First Blog Introduction: Selina

Hello! My name is Selina. I am a new intern at Keating Magee. I was born and raised in Metairie, which is right outside of New Orleans. When looking at colleges and trying to figure out what was right for me, I decided that being home was the right choice. I mean, where else is better than New Orleans? With that being said, I am currently a senior at the University of New Orleans. When I graduate in the fall, I will have my degree in Marketing. I've learned quite a bit from classes I have taken, but I am ready for some hands on experience and learn even more from everyday hands on work.

Keating Magee is exactly what I hoped to find when looking for an internship. I was nervous to start because I didn't know what to expect having an internship. The only experience I had with other intern-type positions were the usual filing and phone answering. The first day at Keating Magee, I learned that the interns here are actually involved in projects and events and get real hands on experience! No time was wasted, I jumped right into business working with the United Health Care Children's Foundation Golf Tournament. I love being involved and am looking forward to whats ahead.

I am so excited and can't wait to update and share all the new things I am learning on my journey working with Keating Magee!

Passing the Torch

Over the past two weeks the rest of the summer interns have said their goodbyes, leaving the office feeling kind of empty. I'll admit it's been kind of lonely - not to mention a reminder that my time here is drawing to a close as well. Luckily, two new interns arrived Monday to pick up the slack.

Michelle and Selina are both students at UNO and will be working several days during the week this Fall. I've had the opportunity to work with Selina the past two days since she will be taking over the ongoing process of collecting donations for the UHCCF golf tournament. I hope the ridiculous amount of request letters and PDF files weren't too intimidating! From what I hear Michelle is a wiz at photoshop - definitely a skill I could have used this summer.

Teaching the new interns about the office and all the different projects we have worked on makes me realize just how much I've learned this summer. It seems just like a few weeks ago I was freaking out because the phone was ringing and I had no idea how to use it and now I am teaching the new interns, who by the way, have the same freaked out expression when it comes to the phones as I did, how to manage. Michelle and Selina, I hope those written out instructions help! As usual, once I figure everything out, it's time to move onto the next project. What this new project will be I haven't a clue, but whatever it is I hope it brings me back to the wonderful city of New Orleans.

Princess for a Weekend!

The Windsor Court is famous for hosting teas, and the hotel has recently begun featuring one themed tea a month. This month was the much anticipated Princess Tea, and the Windsor Court enlisted the services of a real live princess to grace the presence of the lucky guests…just kidding it was only me; however, I certainly did feel like a princess that weekend. I was dressed as Sleeping Beauty, and all of the little girls truly believed I was the real deal. As soon as they walked through the doors of the Windsor Court, they ran over to me and wrapped their little arms around my legs. There were a few girls who were a tad frightened of me at first; however, their fears quickly subsided once they saw other little girls flock to me. The menu and atmosphere were composed of all things princess: the harpist eloquently played tunes from Disney princess classics, the sandwiches were shaped like crowns, and the party favors were crowns given to everyone personally by me, the guest princess at the tea. The weekend was a wonderful experience and I would love to participate in another themed tea. Tea at the Windsor Court is truly a magical experience. Even on days when the tea doesn’t have a theme, its hard not to feel like a princess!

So long, farewell!

I will preface this post with an apology. If for some reason there are typos, misspelled words or incorrect grammer, I am truly sorry. I still have not fully recovered from the AMAZING event last night at Irvin Mayfield's I Club. Not only was the club filled with talented musicians, media and good friends of Irvin's, but also a few famous actors stopped by! Not too shabby for the opening night. Needless to say, everyone in the office is moving at half speed today.


I can not believe that my two months have come and gone so quickly here at Keating Magee. The experience is one that opened my eyes to the fulfilling, but sometimes complicated, world of communications. Interning for a company can go one of many ways. And guess what? You (the intern) are in control!


If you don't know- ASK!
Do not feel embarrassed or shy about asking for help. You are an intern, therefore you do not know everything and they don't expect you to. It is better to ask than to do a project completely wrong.


Put yourself out there!
Volunteer for any and every job! Oh the kitchen needs cleaning? Sure! There is an event to work tonight? Sounds great! The more jobs you are given the more you are trusted. It pays off in the end. I always felt like a nuisance asking, but I realized that after awhile I did not have to ask. Tasks were being given to me because I earned that responsibility.


Have fun!
Your experience will be so much worthwhile if you are adding fun elements to the work environment. Obviously, some days it will be all business and no play, but there are ways to still make those days enjoyable. Ask to sit it on a client conference call, go to lunch with the other interns, participate in a brainstorming sessions. By doing those things, your days will be more fulfilling.


I could not have asked for a better intern experience than the one I had with Keating Magee. I am sad to go, but I know that I have been instilled with the knowledge and capability to make it in the PR world one day thanks to the people at Keating.
Geaux tigers and of course, who dat!

