My experience at French West Vaughan was an insightful one. I was able to learn a lot about the PR industry, specifically within an agency. Collaboration and flexibility were two of the most important factors in the advertising space. Personally I didn’t find myself too interested in that area, but I did find an interest within the creative team where they made things such as advertisements and logos for brands. While we were only able to meet with them briefly, their job sounded interesting and fun. I plan to use my knowledge gained at FWV in the future.
Tag: marketing
Day 6: FWV
We started off the day by helping look into David Meltzer’s Ask Me Anything podcast for one of FWV’s clients. They were invited onto the show and needed help finding the right questions to ask. Afterwards, we joined in on a meeting with Sarah Bellinger and got to ask questions afterwards. In the afternoon, we met with the DEI committee on equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Seeing how FWV also made it a goal to be more inclusive was especially insightful too. Continue reading Day 6: FWV
Last Day: FWV
During the morning, we helped Katie find handles of reporters in hopes that they would report on one of their clients businesses. We were also give the opportunity to help try and draft an email to one of the reporters. Later, we learned a lot of valuable information from Abigail and Sarah Grace, including how agencies interact with influencers (such as how much they pay per post). Finally, we wrapped up the WEP by attending a shoot for an NCDOT advertising campaign. 
Day 4 – Kai
Today was a slower day, as I continued to work on projects by making visuals for some office memos. I was able to meet the lobbyist which was quite interesting as I could get a glimpse of what that aspect of the Symphony is like and how that takes its role in the company. I will be shadowing him next week at the legislature which I am excited about. Also, me and Rhoda made test kits.
Day 2 – Kai
Today the CFO gave me insight into his relationship with donors and specifically government funding. He talked about how he and lobbyists talk to legislatures to educate them on their program to hopefully get support from them when deciding the budget. They may show a pamphlet like the one below to illustrate what they have done with the money and how successful they have been.
The legislature session has started to decide the budget for state programs which is important as that can adjust how much money they can use to achieve their company mission. In addition, I was able to listen in on an investment committee meeting which brought me information about how they tackle their investments and their strategies for that. Also, it is close to the start of their Summerfest and the end of their Fiscal year, so the whole building seems quite busy, as there are a lot of moving parts at this time of year. I am looking forward to seeing all of the efforts behind the scenes pay off in the concert next week!
Day 1 – Kai
Today we had lots of orientation and background around the NC Symphony and what its mission and goals are. The CFO Rob Schiller had a presentation for me about the economic aspects of the company. This was especially interesting as they had to explain how COVID affected their financials and ticket sales, and how they were able to overcome that. Also I was able to learn about the education outreach which is a instrumental part of the functioning of the finances which brought a new facet needed to understand. There is a concert this week and next week in which I am looking forward to learning about the preparation needed for these events!
Kai
Final Day Farewell
Similar to our meeting yesterday morning with Mr. French, this morning we had the pleasure of doing a Q&A session with the Senior Vice President of FWV, Ms. Barrie Hancock. We asked her about the biggest challenges that come with her job, as well as, what accomplishments she is most proud of. She relayed to us the difficulties that come from”client service” work as the job is never truly “done”: there are always new projects. Evidently, this is a gift and curse in the marketing agency world because it causes stress but also lots of versatility. She also expressed that her favorite aspect of her job is getting to watch younger employees flourish under her and her coworkers’ mentorship.
Seventh Day Stories – with Rick French!! :)
This morning Kendyl, Linda, Sonia, and I had the pleasure of meeting with the chairman and CEO of French West Vaughan- Mr. Rick French. During this Q&A session, he so kindly explained his extremely versatile career path. We asked questions about where his curiosity in pubic relations stemmed from, what his interests were at our age, and how he maintains a good work-life balance with all of his involvements. Mr. French discussed with us his time as a journalist and professional tennis player before founding the agency. He stressed the importance of enjoying one’s “involvements” so they don’t feel like work. Evidently, his work as a producer for Prix Productions, owning a minor league baseball team (the Daytona Tortugas), serving as a national trustee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and countless other astonishing achievements do not feel like work to Mr. French. Despite these countless other commitments, Mr. French adamantly prides himself on the integrity FWV has upheld for the past 25 years! The four of us greatly appreciated the time he took out of his busy schedule to sit down and talk with us!
Sixth Day Success- TTT
This morning was the company’s monthly TTT meeting (I don’t remember exactly what it stands for) but basically, the entire staff meets in the kitchen downstairs and has breakfast together while discussing the newest updates on current or prospective clients. Leaders of each team, for example, the head of the Wrangler account team informed others about the current status of specific clients. This month’s TTT was particularly exciting because it was the first back-in-the-office one since Covid! Some examples of new and important information from today’s meeting include FWV’s involvement in the PR for a new movie, as well as with Iggy Azalea’s new perfume, and a luxury spa (originating in Europe) that is coming to NYC!
Day 5 Diaries – Puppy Spot Deck
FWV works remotely on Fridays and during the summer the hours are shortened to 9-3. So, today we had a shorter workday, but Kendyl, Sonia, Linda, and I met (virtually) to brainstorm some ideas for the Puppy Spot RFP! In doing so, we came up with a few ideas for directing consumer attention towards the website, as well as, keeping an eye out for potential competitors. Some of the potential competitors we found are sites like PetFinder, BFPA, or Adopt a Pet. Additionally, some of the ideas we brainstormed to bring more attention to Puppy Spot are to highlight the Make-A-Wish/Puppy Spot partnership via a commercial, hold a “play with puppies” event, or broadcast an interview showing some of the success stories! If you’re looking to find a puppy of a specific breed (from a reputable breeder) https://www.puppyspot.com/ is the place to go! 🙂
