt for guiding me during it all.