 2010 Fact Sheet
2009 Participants
2008 Participants
 VPP Feedback
2007 Participants
2006 Participants
VPP Agency Lectures
Professor Ariana Hernandez-Reguant, University of California, San Diego: “As a cultural anthropologist and a person who regularly teaches ethnographic methods applied to media research, I was glad to learn how the research department at an advertising agency works. I was very impressed at their knowledge and expertise.”
Marta Insua, VP Strategic Insights: “The professor’s fit within the agency was as good as it could be expected when the world of academia meets the world of business. Ariana did not have any experience in the ‘for profit’ working arena, and this drove her to ask a lot of questions and question the inner nature of our industry. It was a refreshing territory for us to play into.”
Professor Barbara Lafferty, University of South Florida: “By spending time in a prestigious ad agency, my ‘credibility’ will be enhanced when I talk to the students about the world of advertising. For example, I have always emphasized the importance of research in marketing/advertising to my students, and I was glad to hear that both qualitative and quantitative research is done routinely. Again, this is something I can now stress from personal experience. Plus, I can inform my students about internship opportunities at DDB. Since Promotions is the principle course I teach, this experience will be value added when I talk to my colleagues about how to structure the class and what to cover.”
Deborah Broda, Account Director/Management Supervisor: “In an effort to maximize Barbara’s exposure to all of the inner workings of an agency, we scheduled time for her to meet with people in every department including production, planning, creative, Amplify, account management, media and HR. These meetings gave Barbara a better understanding of everyone’s roles and how they all contribute to the Agency. Additionally, it will be a big eye-opener for Barbara to learn how much Agencies have changed since she last worked at one.”
Professor Cheryl Lin, Duke University: “The whole experience was simply fascinating and extremely educational. The VPP elucidated the operations of a major advertising agency and the process of developing effective ads and marketing campaigns. It was insightful to have the chance to peek behind the curtain to watch the professionals in action. I now have a better understanding and appreciation of the industry and the hard-working professionals.”
Christy Simpson, Learning & Development Associate: “The Professor spent time shadowing teams and held multiple one-on-one sessions with members from our Media, Planning, Account Management, Multicultural, Promotional and Shopper Marketing Departments. Teams took the professor through Competitive Strategy sessions, new business presentation materials, focus groups, brainstorms and the day-to-day happenings of our businesses. The professor spent her time learning multiple facets of our agency.”
Professor Christopher Long, Ouachita Baptist University: “The VPP experience has already had a positive effect on my research, and it will have a direct influence on several of my courses over the next few years. With respect to my research, I was surprised that several people at the agency found my work useful, and this reinforced my desire to focus my research on topics that are directly relevant to the advertising industry. I have already begun planning a collaborative project for this fall with a VPP participant. With respect to my teaching, I have begun incorporating (non-proprietary and non-confidential) examples and experiences into the course content I am planning for this fall, and I cannot wait to teach my consumer behavior seminar this spring—it will be so much richer for my students as a result of this VPP experience.”
Jeff Tarakajian, Executive Vice President: “Professor Long was a natural fit within the agency from day one. His Lunchtime Lecture was a huge success; all departments were in attendance. His laid back demeanor and natural sense of humor allowed him to meet and interact with many people across departments and levels.”
“Professor Long was able to jump right in and help the Research team with a few presentations for major clients. The Research Department was very appreciative for the extra help and especially his insights and contributions to these brands.”
Professor Ed Weiss, Johns Hopkins University: “It’s hard to judge an industry from limited exposure but my experience with Energy BBDO provided me with an enlightening pleasant surprise. Every moment of the VPP experience was relevant to my teaching. The two courses I teach most often are Brand Management and Integrated Marketing Communications. The knowledge gained and the reinforcement of principles I teach were perfect for my needs.”
Anne Dooley, EVP, Worldwide Client Service Director: “Ed also provided the agency with an interesting and engaging presentation, ‘Is It Possible for the Little Guy to Win?: Smart Marketers Who’ve Been Successful in Out-Branding Their Competition.’ Ed was able to provide personal insight into brands he’s had hands-on experience with, specifically one of his previous companies, Life-Like Products, and Under Armour, a hometown Baltimore brand in which he’s been able to engage with employees to help build a case study to use in his curriculum. It was well received by the Agency and brought about great discussion from the crowd on how little brands have been successful in competing in a highly competitive environment and win.”
Professor Shilpa Davé, Brandeis University: “Bill Imada and the people at the agency went out of their way to make me feel welcome and include me in their projects and activities. Bill was a gracious host and not only introduced me to the inner workings of an advertising agency but also arranged for me to meet with different (general marketing) firms. I was able to interact with people in the various Asian American communities that the firm works with and this was an incredible experience. I continue to keep in touch with Bill and people at the agency and have already given some talks and lectures about my experiences. Thanks again for arranging for this great program.”
Bill Imada, Chairman and CEO: “We invited and strongly encouraged Shilpa to feel free in expressing her thoughts, feelings and opinions about our work and the work that we do with our clients. She attended a client meeting at Farmers Insurance and actively participated in the discussion about positive portrayals of Asians and women in films and documentaries. The gentleman from Farmers was very impressed with her comments and mentioned that he might hire her as a faculty advisor on one of his future projects.”
