Advertising Camp for HS students kicks off at Grady

From left to right, the students Zani Nobles,
Becca Franks, Caroline Davis, 
Hanna Harper, and Jarred Wagner.

For the first time, high-school students interested in advertising were included as part of the annual Georgia Journalism Academy at the University of Georgia.

From June 9th to June 15th, Grady College hosted sixty high school students from seven different states for the 29th annual Georgia Journalism Academy. The project-oriented academy is a week-long, residential summer camp for high school journalists, themed "The Grady Games."

The Advertising camp was taught by seasoned professional -- and Grady doctoral student -- Adam Avant. His core class focused on the basics of advertising, how agencies are organized, and the roles in an ad agency. Also, students learned the concepts of branding, how to determine target audiences, and media considerations among other topics. Throughout the classes, students developed activities such as an advertising campaign, and attended seminars in public relations, web design, newspaper design and staff leadership.

"We really appreciate Joe Dennis giving us an opportunity to include advertising as part of his successful Journalism Academcy," said Tom Reichert, AdPR Department Head.

The group "Hard at Work"

Students at the 2013 edition of Georgia Journalism Academy

AdPR Alumni Spotlight - Sarah Armstrong (‘05)

Sarah Armstrong

Sarah Armstrong currently works at Arnold (NY) as an Account Supervisor.

What was your major and when did you graduate? I graduated Cum Laude in May ‘05 with an ABJ in Advertising.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? Though I graduated with a degree in Advertising, I was initially a PR major so my activities spanned between both areas of communications.  I was a member of a sorority for four years and during that time I served one year as the PR chair.  One of my favorite activities was being a Hoop Girl for the Men’s basketball team for 3 years. And during my senior year I became involved in the Ad Club (since I finally picked my major!) and came to New York City for the annual Ad Club trip.

What are you doing now and how did you get there?  I’m currently an Account Supervisor working on Unilever at Arnold.  Right after graduation I came to NYC with a friend - neither of us had jobs but we were determined to make it work.  I had a PR internship the year before and used that experience to secure a position at a leading PR agency.  After a few months, I decided to switch to advertising and joined JWT, where I worked on a few J&J and Diageo brands for 4+ years. Ready for a change, I came to Arnold 3 years ago.

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) On any given day I'm doing whatever I can to make the account run smoothly. That could mean pulling together a presentation for a creative meeting, visiting the clients' offices, attending focus groups or even a shoot somewhere exotic (or in Queens for that matter...) Right now I'm working on a project that will simultaneously relaunch a brand in some global markets, launch a new product and help the brand become relevant to millennials who may have passed on it in the past. So, I've got my work cut out for me!

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? The passion of my professors in Grady is what drew me to Advertising. Learning about all aspects of communications (research, art direction, strategy, media and even law) gave me a solid base of knowledge.  Not to mention it allowed me to try my hand at different roles within communications to get a sense of where I excel (leading a team, making killer PPT decks) and where I'm perhaps not so gifted (Photoshop, writing newspaper articles).

What is your favorite Grady memory? Definitely the Ad Club NYC trip. I met so many wonderful people, visited a ton of fantastic agencies and got to see all that NYC -- my home now of 8 years -- had to offer. It gave me the excitement and confidence I needed to make the leap to move here. In a nutshell, that was a life-changing trip.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? 1) Don't be shy! Network and meet people. We all got our start from meeting someone on the inside who was kind enough to listen to our dreams and offer a way in. 2) Ask thoughtful questions and let your passion and personality shine through, especially when interviewing for that first job. 3) And once you have that first job, remember you have a lot to learn. Grady is fantastic at preparing you for your career, but there's nothing like good old fashioned experience that comes with time, and the wisdom that comes from working under seasoned mentors.

AdPR doctoral students earn awards and recognition

Congratulations to Ho Joon Choi and Eun Sook Kwon, two doctoral students in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations who earned recognition for outstanding research conducted in the graduate program.

Hojoon Choi

Hojoon Choi was awarded the Len Reid Graduate Student Research Award. The award, established by the AdPR Department to honor long-time, award-winning educator and researcher Dr. Leonard Reid, recognizes research excellence in graduate education. "Dr." Choi -- (he received his doctorate in May) -- will begin his career as an assistant professor at the University of Houston.

Eun Sook Kwon

Eun Sook Kwon is the first recipient of the Dean Krugman Graduate Student Travel Award. She earned a Delta Airlines ticket to attend the American Academy of Advertising Global Conference, held from May 31 to June 1, in Honolulu, Hawaii. “It is a honor to be the first recipient. It is a new award for graduate students bestowed this year and I was surprised and touched by the support of our department,” said Kwon. The award was established in Krugman's honor. He is a long-time educator, scholar and administrator at the University of Georgia.

