Spilling the tea
By Hannah Stewart (Comm’19)
Crossing the pond
The Consumer Insights course is new to the college, as is another London program led by information science faculty. During the Ethnography and Design of Making Data Strange course, eight students studied international data while visiting hot spots like Bletchley Park and Warner Bros. Studios.
“We really wanted to make sure we were offering something truly new, with learning objectives that would be best served by being abroad—not just taking something in our existing curriculum and teaching it in a different location,” said Amy Voida, associate professor.
Those programs join CMCI’s long-standing International Strategic Communication course, which is held in Paris and Amsterdam. That course runs directly before Consumer Insights, allowing students to take both courses and gain additional experience abroad.
Britons drink more than a billion cups of tea every day—it’s the national beverage—but English youths aren’t sipping as much as their elders. Last June, 13 students from the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design set off across the globe to learn why.
“London is where account strategy was invented. It’s the hub of advertising for Europe and beyond,” said Morgan Young, an assistant teaching professor of advertising who is leading the study abroad program. “What we’re prioritizing here is learning from industry professionals.”
All students studying advertising strategy have to take the Consumer Insights course. In London, they tour advertising agencies, tea companies and, of course, cultural landmarks. The immersive three-week program culminates in the development of campaigns.
Getting firsthand experience
Junior London Selah said her favorite experience was visiting Mintel, a global market research firm.
“Listening to someone’s experience and seeing the day-to-day life of what it would be like to work in one of these agencies is really helpful,” she said.
Selah was an engineering student before switching her major to strategic communication at CMCI, which she said allowed her to challenge herself creatively while still using her analytical skills. The study abroad program gave her a better feel for the field while validating her decision to pursue a new professional path.
For senior Emily Iliff, the agency tours were exciting, but equally important was connecting with her peers.
For Selah’s final project, she worked with a group to create a tea brand, including developing marketing plans and building engagement strategies targeting 18- to 28-year-olds. Visits to advertising and research agencies—including firms that work on brands like PG Tips and Yorkshire Tea—were instrumental in understanding how to create the right messaging and target their campaigns effectively.
“Visiting different agencies and getting real-world experiences has prepared me for what I might see when looking for jobs after graduation,” Selah said of her time in the United Kingdom. “I enjoyed being able to apply what I learned on an actual project.”