An intern at Mediablaze

A Floridian steps off a plane in London – passport in one hand, Google maps in the other, in pursuit of finishing a bachelor’s degree and figuring out life-after-graduation. I boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to the UK to spend the latter half of the year working as an account intern at Mediablaze.

While adjusting to the uncommonly warm weather that London experienced in late August this year, I found it easy to sync right into the world of Mediablaze. During my internship, I learned more both inside and outside the media industry than I ever expected, so I figured I’d write some words about it.

Content marketing agency?

In order to get fully acclimatised, it was important for me to know exactly what Mediablaze was all about and how it operated. It took time to wrap my head around the differences between an advertising agency and a content agency, as there are striking parallels. But it quickly made sense. I found that Mediablaze distinguished itself from other agencies by helping brands hone in on customer experiences and the relationships that follow. The idea isn’t just to sell a product – or even a concept for that matter – it’s to create a lasting impression of a brand.

Working as an intern alongside the teams at Mediablaze, I saw some of these content-powered experiences come to life. The Dali Katch speaker campaign was my favourite example, because it told the stories of some seriously talented people in an innovative way. The campaign journeyed through the influencers’ everyday lives, all while showcasing the functionality of the portable speaker. Tumblr was the main social platform and I watched the campaign take off and the engagement numbers gather pace. With varied content, from GIFs, to creative videos, to product giveaways, it was a hugely fun and interactive project to be a part of.

With a better understanding of what working with content meant, I dug into every aspect of the company – trying my best to soak up all the resources, feedback and observation that interning 40 hours a week allowed. I gave my support to every department I could to try and get a full perspective of the company, taking plenty of notes along the way.

Social media makes the world go ‘round

Social media took on an entirely new meaning for me. Hashtags meant more than those I used on my personal accounts. Coming up with captions for an Instagram picture was a lot more challenging than I imagined and it was clearer than ever that a social media reputation was everything. In this ever-changing world, brands have to be quick and adaptable in order to reach their audiences, and I learned first-hand how much dedication that requires. Getting to work so closely on channels that I used personally gave me a new appreciation and perspective for all the effort that goes into maintaining a brand’s social presence.

Time is of the essence

As an intern in the accounts team, I learned that assignments often needed to be completed with tight turnarounds. The account side involves planning, taking client amends into consideration, and planning again in order to keep projects moving in the right direction. And sometimes this meant that late nights and early mornings were necessary in order to meet those deadlines. Though not always ideal, the success of a campaign made those extra hours totally worth it.

In an intern world where ‘biscuits’ mean ‘cookies,’ work hard means play even harder

Mediablaze relishes rewarding hard work with a great time. Whether for a company-wide meeting, someone’s birthday or just because… there was always something worth celebrating. And often, these celebrations brought ‘biscuits’ – or as I realised ‘cookies’ – and tons of them. And, oh, man, don’t get me started on all the chocolate…

And finally…

Four months working as an intern gave me time to really get a feel for how Mediablaze operates. I was able to gain insight into everything that goes into working a full-time job, especially in a field that's notorious for being merciless at times. I saw the amazing: like winning a pitch with new clients; the good: like everyday lunch time hangs with co-worker friends; and the bad: like deadlines riddled with stress, and I watched as the Mediablaze team handled every situation as it came.

With my newfound knowledge, I believe my future in media and content is bright – with a gracious nod toward Mediablaze for the memories and the 'blazers who made it all happen. Without each of them contributing their own talent and drive into the company, I don’t think I would’ve walked away from this internship in the same way. It was an authentic, insider-view of the world I hope to have a large part in.

Could you be our next intern?

Interested in being an intern at Mediablaze? Apply for an editorial internship now and together we will rule the (content) galaxy!