AMA Atlanta Collegiate

Lots of great insight from another local agency, Response Mine Interactive! 4 employees in varying marketing roles share their roles, shed light on the RMI culture and give bits of information into what it means to work at an agency.

The culture at Response Mine Interactive is collaborative, fast paced, and results-driven in response to dynamic client needs. At RMI, everyone from the president down plays an entrepreneurial and “hands on” role, working in a team environment to satisfy client objectives. Professionals are encouraged to grow and excel, and are treated with the utmost respect. We expect you to take risks, think big, and strive for excellence and integrity in everything you do.

What are you known for most around the office?
Being the first and only self proclaimed “Senior Associate”

What’s your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas because I don’t have to feel bad about watching the movie Elf every night

Current top 5 playlist.

• Awake My Soul – Mumford and Sons
• The Funeral – Band of Horses
• Trouble – Ray Lamontagne
• Head Full of Doubt – Avett Brothers
• Not Afraid – Eminem

What has been the most valuable experience out of the associate program?
The most valuable experience of the associate program was the knowledge I attained and having the opportunity to expand on my skills. The education earned from working in a professional setting goes above and beyond what you could ever learn in a classroom. Upon completion of the program I was able to build a strong foundation to begin a fun and exciting career in marketing.

What’s the work environment like? Is it team oriented?
The work environment is unlike anything I have experienced before. The space is very open with no tiny cubicles to be crammed into. The layout encourages employees to interact with each other both socially and professionally.  Relationships with your peers are built quickly so there is little pressure to ask for help regardless ones position on the totem pole.

Why Response Mine?
I wanted to work for a company that I felt comfortable in. To me that meant no suits and ties, friendly people and a fun environment to work in. At the time I applied response mine was growing at a very fast pace so I was eager to get onboard and put forth my contribution.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A multi-lingual news anchor, a la Christiane Amanpour.

What are you known for most around the office?
The human grammar reference book.

 What’s your favorite holiday and why?
New Year’s Eve. It’s refreshing to have a new start.

What was your first car?
1994 Nissan Altima in maroon. I totaled it after 2 months.

In your own words, describe the associate program.
To me, the RMI associate program is like an entry-level job, but with slightly fewer expectations. You get to learn and be independent, while taking on small responsibilities. No one expects you to know everything, but you do have to be willing to learn and be challenged.

 Why Response Mine?
Relatively speaking, it’s not a big agency, so you get to know everyone fairly quickly. It also means you can contribute easily and make an impact with little effort. You’re also around some of the smartest people in the industry who could be working at bigger agencies, but choose to be somewhere they can really make a difference. Plus, we have a pool table.

Do associates work together or on separate accounts?
Usually separate accounts, but bigger projects may have more than one associate on it.

Who do associates report to?
Managers and supervisors within their department.

What did you want to be when you were little?
I used to want to be a doctor. My dad was one and I loved going to his office and pretending I was one too. Plus, I was kind of an accident prone child so I was in and out of doctor’s offices and ER’s a good bit. Then I got to Honor’s Chemistry in high school and realized very quickly that I would never make it through med school.

What are you known for most around the office?
Probably for sending out a lot of company-wide emails! I feel like I’m always emailing the office to let them know about something going on in marketing or PR, or making them do annoying things like changing their email signature!

What’s your favorite holiday and why?
Ooo this is tough. I think it’s a tie between Halloween and Christmas. I love Halloween because I adore fall weather and you get to be child-like around Halloween and no one cares! I love how pretty everything is at Christmas though and I’m a sucker for some good ol’ quality family time.

What was your first car?
I had my brother’s hand-me-down two door Ford Explorer. I loved it but it didn’t last too long before I totaled it. I already told you I was accident prone! Not my finest moment….

What has been the most valuable experience out of the associate program?
The associate program was so valuable to me because I wanted so badly to be a part of an agency but didn’t have the necessary agency experience to start in a full-time position anywhere. Through the associate program I was able to come in and absorb an immense amount of knowledge from those I worked with and got to be a part of an agency.