My Phire Feature

Last week I was assigned to write a feature about Nick Sagona, Keating Magee's Senior Interactive Strategist, and the new, user-friendly content management system (CMS) he created. I enjoy writing, so this assignment instantly brightened my day!

Research is always the first move in when writing, so I visited the Phire CMS website and started looking over the material. Having recently dived into the world of blogging and CMS, I was excited to see what innovative features Nick had devised.

My next step was to interview Nick. During Nick's attempts to explain Phire and how he created it to me, I initially had trouble deciphering all of the technical jargon flying right over my head. However, I quickly began to understand just how beneficial, adaptive and user-friendly Phire can be.

Final step: writing. My personal technique is to look over my notes, organize them in my head and then just start typing. Along the way, I highlight the parts of my notes that have been included into the article. But for the most part, I don't stop typing until all the information is on the computer screen.

While this technique ensures that everything I think gets on the word document, it also guarantees that my editing process is quite time consuming. But have no fear, after some serious editing HERE is my finished product.

Phire is a pretty hot CMS, so definitely check it out!

Lindsay: Signing Out

With the closing of a summer filled with interning at a communications and marketing firm, it is time I reflect upon all I learned and experienced.

If had I to choose what opened my eyes the most regarding my potential career field this summer, I would have to say the impact that marketing and communications have on the world around us. From who makes appearances on the morning news, to signs seen around town, all the way to events at your favorite local spots, someone in this field devised the idea, presented it to the client and then made it happen. I am amazed at just how influential the communications field is and how much time and effort is put into ensuring that these events, contests, and news appearances have the greatest possible impact.

The most fascinating sight to observe, during the building of a campaign, is the brainstorming process. To watch of one small idea, which just jumps out of someone’s mouth during a brainstorming session, snowball into a tangible groundbreaking, monumental campaign or event is incredible. Future interns, just remember there is no such thing as a stupid idea, at least while brainstorming.

This summer I was truly able to see the inner workings of an agency. The whole process of snagging a potential client to executing a successful campaign was laid before my eyes. In this field, organization skills, paying attention to details and planning ahead are paramount. I don’t think I fully understood that until my experiences this summer.

This truly has been an awesome summer and I am so grateful for all that I have learned and experienced!

Farewell to everyone at Keating Magee!

Lindsay

Irvin Mayfield's I Club

Keating Magee, or as I like to refer to it, Grand Central Station, has been busy busy busy! Between openings, events and new clients, I am not sure when these people sleep. One of the more recent and publicized events happening for Keating is the opening of Irvin Mayfield's I Club. The club venue itself is something to boast about, but by adding in funky tunes of a well-known musician, delicious cocktails and outstanding hospitality, the club truly becomes one of a kind.

Thursday I worked the door at the soft opening that hosted guests from the art and fashion world. What a unique group! I was able to meet different designers and artists that have made a name for themselves not only in this city, but around the country and world. I felt so inspired as I listened to Irvin tell stories about what some of these guests have done for the city of New Orleans. It is always refreshing to learn how people take their own success and utilize it for the well being of others. Tomorrow night marks the event I have been looking forward to all summer; the grand opening of the I Club. Technically, I will be working but I foresee it being a thrilling work environment.

Did you happen to catch Fox 8 News this morning? If not, you missed the legendary Irvin Mayfield playing a beautiful song on his trumpet- talk about a nice way to wake up! The morning started out smoothly, as we all arrived on time and, with the help of coffee, wide awake. About ten minutes before it was go time, we realized Irvin had makeup stains on the front of his shirt from a lady hugging him. Girls, we have to watch out for this beauty no-no! I felt like a fashion intern as I ran to my car to retrieve the always helpful Tide To-Go pen and attempted to scrub the stains out of the shirt. I find comfort in knowing that my tasks at Keating Magee are fulfilling and do not include me doing the mundane "intern" work. All in all, this morning will go down in the books as one of my favorite experiences of the summer.

Oh and one more thing...

WHO DAT!

Jack's Mannequin @ the HOB Nola

After a long Tuesday at the office, my afternoon took an upswing when Ronald mentioned the possibility of getting us concert tickets for the show at the House of Blues (HOB) New Orleans that evening.

As Keating Magee summer interns, one of our main projects is to devise a seasonal marketing strategy for the HOB New Orleans. About two weeks ago, we took a stroll down Decatur Street to meet with the HOB promotions director to discuss the aim of the summer promotion. After an hour of chatting about food, music, social media and how the majority of us had made little acquaintance with the HOB, So and so mentioned allowing us to experience all that this venue has to offer.

Post-initial excitement, the offer slipped my mind. So, when Ronald said that we might get to see Jack’s Mannequin, one of my all-time-favorite bands, I had to hide my near hyperventilation. I sat at my desk, anxiously awaited a verdict and tried to not to get my hopes too high.

