AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Steve Guyer (ABJ '05)

Steve Guyer

Steve Guyer (ABJ '05), an advertising major, is originally from Royston, Ga.

What activities/internships were you involved while in Grady/UGA?

• Martin Agency Student Workshop (Richmond, VA) ‘05.
• Staff Photographer, UGA Bulldogs Athletic Department ‘03-’05.
• VP. Interactive Media, UGA Ad Club ‘04-’05.

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

I’m a manager for Viacom’s Kids and Family group, which includes Nickelodeon and Virtual Worlds. I’ve been managing digital initiatives since 2006 when I worked at Grey’s direct marketing and digital agency. In the past, I’ve worked at G2 (part of Grey Group), Experian CheetahMail, AgencyRx (part of the CDM Group Omnicom Group).

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

We wake up each morning trying to find new ways to make Viacom’s kids and family properties more and more educational and fun. We just wrapped nick.com’s LIVE Kids’ Choice Awards experience which supported the on-air show experience on March 23 at 8:00pm.

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

The Campaigns class, definitely. Pulling together teams to do the new business pitches in the Campaigns class was by far the most helpful. Nothing beats real-world experience dealing with other team members. I realized after graduating that while I might take a test on my own, I needed every one of my coworkers to finish projects. Ron Lane was always very supportive of the work that I did and helped me build my confidence.

What is your favorite Grady memory?
There were two experiences that are in my memory:

• Traveling to New York was really what kicked it off for me. The school arranges the trip for students every year. The trip is a great opportunity to see what an agency looks like inside and a bit about what the environment is like.
• Working on the Campaigns class was a lot of fun. We worked really late and long hours to make the presentation the best it could be. There really is nothing like seeing an idea go from inception to a fully realized product.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students?

• Meet as many people, resources, colleagues, teachers, professors, athletes, musicians (you get the idea) as you can since you never know when you might want or need to reach out to them for advice or to join you in your project.
• Get really involved in any of the projects that you want to take on and drop the ones you aren't interested in (no one cares about a laundry list of clubs if all you did was pay dues--- that makes you a subscriber, not a member).
• Get ready to work really really hard!

Two Ad students to participate in exclusive Martin Agency program

Congratulations to two AdPR students who will participate in The Martin Agency's student workshop this January. Liza Wooten, an advertising major and Spanish minor from Charlotte, N.C., and Lindsay Davis, an advertising major from Buford, will take part in the annual 10-day undergraduate program in Richmond, Va. 

       The program is designed to "give college students a true experience in the advertising business," according to the Martin Agency's application. "It is our hope that after participating in the workshop, students will gain a better understanding of how an agency works, its creative environment and its philosophy. This workshop helps students discover whether advertising is the career for them."

       Approximately 15 students are chosen every year for the workshop. "Having two students accepted into this very competitive program speaks to the caliber of advertising talent at UGA," said Tom Reichert, AdPR Department Head.

"I also felt that with how respected this program is and The Martin Agency itself, it would open many doors for me and introduce me to some insanely creative and intelligent people."

       The program schedule includes seminars on public relations, account management, marketing intelligence and studio art. The students will also have the opportunity to work on a case project, in which they'll develop a communications plan for a real client, and present their findings to agency executives and a client representative. 

       Wooten said she was inspired to apply because of the program's learning opportunities.  "It seemed perfect because hopefully by the end of this internship, I will have somewhat of an idea of what it is like to come up with an idea from start to finish, whether that will be an ad campaign or a way to re-market a product, and pitch it to an actual client," Wooten said. "I also felt that with how respected this program is and The Martin Agency itself, it would open many doors for me and introduce me to some insanely creative and intelligent people."

       In addition to participating in the Martin Agency workshop, Lindsay Davis participated in the UGA Cannes Lions Study Abroad program in 2012.

       Founded in 1965, The Martin Agency is a leading advertising agency based in Virginia. In 2010, the agency was named AdWeek's "U.S. Agency of the Year."

Four UGA advertising students chosen for national Multicultural Advertising Internship Program

UGA advertising students Phillip Fain, Shandrea Evans, Tien Phan, and Anthony Agabaere were selected for the American Association of Advertising Agencies' (AAAA) 2011 Multicultural Advertising Internship Program. This summer the students will experience agency life first-hand while taking on real job responsibilities and learning from industry professionals.

Phillip Fain, an advertising MA student, will spend the summer in New York City interning for EURO RSCG Worldwide. Shandrea Evans, a junior advertising major, will be in Richmond, Virginia working with the Martin Agency. Tien Phan who is a senior advertising and accounting double major, will be an intern with Archer Malmo in Memphis. Anthony Agabaere, a senior advertising major, will be working in Chicago with Draftfcb.

Congratulations to these outstanding AdPR students!