LAUNCH Program: Week 3 Recap

From virtual meetings with industry experts, to learning content via online courses, and even practicing workplace flexibility when the program needs to suddenly go 100% online, our interns this week were on-the-go. Read more about what they've gleaned from their courses and projects covering everything from branding to "Learning How to Learn". 

Caitlyn 
Throughout this LAUNCH program experience, I have gained so much new knowledge in the Marketing and Communications field. I have learned that marketing revolves around changing according to evolving society and evaluating consumer behaviors. Additionally, I have learned that updating data on your competitors is a vital part of marketing, ensuring your relevance in the industry. 
This week's main lesson is on the variety of aspects that go into marketing as a whole. There are design principles, branding principles, consumer analytics, and so on. Overall, this internship has given me a fresh perspective on the goal of brand promotion and the various messages that a design may express. For me, this has uncovered different sides  of marketing––it is not just about one single aspect, but several interwoven together. 
Over these past few weeks, I have learned about the importance of keeping up to date with changing society as that is what marketing is all about––keeping up with what your consumers are looking for and what they desire from a product or service. I am looking forward to what the final week of this LAUNCH program has in store, and to learn more about marketing from this experience. 

Deia
    In the Marketing and Communications field, I’ve learned that almost all of your work is driven by the consumers. Even though it is important to stay grounded in your brand’s core image and values, marketers’ strategic planning always has to be fine-tuned to their target market. For instance, a marketer has to know what demographics make up their target audience. 
This aspect of customer segmentation is the easiest as demographics are not as dynamic as psychographics, which include the consumers’ opinions, beliefs, attitudes, and interests. On top of these two categories, marketers also need to take into account the behavior and needs of their audience so that they can figure out the best way to capture their attention. 
    Before the LAUNCH program, I thought that marketing was simpler and more straightforward. Now, though, I know that it takes a lot of behind-the-scenes research and planning to come up with an effective marketing scheme. Figuratively speaking, marketers have to “read the minds” of their consumers to effectively showcase their products or services. On top of that, they have to adapt to any changes that go on within the target market. Overall, I’ve gained much more insight into this field over the past few weeks, and it will definitely be valuable once I enter the workplace. 

 

Mavie

The LAUNCH program has continued to be eye-opening for me, giving me insight into the world of Marketing and Communications. I learned that sharing your presence with others online will allow you to boost your brand. You should present yourself and your brand in a way that is authentic but desirable. This is essential because your brand is how the consumer views you. Also, websites, blogs, and various social media platforms help your brand get heard, but control and management over them is important. Juggling many different platforms can be overwhelming, so it is often better to stick to one or two platforms that you know well to begin with.

Overall, I have learned that trying new things will open up opportunities that I could not have imagined would be possible. The program has been outside my comfort zone, but this has made it a good learning experience. I get to discover more about what goes on behind the scenes and learn discipline and control, which will help in future work (such as freelance). And even if I did not expect them to be at first, the skilIs I am learning in the program are helpful because they apply to multiple career paths.