Seeing the Talent with The Clios
My name is Isaac Schein, and I’m a junior Advertising major with a concentration in brand strategy and research. This summer, I landed a position as a program development intern at The Clio Awards.
The Clio Awards are a prestigious awards organization that recognizes bold and creative work in a multitude of industries from a marketing and advertising perspective. A board of judges evaluates works submitted to the various competitions over a variety of specialized industries, such as cannabis, music, entertainment, sports, fashion, and health. In a manner of speaking, receiving a Clio award is considered the ultimate stamp of approval and recognition in the advertising and marketing fields. In regards to the duties and obligations of the program development intern, I was responsible for passing entries for the Clio Entertainment Awards as well as conducting marketing efforts for the Clio Music, Entertainment, and Cannabis programs.
New Skillset: Talent Acquisition
As an intern, one of my responsibilities was to research bold and exciting new works in the marketing and advertising fields that are worthy of nomination and/or award. This involved identifying talent and gathering the necessary information for Clio staff members to do a thorough follow up. The most fruitful benefit of the process was being exposed to/discovering new and exciting ways that agencies are marketing products and services. Time management was the key to success and spreadsheets are your best friend. Knowing how and where to investigate streamlines the process. Additionally, skillfully utilizing the reach of The Clio Awards’ extensive databases is key to collecting essential information for potential contacts.
BOLD and CREATIVE Advertising
Remember those well-crafted commercials that made you laugh, or that movie trailer that made your jaw drop? They’re all part of a process to intrigue you and garner your interest. My Clio Awards internship reiterated the importance of ads that break through barriers. Sometimes, “borderline” ads fail to get the message across. As a brand strategist, you must think like a consumer. Humanizing your brand messaging and recognizing trends before and as they rise are the keys to successful work in this field. The Clio Awards did not gain their reputation through sub-par research and judging.
Final Words
Never be afraid to branch out in an internship! Being proactive about networking and having a solid work ethic are excellent ways to earn recommendations. Especially during Covid-19, virtual coffee dates always serve as a nice icebreaker with staff members.
