Discovering What M Really Means

This semester I find myself interning at M, a small branding, advertising and design agency in Old City. Founded just over a decade ago by four guys (two business side, two creative), M is still thriving in Philadelphia. Staffed at under 30 people, M is broken into the typical account, creative and production departments. There is also a separate M Health branch. It’s a small group of hard working, fun loving individuals, many of whom are less than a decade older than us college kids.

Having the chance to actually snag a copywriting internship is a rarity in and of itself, and I am very happy that I have. While not every day consists of copy crafting, I’m always doing something with words and there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. Being at M three days a week for almost two months has showed me the real inner-workings of an agency. Many of my days are spent proofing, correcting and just giving my input on a variety of pieces. It’s not all print ads, social media and the other well-known ad channels. There is so much more that goes into maintaining a brand in terms of project types, copy, design and the like. Here at M we do everything from design a website to create brand messaging guidelines. We even spruce up case studies and create table tents for clients. Whatever they need, whenever they need it, M provides it.

The main thing I really admire about M is their philosophy that an idea can come from any place. It’s not limited to us creatives, but rather ideas can come from account managers, production peeps and even the receptionist. This is a great philosophy, and a breath of fresh air, because a great idea really can come from anywhere. It may be that a certain type of person can harness it and take it to the level it belongs at, but the more idea channels available, the better the odds of the best possible idea.

While the meaning of “M” is a best kept agency secret, everyone has a different theory or they (allegedly) haven’t a clue. Reaching the halfway point of my time at M, it has come to mean something unique to me, and I look forward to the second half of my time here.