When you think of the people who work in advertising, your thoughts likely turn to fancy suits, flawless presentations, and luxurious steak dinners. You may also think of some of history’s most iconic commercials, such as those of Coke-a-Cola, Chevrolet, and McDonald’s. What you likely don’t think of, however, are the countless men and women who work in the realm of digital marketing.
Much like the famous advertising firms of Madison Avenue, these new age companies work to bring their clients’ products to new customers. The only difference is the tools they use, such as email, social media, internet search engines, and other digital media.
The Shipyard, LLC is one such digital marketing and advertising firm located here in Columbus. It serves numerous prominent clients including Scotts, AIG, and Nationwide. The Shipyard has been consistently growing since its founding in 2002, and is looking to expand further. To that end, they seek to build a talented pool of marketing students who will be entering the work force within the next couple years.
The Capital University business department has partnered with the Shipyard to hold a case study competition of Capital business students, which kicked off last Wednesday, September 9.
The student participants, primarily marketing majors, divided themselves up into six teams, each comprised of five students. The teams will spend roughly the next two months preparing an advertising pitch for one of the Shipyards clients. The pitches will be presented to the Shipyards’s executive board later in the semester, and the winning team will receive a cash prize of $1,000.
The money is not the only incentive these students have to participate, however. Each student group will be overseen by two advisors from the Shipyard, who are responsible for coaching the groups in areas they might need improvement. But, these company advisors also serve another role. They will be able to closely observe the groups and see which members take charge. The students capable of distinguishing themselves from their peers may be offered internship positions within the company.
“It’s really a win-win,” said Jake Wilk, program manager at the Shipyard, who came up with the competition. “Even if their proposal isn’t chosen, the students have an opportunity for networking, which is one of the most effective ways to find a full time job.”
Wilk is a former Capital University employee and graduate student who earned his MBA degree in the spring of 2014. He held a position in the admissions office, and later in the adult and graduate education department, before he began working for the Shipyard two years ago.
The initial student response was quite enthusiastic. Originally, the Shipyard intended on having 25 students participate, but they received over thirty responses almost right away. As a result they expanded the competition from forming five teams to six, and still a few students were waitlisted.
One participating student, who chose not to be named, said, “Of course I want to win the money, I’m sure everyone does. But, I think I will really impress [the Shipyard], and get my foot in the door while I’m still in school.”
The competition also greatly benefits the company itself, which will get to see six unique and creative pitches for one of its clients. More than this, the Shipyard will be able to observe the participants for the duration of the competition, and offer positions to the most qualified individuals. It is essential for a young expanding company to draw in talented employees, and the competition creates a framework for determining the participating student’s abilities.
“It’s a great way to see the student’s sense of character, initiative, and work ethic; characteristics that cannot be seen in an hour long interview,” Wilk said.
Wilk has been working closely with Capital University professors Keirsten Moore and Lynn Daily to bring the case study competition to Capital’s business and marketing students. When Wilk had the idea for a student competition, he decided to bring it to Capital, his former university. The business faculty seem to be excited and grateful to the Shipyard and Wilks for holding the competition on campus.
When asked about the competition, professor Elene Kent said, “Sure, financial donations are great, but what Jake is doing is giving back to the university in a way that directly benefits the students, and that doesn’t require a personal financial cost.”
The six groups will give their presentations before the Shipyards executive board on Wednesday, November 4. The winning group, and the recipient of the $1,000 cash prize, will be chosen before the end of the night. The Shipyard will then decide which students they wish to offer internship positions to in the weeks that follow.
Wilk seemed optimistic that even if students are not offered positions, or simply not interested in the positions the company wishes to offer, the students will still gain valuable skills that will assist them throughout their business careers.