Are there opportunities to learn from other departments in the agency?
As an associate you hold a certain position within a department. Most of your time will be spent working in that particular discipline and that is where the wealth of your knowledge and experience will be gained. However, we encourage you to get as much as possible out of your time as an associate and you are encouraged to shadow or get to know other departments as well. Plus, the beauty of an agency is that each department relies on the others in some way, so you’re always exposed to other departments in your everyday work.

In your own words, describe the associate program.
The associate program is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in digital marketing and in an agency with little risk. Everyone knows you are new and learning, so people take the time to guide you and teach you so you are prepared to confidently hold a full-time position one day. You still have expectations and responsibilities, but it’s the ideal way to get your feet on the ground while you’re still starting out.

What did you want to be when you were little?
Well, I can’t remember when I was uber little, but I remember in middle school I wanted to be a professional wrestler and my ring name would be Nebula (don’t judge me).

What was your first car?
My 2002 Camry, which I still own and her name is Nebula (since I never pursued my professional wrestling career, I couldn’t waste the name).

What’s your favorite sport to watch or play?I prefer to play sports instead of watch them, so my sport of choice to play is volleyball

If you could build your dream house tomorrow, what would your top three “must haves” be?
1: a “woman cave” 2: workout room 3: an amazing view

Are there opportunities to learn from other departments in the agency?
There is depending on what department the associate is a part of and what other department(s) the associate is looking to get experience in. Though there may not be anything formalized in getting this additional experience, most people are open to sitting down with associates and walking them through their day-to-day and answer any questions that they may have.

What has been the most valuable experience out of the associate program?
Being able to get the initial agency experience that so many agencies require before hiring. Also, working closely with the individuals that run the accounts and learning how departments work from the bottom up. Now that I’m a full-time employee, this exposure was both humbling and eye-opening and I now have a better perspective on what it takes to manage media.

In your own words, describe the associate program.
One must be a go-getter and have an entrepreneurial spirit about them in order to get noticed. Once that is established, you are able to increase your learning potential. Though there can be some disorder in the program, strides are being made to improve this and those managing the associate program look for feedback from the associates themselves on what they would like to learn and how their experience is going so far.

COMPANY:
Response Mine Interactive (RMI) is an award-winning digital agency that helps companies acquire more customers using direct response interactive marketing. Since 2001, RMI has helped deliver billions of dollars in revenue for leading brands in the retail, travel, healthcare and home services industries by improving the speed, volume and efficiency in how they market online. RMI provides strategic customer acquisition and lead generation services to national companies on a pay-for-performance basis.

Clients like Carter’s, Liberty Medical, Terminix, TruGreen, Rooms To Go and SPANX, among other well-respected national companies, trust us with their brands and their business. RMI is a proud partner of BKV, Inc., one of the nation’s largest independent direct response agencies.

In this edition of Know Your Atlanta Marketing Community, local Atlanta native and MBA grad, Katherine Kise, gives advice to graduating students who are looking into higher education programs, like MBA’s.

There is constant debate, especially in our current economy, over whether to pursue an MBA straight out of the gate after undergrad or to enter the workforce and gain experience before going after that graduate degree.  Quite frankly, for me, it was a no brainer because I did not even consider going to graduate school immediately after graduating from college.  I didn’t realize that was an option.  In my experience, after people graduated, they got a “real” job and figured out that other stuff along the way.  Looking back, it seems I unknowingly made the right decision to wait a few years before venturing out into Business school.

My experience in Corporate America benefited me in ways that surprised me throughout my entire time in B-school.  The leadership, analytical and communication skills that were honed during my years “climbing the corporate ladder” gave me a clear advantage over other students.

In fact, looking back on the last three years of robust class discussions, highly demanding team projects, extensive problem solving and critical thinking, I am certain that the most meaningful contributions of knowledge and insights came from those students who have some work experience.