Both Drs. Reid and Krugman, emeritus professors in the department, remain actively involved with students and scholarship.

PR major Jordan Thomas blogging about ESPN

Jordan Thomas at the
Corporate Communication Division of ESPN

Jordan Thomas, recently featured on News@AdPR in a student spotlight, has been working hard but enjoying his summer internship in the Corporate Communications division of ESPN. 

Jordan just authored a post profiling 9 of the 16 SEC (Southeastern Conference) interns for ESPN's corporate blog - ESPN Front Row, which was posted on July 22. 

View Jordan's post here: 
http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2013/07/the-lineup-nine-of-espns-southeastern-conference-interns/  This was Thomas' second written installment for ESPN's corporate blog. The first one, posted on July 12, featured an interview with an intern co-worker.

AdPR well represented at American Academy of Advertising's Hawaiian conference

Dr. Kim and AdPR doctoral students in Honolulu, Hawaii

Dr. Joo Young Kim, Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, along with AdPR doctoral students Eun Sook Kwon and Kuan-Ju Chen, attended the The American Academy of Advertising Global Conference, held from May 31 to June 1, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The conference's theme was “Going Digital? Opportunities and Challenges of New Media and Non-Traditional Marketing Communications in a Globally-Connected World.” The AAA conference was sponsored by the Shidler College of Business and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

The event was well attended and served as an important forum for intellectual exchange and collaboration among advertising scholars, educators, and practitioners from around the world. “The presence of the UGA team composed of Eunsook, Kuan-Ju and me had certainly demonstrated the world-class strength of our advertising program. I really enjoyed the conference program which was full of scholarly insights we could use in our research and teaching, particularly in my Global and Multicultural Advertising class in the fall,” said Dr. Kim.

PR major Jordan Thomas attends Diversity Awards thanks to T. Howard Foundation

Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas, a junior majoring in Public Relations and Sport Management from Trenton, NJ, was recently chosen to attend the Diversity Awards with the T. Howard Foundation. 

The T. Howard Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides minorities aspiring to work within the multimedia industry with a full-time paid summer internship, networking opportunities, professional development training, scholarships, mentors, among others. The mission of the T. Howard Foundation is “to diversify the multimedia and entertainment industry by increasing the representation of minority young men and women within the industry. The Foundation defines minority students as those who self identify as African-American/Black, Asian/Asian-American, Latino/Hispanic, Multi-Racial, Native American, Pacific Islander or South Asian.”

Thomas applied online and this is his second award with the T. Howard Foundation. Last summer he worked as an intern at Comcast. “There, I worked as a PR intern in one of their regional offices in Trevose, PA. I worked under VP of PR for the region, Jeff Alexander,” said Thomas.

This summer, Thomas is interning in the Corporate Communications division of ESPN at their headquarters in Bristol, CT. “I am most excited about working with the organization this year. They put me in contact with Susan Grouse, HR coordinator with ESPN, and she led me to their communications department.” 

Thomas is also active on campus through a diversity of leadership roles. He is the marketing coordinator for The Red & Black, where he works with advertising sales to generate new accounts and assist with existing accounts. Furthermore, Thomas is the Resident Assistant of the Professional Entertainment & Sports Association (PESA). “I create programming, company visits, and workshops for individuals aspiring to work within the entertainment industry as a Sports Business Director” said Thomas. “I also keep students aware of all of the programs and events on UGA's campus as the Public Relations representative of the student programming board - University Union.”

Student Spotlight: Cara Felleman

Cara Felleman

Cara Felleman, a rising Senior majoring in Advertising and Psychology, is from Houston, Texas.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?  

My first semester sophomore year, I wanted to take an introductory class to public relations, however the class was already full so I decided to sign up for Introduction to Advertising instead. I truly enjoyed the class and quickly realized advertising would go hand in hand with my psychology degree, so I decided to apply to Grady!

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens?

I am currently the Vice President of Ad Club, Co-Chair for ADPR Connection, a member of Relay for Life and an active member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority.

What kinds of internships or work have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities?

I started my summer internship in New York City in the beginning of June, 2013. I am interning at an advertising agency called G2, which at the moment is merging with Ogilvy Action to become the largest activation agency in the world. I am interning in the media department, where I will be participating in the media planning and buying for both broadcast and digital media. I love the job and can’t wait to see what the summer has in store for me.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship or work experiences?

My favorite Grady experience is without a doubt attending the Cannes Lion Festival for Creativity last summer. Grady provided me with the ability to attend the most prestigious advertising event, where only the crème de la crème of the industry are lucky enough to attend as simply a student. This program gave me the opportunity to learn from the top leaders of the industry, network with professionals and most importantly have a ton of fun while doing it!