“The agency benefited because it had an opportunity to learn from someone who teaches courses in American Studies from a cross-cultural point-of-view. Her comments regarding stereotypes and how they hurt the self-image of women and people of color [were] very useful and helpful discussion for members of the agency.”
Professor Carrie Trimble, Illinois Wesleyan University: “I asked to participate in the AEF’s VPP because I thought it would help me inform my students and prepare them for careers in marketing. I believe that those objectives were met with the program. I came away with a host of real-world examples and a better understanding of the process that goes into creating marketing communication campaigns for advertisers. One of the areas that was most helpful was the two-day orientation. By seeing three different agencies, it allowed me to compare the culture and focus of each agency. Overall, the program is educational, entertaining and eye-opening!”
Bob Ferdman, Account Director: “While she was here, Carrie met with virtually every part of our team: Planners, Media, Digital, Creative and PR. We work on completely integrated plans, so I think she got a broad exposure to everything we do and how everyone works together to do what we do. She sat in on internal and client meetings, as well as had one-on-ones with various heads of departments. In addition, she sat right in the thick of our group, so when she wasn’t in meetings, she absorbed the day-to-day culture and hustle and bustle.”
Professor Ilan Alon, Rollins College: "The experience provided by the AEF can be summarized by a single word: outstanding! The advertising world is quickly changing. Professors wishing to stay abreast of the latest developments and get some "real world" experience can learn from field experience, interactions with executives in selected firms, and an excellent orientation program focusing on providing an overview of the industry. In short, I highly recommend the VPP and hope that it continues in perpetuity to provide relevant experiences to aspiring professors."
Chris Budden, SVP, Management Representative: “Based on the Professor’s area of expertise/interest the fit [with McCann] was perfect. His international marketing focus along with our global network of agencies and clients allowed him first hand insight into several brands, people and functions within the agency that work on global businesses.”
“VPP is a great program, and McCann looks forward to participating in the future. Not only do people like to share what goes on here with professors, develop relationships, etc. so they can take back the most current thinking and practices to their students, but we also get to benefit from their knowledge and expertise.”
Professor Andrew Wong, California State University: “My experience in the VPP was very rewarding and definitely exceeded my expectations. Nicely structured and extremely well planned, the VPP offered a wide range of opportunities to participants to learn about advertising and the industry.”
“Not only was I able to gain invaluable “real-world” experience at a top agency, but I was able to also learn about the latest trends in the industry and obtain an excellent overview of how advertising is created, through formal and informal interactions with advertising executives from various agencies during an excellent two-day orientation program.”
Annemarie Schoepfer, Senior Partner, Group Planning Director: “Professor Wong was very outgoing and personable and for that reason he acclimated very quickly to the agency environment. He was also very comfortable managing his time and making meetings on his own, which is very helpful in an agency as large as Ogilvy. He jumped right in!”
“Professor Wong got a very diverse agency experience, including seeing focus group research, following a project from briefing to first creative internal, and for another project even seeing a few rounds of creative reviews which concluded in a client presentation (which he got to attend). He also benefited from visiting with various departments including our Digital Innovation Labs, Ethnographic Research Department, and even meeting the Global CEO. Throughout his two weeks, we tried to expose him to the advertising process, as well as to the diverse and unique range of services that Ogilvy offers.”
Professor Katherine Burson, University of Michigan: “This experience has had a tremendous impact on the way I see the advertising world . . . Several things I learned during this experience that stand out are: 1) Agency employees actually care about the individuals that their communications reach, 2) My research is accessible and interesting to people in this industry, 3) What I was teaching students before this experience was too far removed from the actual agency process to be optimal. Regarding the latter, I have already begun teaching advertising again this year, and (in sharp contrast to last year) feel confident in the theories I am professing. Though my better understanding of the industry has prompted me to overhaul the course, I am enjoying the reconstruction process: I have many examples to provide and can point students in the right direction on their career paths.”
John Bowman, EVP, Executive Group Planning Director: “Katherine’s schedule consisted of a full overview of how an Agency functions with meetings scheduled with Creatives, Strategic Planners , Account Managers, as well as folks in the following departments: TV/Print Production, Audio/Visual Departments, Human Resources and much more. During each meeting, the professor took lots of notes and asked many questions. She mentioned several times to Pat Murphy about how excited she was to incorporate this new found information (experience) into her students next year’s curriculum.”
Professor Xin Zhao, University of Hawaii: “I have been studying advertising for several years. My research examines the development of the advertising industry and consumer culture from a historical perspective. I read about the advertising industry all the time, but I haven’t gotten a chance to really immerse myself within any ad agency before. The program helps me to bring to life what I have been reading. It helps me to understand how things are actually practiced in real time.”
Whitney Goodman, Account Supervisor: “Professor Zhao was very fascinated by the quantitative aspects of BAV and overall impressed with how academic an agency can be. I think that was surprising to him. He also liked learning about how brand planners develop insights. He spent a lot of time with Brand Planning, BAV and some of our larger Global Account teams. He had the opportunity to see creative being presented and sat in on some research results.”
AEF
Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved.
|
Print Version