PR students selected for Coca-Cola Summer '15 internships

Avia Meadows and Amelia Miles

Avia Meadows, a junior public relations major from Marietta, Ga., and Amelia Miles, a junior public relations and consumer journalism major from Warner Robins, Ga., were selected for Coca-Cola's public affairs and communication internship program. 

The Coca-Cola internship program offers an exclusive opportunity for Grady College AdPR majors. Each year, Coca-Cola executives interview Grady students for the much-desired and highly competitive communications internship. Students work under the direction of Grady alum Scott Williamson, Coca-Cola VP, Public Affairs and Communications.

Meadows and Miles look forward to interning at Coca-Cola this summer.

"Coca-Cola has so many amazing campaigns coming up this summer," Meadows says. "I look forward to learning from the best to see how campaigns get executed with a company such as Coke."

"Most people who know me know I love all things Coca-Cola," Miles explains. "I am most excited about the opportunity to further connect consumers with the iconic brand that is Coca-Cola. I think Coca-Cola's ideals are unmatched in that they strive to spread positivity.

"I look forward to gaining invaluable experiences and lessons from some of the best and brightest public relations professionals in the world," Miles shares. "I am extremely honored to intern at Coca-Cola and can't wait to represent Grady College and The University of Georgia in Atlanta this summer."

On campus, Meadows serves as the event planning chair for UGA's John E. Drewry Chapter of PRSSA.

"This year, I am also the PRSSA National Conference Coordinator, and I am leading an amazing team of six to plan the National Conference that will be in Atlanta this November," Meadows explains.

Miles is involved with PRSSA, Zeta Tau Alpha and UGA Diamond Darlings. She is a Leadership Fellow in Terry College of Business' Institute for Leadership Advancement program. When she's not in class, Miles spends her time enjoy reading, being in the sunshine "with a Coke in hand, of course" and watching sports. 

AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Daniel Dao

PR Alum Daniel Dao

Daniel Dao currently serves as Senior Vice President for a mid-sized experiential marketing agency called ignition. Headquartered in Atlanta, ignition specializes in national and global marketing campaigns, tours and experiences.

What was your major and when did you graduate?  

I was a dual major in Political Science and Public Relations, graduating in 2002.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA?  

Like many college students, it seemed like I had ample downtime, yet somehow still never had enough time to do everything I wanted! I was an RA at Creswell Hall and member of the club Ultimate Frisbee team.  My other activities probably belong on a different blog.

What are you doing now and how did you get there?

I'm currently leading account teams and clients, responsible for business development, client retention and best-in-class account service.  The story goes...

As a junior at Grady, I realized that a summer internship might be a good idea for career placement.  I was fortunate enough to score a great opportunity interning for the Coca-Cola North America Public Affairs and Communications department, working for Scott Williamson, now VP of PAC for CCNA — an internship he still offers today only for Grady PR majors.  He had the unique position of coordinating PR efforts for Coca-Cola during city celebrations for the upcoming the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torch Relay.  After that summer, I took a semester off from school to join the team full-time.  For the first time, I discovered what "Experiential Marketing" was all about.  From that moment on, I knew that this form of branded communications was the right path for me.

Predicated on real-life brand experience drive by the human touch, this is a 'get your hands dirty' type of industry, while also necessitating expertise in strategic brand and communications building.  After graduating, I went to work for ignition, the agency that activated the Salt Lake City 2002 OTR for Coca-Cola.  After more than 10 years, I've had an amazing run, working with amazing brands like Coke, Sony, Disney, Nike, Live Earth and Delta, creating real-life brand experiences for consumers in more than 70 countries around the world and leveraging global fan passion platforms like world-class musical artists, the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, the NBA and many others.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?)

Every day is a different day with different challenges, and that's what I love most about what I do.  On a single day, I could be involved with developing a core campaign idea for a globally-recognized brand, to working with an international charter plane operator to finalize a global tour itinerary, to working with innovative partners to design the next 'never been done before' live experience.  Mixed in every day, I work with some of the best and brightest team-members, partners, mentors and clients to co-create ideas and restlessly challenge each other to strive for better results.

Currently, our team at ignition is in the midst of launching an 89 country tour - the third ever FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.  This journey will take place over nine straight months, leading up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.  Our team has worked for more than a year developing the program strategy and idea, creating a global experience plan and working with 89 independent local project teams to execute.

We'll be sharing content and stories from our journey on Twitter at @trophytour and on Facebook at facebook.com/trophytour so make sure to follow along!

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today?  

I never truly learned how to write until I spent one semester with Dr. Conrad Fink.  I took an honors Newswriting and Reporting class, which afforded me (or him?) the opportunity to consistently be under his watchful and critical eye.  He never missed a moment to directly challenge and teach us the right way to frame our thinking and communications.  This skill became the bedrock of the daily communications that I've delivered throughout my career.