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program?

I would say go for it! The AD/PR program at UGA is an amazing program; they prepare you for the real world while providing you with endless opportunities to get involved with the industry as a student. I am very proud to say I am apart of the Grady family.

What are your career goals and interests?

After I graduate in May, I hope to incorporate my psychology background with my passion for advertising. Ultimately, I would like to work in the strategy and insights department at a mid-sized advertising agency in either New York or Atlanta.

Student spotlight: Alex Woodruff

Alex Woodruff

Alex Woodruff, a Senior majoring in Advertising (Grady College), Marketing (Terry College), and Music Business (Terry Certificate) is from Locust Grove, GA. He's interning at Mashable (NY) this summer.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?  

Coming in as a freshman I knew my greatest passion was journalism, at least from an educational perspective. l still hadn't decided which discipline within Grady was my best match however. Though my high school background was in print journalism, after a couple of years at UGA I began to shift more from news-writing to the ADPR side of things. Looking back, I couldn't be happier with that decision.

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens?

I record music under the name Reign and have performed many times in Athens as well as on campus, opening for Big Sean when he came to UGA and Kendrick Lamar earlier this year at Tate Grand Hall. Outside of my music I am an active member of Pi Sigma Epsilon, the Sales/Marketing Fraternity at UGA, and work part-time as a Salesperson for LensCrafters in Athens.

What kinds of internships or work have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities?

When I started at UGA I worked as a cashier at Publix for about a year before being hired at LensCrafters, where I sell and repair glasses. Last year I was granted an internship through the Terry Music Business program doing marketing work for UGA Alum Pharis Roland and his company BoomFoundry. This summer I was fortunate enough to be selected for an Sales internship with Mashable.com in New York City. At Mashable I work with a team of people who strive to make the site a go-to destination for advertisers worldwide, while keeping the user-experience as undisturbed as possible.

What were the best parts of these experiences?

Easily, my time here at Mashable. This is my first real experience with an established company and it has been phenomenal. Great work environment and brilliant, forward-thinking people.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship or work experiences?

In all of these work experiences the one constant responsibility I have is that I must be able to communicate effectively. My Grady professors have really helped prepare me for that, and I'm much more comfortable in these internships because of their tutelage.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program?

Go for it! It's an awesome program with a great reputation and an even better faculty.

What are your career goals and interests?

Because of the intensive education I've received at Grady and elsewhere at the University, I have a lot of options once I finish my degrees. I plan to try a variety of fields, test my strengths, and most importantly: never get bored.

Over 40 students attend Cannes Lions through UGA study abroad

Students with Conan O'Brien

June 2013 marks the fourth consecutive year of the University of Georgia Cannes Lions study abroad program. This year 41 students mixed with over 12,000 delegates from over 92 countries.

This was a special year with the festival celebrating its 60th anniversary. Major themes of the festival included storytelling, mobile and social media, authenticity and transparency. Students attended sessions during the seven-day festival that included over 60 seminars, and a range of master classes, forums, and tech talks.

Exclusive Guest Speakers
This year’s special guests included a star-studded set of exclusive speakers who shared their insights with the students. They included:

• Conan O’Brien, TBS talk show host
• Ellen Mardiks, Golin Harris
• Suzy Deering, Moxie Interactive
• Jack Klues, Vivaki
• David Gallagher, Ketchum Europe
• Kerry Gaffney, MOFILM
• Katherine Ryan, Canadian comedienne/actor

For the fourth year students attended a VIP tour of Microsoft Advertising’s Experience Center, a showcase of the company’s latest consumer technology.

Students talk with Ellen Mardiks

Students in the program mixed and mingled with some of the leaders in the brand, media and agency business. At least four students were offered internships or positions while attending the festival.

Highlights
Other highlights included yacht parties, an event with P. Diddy, scuba excursions, and day trips to Nice, Antibes, Eze and Monaco. Two student groups won "Canned" lions for their campaigns developed during the program.

Professors Karen King and Bryan Reber also participated in this year’s program. They taught sessions about the advertising and public relations professions, and helped preview the festival for students. UGA Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Dr. Jeff Springston also was on hand for a guest lecture.

Cannes Lions Study Abroad Program
Although most of the students enrolled in the program were from UGA, this year students from University of Arkansas, Colgate and American University also were enrolled. Students earn six hours of academic credit during the three-week program.

On the infamous red carpet at Cannes

The program is co-directed by Drs. Tom Reichert and Nate Kohn, professors in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Students interested in next year’s program are encouraged to visit the website for more information about the application process.