Copy by Madison Ogletree, image by Kelly Latiolais
Lessons learned, by Sullivan Branding’s Memphis interns during Summer 2014:
1) Knowing the names of the members of the Jackson 5 is relevant in the real world. Sullivan has a unique culture all its own, and it is evident in just about everything the company does. Conference rooms in our Memphis office being named after the Jackson 5 is just the beginning of how Sullivan creates a fun and creative environment. The FUEL committee is constantly planning and organizing events that foster unity within the company and that encourage employees to grow professionally.
2) Memphis is cool. Seriously. Working downtown in Memphis has been an unexpected perk for all of us. I can’t tell you the amount of good food available within walking distance of the office. Additionally, there are so many opportunities available for young people who are trying to get a start here that it would be a full-time job to take advantage of them all. The New Memphis Institute hosted social events for us to become more acquainted with the city and our peers who are in similar stages in their lives.
3) Title doesn’t matter; no one thinks he or she is too cool to help out the intern. Everyone at Sullivan has been willing to take time out of his or her day to help us out whenever we have questions. We’ve been encouraged throughout our time at Sullivan to push boundaries and learn from the good and bad ideas that we’ve had. The feedback that we’ve gotten from Sullivan employees has helped us to grow and learn much more than if they hadn’t offered their advice and answered our sometimes-dumb questions.
4) Traffic is not just on the interstate. Before working in an agency, I didn’t know traffic was more than what I dealt with driving through rush hour. In the ad world, traffic is what makes the agency work and what makes sure all the projects fall into the right hands at the right time. Managing the day-to-day operations of the agency requires organization and time management to make sure that each project runs smoothly and that clients are happy.
5) No idea is just your idea. Collaboration is key in any workplace, but at Sullivan, it takes on an even greater role. Employees from all departments are encouraged to take part in brainstorming and solving problems. A good idea can come from anywhere. And as countless Sullivanites have said, the initial idea you come up with can be changed and improved upon hundreds of times over the course of a project. The best final products take bits and pieces from all the different team members, and that’s what makes an ad campaign a success.
