Alicia Harris, Brand Strategy Intern at Droga5
New York City
I think Droga5 chose me for this internship because they appreciated my hustle. I’ve always been a “go grab life by its horns and get what you want” type of girl. I moved to New York City for my first internship two summers ago with only two hundred dollars in my pocket and a shaky idea of where I was going to stay. The only thing I had a clear understanding of was how big my dreams were and how bad I wanted to thrive in this city.
Through my resume and MAIP video, I think Droga5 saw something in me that they respected: I was hungry for success. Throughout my past four years of college, I hustled and worked hard to get the opportunities that God blessed me with. I truly believe that faith without work is dead and that if you want something bad enough you have to go out and fight for it. I bring that philosophy into both my personal and professional life. I would like to think that Droga5 trusted that I would succeed not only based off of my previous experience, but also my pure willingness to never give up.
This summer I worked on a wide variety of projects for IHOP, Dos Equis, Prudential, Covergirl and new business. I was responsible for keeping my team up-to-date with industry trends by creating a weekly competitive analysis that informed teams on what was happening in the category and also listed key insights and implications that the brand could leverage for future work. In addition to this, I acted as the sounding board for all of my teams and continuously dug into consumer research to consistently feed the creative process. By turning data into actionable insights I was able to create decks for internal and client teams that had a strong narrative and visual representation. I also flexed my strategic muscles by conducting in-person interviews with specific audience segments in order to uncover trends and behaviors in specific regions of the country. Overall, this summer strengthened my research skills and more importantly my ability to think of the bigger picture. I found that strategy isn’t just about the “what” of things, but its job is to uncover the “why” and how it applies to the brand at hand.
The most challenging thing was getting used to the speed of the agency. Droga5 puts a lot trust in their interns and things move very fast here. The agency relies on us to assist in creating award winning work that transforms culture. Getting used to the pace of things and finding new ways to efficiently manage my time was one of the biggest obstacles that I had to overcome. However, after a week I found my rhythm and was even able to start raising my hand to work on projects outside of my assigned accounts. For incoming interns, one of the biggest pieces of advice that I have on staying up to speed is to take a moment every morning to bullet all of the work that must be done and prioritize it accordingly. Set time limits for yourself so that you’re forced to keep moving and that you don’t obsess over one project while neglecting others.
The best thing about my internship was the relationships I’ve made and the people that I’ve met. From hanging out with other interns to chatting with senior level executives, every connection that I’ve established has helped me to become not only a better professional but also a better person. Droga5 made me feel right at home. My managers and mentors have gone out of their way to make sure that I feel connected to the team and that I’m learning skills that will help me to succeed in the future. They have invested a great amount of time and energy into me and I can’t express my gratitude enough for the amount of time they’ve spent mentoring and encouraging me throughout this process.
The biggest learnings I’m taking away from my internship are:
- I thrive in fast paced environments. New York City mixed with Droga5 brought out the best in me. The fast paced hustle and bustle of both the city and the agency ignited a flame in me that refuses to dull. The feeling that I get after presenting work that was due within a short and “impossible” amount of time, makes me feel like I’m Beyonce at the Super Bowl. The adrenaline that rushes through my veins when I’m tasked with something that in the moment, I have no idea how to complete is what keeps me falling in love with this industry. I’m constantly challenged to work harder, smarter and quicker — and I wouldn’t want it any other away.
- Strategy is my passion, not my job. I always told myself that I had to create a career that I loved, not just one that pays the bills. Strategy opened up that opportunity for me. When I walk into work I never know what to expect. One day I could be researching psychological behaviors and the next pulling insights from childhood movies. I love the uncertainty that comes with working to develop a brand’s strategic platform. Strategy also lets me tap into my secret childhood dream of being a detective. It enables me to search through data in order to find clues that leads me to my next big insight. You can never get too comfortable because everything around you in constantly changing. It’s one of the most exciting and exhilarating parts of my day.
- I want to change the world. This summer showed me just how big of an impact I can make not only within this industry but also society. I think I fell in love with advertising because of its ability to pause life and allow people to focus in on the beauty and life of a brand. No matter what you’re going through or how bad of a day you’ve had, when you see great creative work you’re suddenly transfixed to stand still and acknowledge it, and for a few seconds forget about the problems that may be before you. I want to create work that does this very thing while also shaking up cultural norms and bringing people closer together. I want to create work that speaks for those who have been silenced and inspires the ones who may have lost a hold of their dreams. I want my niece to grow up seeing accurate portrayals of authentic black women who don’t hide behind society’s stereotypes and I think advertising gives me the platform to do it.
My best advice for future interns is to never give up on your dreams. As a young person, many people in your life will look to give you advice and mentorship to guide you towards a path that they think best suits you. However, you must stay in tune with yourself in order to find the path that is truly meant for you. If I would have listened to the advice from some of my family members and friends, I never would have studied abroad in China or have worked for three of the world’s best advertising agencies. Not to say that my family didn’t want the best for me because they surely did, they just didn’t have the same dreams for me as I did.
Even though at times my body wanted to give up and throw in the towel, my mind wouldn’t let me. I was in tune to who I was and what I knew that I could become. You have to believe in yourself more than your mom, dad, cousin, best friend, manager, boyfriend and girlfriend does. This industry is tough and not many people will hold your hand and walk you through all of the steps needed to succeed. You have to know deep within your soul that you are meant for greatness, that the world is yours to conquer. And come hell or high water, you are going to make it!
🎧 Hear more about Alicia’s experience at Droga5 in her We Are Next Podcast Minisode.
- Connect with Alicia via Instagram, Twitter, and her website.
- See more from Droga5 at droga5.com.
Huge thank you to Alicia & Droga5 for being part of Intern Fieldnotes, Vol. 1! For more insight and advice from summer interns at agencies all over the country, check out the full series.
Find all of We Are Next’s resources at we-are-next.com. Subscribe to our Weekly email for advice and insight from the industry, check out internship opportunities on We Are Next Jobs, and find other resources on the We Are Next Index.