What is your favorite Grady memory?  

I don't have any specific moments, but rather relationships.  I fondly remember my time with my Honors thesis mentor Dr. Jeff Springston as he coached me through my analysis of my time on the Olympic Torch Relay.  I also remember my campaigns class with Dr. A (Acosta-Alzuru).  We had a strong, little team developing a campaign for a local cause organization, and I gained friendships that I've held onto since that time.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students?

Be a sponge.  Learning never ever stops, and it's so important to find valuable lessons in every interaction, task and experience.  This takes humility, an open mind and desire to improve.

UGA PR Seniors Complete Exclusive Coca-Cola Internship

  

Rebeka Geer

Two AdPR students had the opportunity to intern with Coca-Cola this summer as part of an exclusive internship program with Grady College. Rebeka Geer, a senior majoring in public relations and speech communications, and Jordan Crofton, a senior majoring in public relations and nutrition science, were chosen as this summer's interns in Coca-Cola's  Public Affairs and Communications group at the company's Atlanta location.

Summer interns with Coca-Cola’s North American Public Affairs and Communications group are chosen exclusively from The University Of Georgia’s Grady College.

Some of Geer's responsibilities included monitoring social media, drafting press releases and helping with the Coca-Cola 600, an annual 600-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race. One of the most valuable lessons Geer learned during the internship was time management.

 "The people I worked with at Coca-Cola were eager to get me involved with the team and there was never a point when I didn’t feel like there was work to be done. I learned very early on that I needed to prioritize my assignments and as the summer progressed, I really learned to manage my time better," Geer said.

Some of Crofton's responsibilities included working on the company's intranet communications, and helping in projects such as the Sprite Uncontainable Game project and the ESSENCE Music Festival, a festival held in New Orleans where Crofton helped with on-site public relations.

"Because my growth throughout the summer came from the breadth of work I was able to experience, I can't pinpoint one specific detail as the best," Crofton said. "To say that the internship exceeded the confines of the office would be an understatement, and I couldn’t have asked to learn more in a span of 12 weeks. From lab innovation tours to a 6 a.m. route ride around metro Atlanta, there were countless opportunities that allowed me to learn about the Company from different perspectives."

Jordan Crofton on a company tour ride.

Both students cited their Grady College experiences, as well as the mentorship of their professor Betty Jones, as helpful during their summer internship.

"Dr. Betty Jones, the faculty advisor of PRSSA, has been such an incredible mentor," Geer said. "From the first time I went by her office a few years ago, explaining that I would like to be more involved with PRSSA, Dr. Jones has always been there if I needed anything. She helped me discover a career field that I find both challenging and rewarding and has shaped me into a confident, young PR professional. I would have never found out about this internship if it wasn’t for her."

"I don’t think I would have been a Coca-Cola intern if it wasn’t for the help of Dr. Jones," Crofton said. "She has been such a source of encouragement to me throughout the entire process. I am so thankful for all of the resources and preparation that Grady has provided me."

I strive to have a job where I’m constantly challenged as much as I was at Coca-Cola. I never want to become satisfied with my work and I hope to grow professionally from every future endeavor - Jordan Crofton

As for career goals, "I’m not sure exactly where I’ll end up, but I know it better be doing something I love," Geer said. "I do think I will begin my career at a PR agency because that environment will help me decide which type of clients I enjoy working with – whether it be non-governmental organizations, consumer public relations, B2B ... who knows! I just want to make sure I’m constantly challenged, find joy in what I do and am proud of the clients I work for."

"I strive to have a job where I’m constantly challenged as much as I was at Coca-Cola," Crofton said. "I never want to become satisfied with my work and I hope to grow professionally from every future endeavor. I'm especially interested in corporate communications and would love to find an intersection with nutrition. At this point, I haven't ruled anything out and I'm open to exploring different areas."

UGA doctoral student publishes brand Twitter analysis in Journal of Interactive Advertising

Congratulations to new Grady Advertising doctoral student Eun Sook Kwon for having her article "Follow Me! Global Marketers' Twitter Use" published in the Journal of Interactive Advertising. Eun Sook Kwon and Dr. Yung Jin Sung (University of Texas at Austin), a Grady Advertising doctoral alum, explored how social media have grown into powerful marketing communications tools in the global economy.

Kwon and Sung undertook a content-analysis of the Twitter use of 44 different brands including Starbucks, BlackBerry, MTV, Coca-Cola, Nokia, and McDonalds. They found that marketers try to introduce human personality characteristics into their brands by using human representatives, personal pronouns, and verbs in the imperative form. The analysis also showed that information like brand names and redirecting cues frequently appear in tweets for these brands. Overall, the researchers discoverd that marketers tend to exhibit brand presence and personality through their Twitter accounts, which allows them to build relationships with current and potential consumers.

Read the full article here.