Then, there they were, the four little words that chimed like a choir of bells to my ears, “I got the tickets.” Caroline and I immediately grabbed our belongings and headed straight to the HOB. Little did we know just what we gotten ourselves into.

I had heard about the Foundation Room before. However, upon receiving the membership card from Ronald, I just thought it lead to a quickened entry into the gates that held the music of my juvenescence. But as we walked up the stairs into the wonderland that is the Foundation Room, we were more than pleasantly surprised. Plush couches lined the walls. Elaborate décor resembling old Tibet plastered the room, and the scent of incense roamed the air. After an introduction to what seemed like the entire staff, we were brought to our own balcony seats.

The show started off with River James, whose guitarist played his instrument like a violin. The next band, Lady Danville, was really entertaining with its upbeat rhythm, folksy touch and charisma. It was also exciting to see that the drummer kept beat with only his hands. The last opening act, Steele Train, was quite the crowd pleaser and seized my attention with its powerful lyrics. Then Jack’s Mannequin appeared on stage. The band’s passion, enthusiasm and talent could inspire anyone. I admittedly sang along to every song and enjoyed every second of the performance.

Each band had something completely unique to bring to the table. However, what caught really my attention was something that only my bird’s-eye view allowed.

As I gazed upon the crowd from my balcony seat, I realized how incredible it is to experience live music. Yes, hearing the same tune trumpeted out of iPod headphones will induce whichever emotion the song inspires. However, only at a concert can you truly see music unite a group of people and spark passion from within the musicians and the audience.

Hundreds of synchronized, sweaty strangers stand back to front, side-to-side, heal to toe and plunge into one another’s personal spaces. However, none of this matters as they form, what seem to be, personal connections with the musicians. The room potentially could have been filled with an assortment of people with only two things in common, the notes streaming off of their vocal chords and their passion for the music. The notes are simply formed by nerves traveling to the fingertips, triggering percussion to the piano keys and igniting vibrations. This process creates a sound that seems to be the only thing that really matters or even exists at that moment.

Music can tie everyone together, and that is why I believe that the New Orleanians’ love of music is what makes this city such a beautiful place.

I had an awesome time last night and would like to thank the HOB New Orleans and Keating Magee for the experience. I now look even more forward to continuing working on the HOB project this summer!

The Brain Storm

Two weeks ago, the Keating Magee interns were presented with a challenge to devise a plan for one of KM’s clients. We were separated into two groups and assigned to different initiatives. Caroline and I were grouped together and entrusted with the task of creating a plan for collaboration between two companies that would result in a 5k walk and fair.

Last Wednesday, Caroline and I headed out to the company’s office to speak with its director of outreach. She gave us a virtual tour of the interactive aspects of the company’s website to be incorporated into the event. Meeting with the director gave us firsthand experience in working with clients!

After extensive brainstorming and research, Caroline and I created a six-month plan for the initiative. It was fun to bounce ideas off of each other and try to think outside of the box. We presented the plan to Ann, Tricia and Ronald Tuesday!

Stay tuned for more details!

The Storm...

Around 12:00 yesterday afternoon, I stepped out of the Jax Building with one thing on my mind: lunch. I decided to head to my usual spot, Subway, where I planned to bring my sandwich with me and eat it at my desk. It seemed like a nice day so I began walking the two blocks to Subway. As I was about to push the door opened to the sandwich shop, I felt something hit my forehead. I looked up to notice a massive raincloud moving quickly in my direction. I hesitated for a moment, pondering whether or not I should run back to the office to grab my raincoat/ umbrella. On an impulse, I pushed the restaurant door open. I reasoned that I would only take a minute, and it would be silly for me to run all the way back to my office. I quickly made my way through the line, crossing my fingers that the rain would hold up until I was safely at my desk. As I was paying, I heard a loud crash outside. I looked out the window and saw to my amazement that it was torrentially raining. There was no way out- if I left now, I would be drenched by the time I returned to the office. New Orleans is infamous for quick spots of heavy rain, so I decided to wait it out a few minutes. Well, a few minutes turned into a half hour and the storm had not subsided. I knew what I had to do, even though the outcome would leave me soaked. I politely asked one of the Subway workers if he could spare a plastic bag to cover my head, and I took a deep breath as I opened the door. I surrendered to the rain. I ran as fast as I could back to the office, only stopping once to retrieve my shoe that had slipped off during a hurdle over a puddle. I made it to the office in one piece, but I was a very soaked one piece. All in all, I definitely learned a very valuable lesson: do not underestimate the power of New Orleans summer rain. It can happen at any moment, especially when you least expect it. Make sure to always have an umbrella/ raincoat with you at all times.