One of our favorite things to do at Marbury Creative Group is inspire students to join this crazy world of creative advertising and marketing. Over the years, we have formed a strong partnership with the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia (UGA), where our president and creative director, Rob Marbury, (as well as other members of the team) actively contribute and support the growth and success of students—of course, it also doesn’t hurt that most of us are alumni!
Our involvement with UGA runs deep, from professional mentoring to having a seat on the Board of Advisors for the student-run agency, Talking Dog (which we just so happened to advise the students in naming). In fact, we just wrapped up another year collaborating with the Grady College Capstone Campaigns classes, providing the case study client and enabling students to work on real campaigns to develop comprehensive strategies.
This year, the graduating seniors had the opportunity to tackle a campaign for our client, The Lodge at Gulf State Park. With it being a beautiful beachfront destination, we tasked them with the challenge of creating a strategic campaign aimed at driving an increase in reservations during the “shoulder seasons,” or the fall and winter months.
We briefed the students and provided guidance and suggestions throughout the semester, the two competing in-class “agencies” presented some fresh insights and well-thought-out concepts. This academic opportunity is twofold: it allows the students to gain practical, real-world experience, while Marbury benefits from their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
Maybe the most exciting thing about partnering with UGA is the educational opportunity. We are always eager to share our industry knowledge and help students navigate the challenges and questions they may have about the advertising and marketing field.
“We love working with students—helping them get as much exposure to agency life as possible so they can understand and get excited about the differences between strategic and tactical roles across the disciplines of design, media, research, social media, creative, and certainly client service,” says Marbury Creative Group President and Creative Director Rob Marbury. “There are so many great areas to have a career in; we want to be sure they consider them all to see where they are naturally gifted. Selfishly, this also gives us an opportunity to see what a student is made of—how driven and talented they are. The more questions a student asks and the more interested and motivated they appear, the more we want to figure out how to make them our next hire!”
Whether we’re finding our next summer intern or inviting students to shadow us for a day, we’re always eager to expose interested students to our agency and the creativity that comes along with it. You never know who might fall in love with the creative process and strategic thinking by watching our campaigns and projects come alive.
We’re always looking forward to our next endeavor with the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia and all of their incredibly talented students and faculty. Nurturing creativity and helping hone the skills for a successful career in this ever-changing creative industry is something we find true value in and are lucky to be a part of. So, here’s to the next generation of ad gurus making their Marbury mark, one catchy tagline at a time.