Notice that does not say extensive, relevant, or even lengthy work experience, but simply work experience.  Critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving and leadership are all skills that are sharpened when you encounter situations unique to the workplace – any workplace – and are all put into practice while slogging through your MBA.

You will frequently and without fail fall back on your experiences to make sense of the curriculum and to enhance the other students’ comprehension.  Students rely on each other to complement the class discussion and materials because a Business school education goes far beyond the boundaries of power point slides and textbooks; it encompasses learning from the real-life triumphs and tribulations that everyone brings to the table. Without these sorts of knowledge exchanges, an MBA would hardly differ from undergrad, let alone be worthwhile.

Time in the workforce will also allow you to build your savings to minimize the impact of student loans, and you will be able to establish yourself and your professional contacts.  When you finish the degree, you will then have a strong network and be more marketable.  Some employers even offer tuition reimbursement and/or promotions to help motivate you towards completing your MBA and staying with the company.   By jumping into an MBA program immediately after completing your BBA, you would not be exposed to these opportunities.

My advice to any potential graduate student considering Business school immediately after completing a BBA would be to look at the Universities and programs that interest you and notice the admissions requirements for work experience.  Next, identify companies and/or jobs that grab your attention, and see if they offer tuition reimbursement.  Apply to the jobs that are the best fit for you, your long-term career goals and your short-term goal of being accepted into graduate school.  Then, just see where it takes you!   You will be surprised to see how your education from the real world will help you when you’re sitting in class on your first day of your MBA!

AMA Collegiate’s new blog series, “Know Your Atlanta Marketing Community”, is kicking-off! The series is all about giving students insight on the ins and outs of working in the marketing world. Most importantly, the companies and people featured in the series are Atlanta companies that will be featured at the Collegiate Conference! You can get ready for the conference and career fair by learning about all the different companies and their culture.

To start off the series we have great insights from BKV, their Associate Program, and what the culture is like there!

The Associate Program is the perfect opportunity for entry level people looking for a start in the advertising world. Below are two of our previous associates who are now full time employees here at BKV, Brinson Thomas and Erin Ledford tell us a little more about themselves and the program, and also get to know Allie Vadas, who is part of the associate program now!

Get to Know…BKV’s Associate Program and Allie Vadas

1. Position:  Digital Media Associate

2. What clients do you work on? I am working on the Spanx and March of Dimes accounts! They both are very different but are fun accounts to work on.

3. Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what brought you to Atlanta: I am a born and bred JERSEY GIRL! No really, I am… But let me explain. I live at the beach, not down the shore. I’m a local, not a benny. I’m the kind of Jersey Girl Bruce Springsteen sings about, not the ones MTV uses to corrupt the image of New Jersey all together. To be honest, they aren’t even from NEW JERSEY… but don’t get me started. What brought me to Atlanta? I’d have to chalk this one up to my spontaneity and independence. I figured I’d take my talents to Atlanta and see what happened. That and my aspirations of being on The Real Housewives of Atlanta helped too.

4. You are pretty active on Twitter…what are your Top 3 accounts to follow:

@TMZ – Guilty Pleasure=Celebrity Gossip. TMZ keeps me up to date with all the drama in Hollywood.

@90sgirlproblems – These tweets bring me back to the days at Bayside High with Mr. Belding and the one and only Zack Morris. I’ve seen every episode of Saved By the Bell at least twice and can usually recite lines from the episode. In college, I won a trivia contest because I could name the first and last name of every main character on the show… and I even knew what AC stood for… Okay, I’m a little obsessed.

@BKVadvertising – OF COURSE! No explanation necessary.

5. Current top five playlist:
1. Jersey Girl – Bruce Springsteen – Self proclaimed anthem!
2.Someone Like You – Adele – When played loud enough, it makes me feel like I sound like her when I’m singing in the car!
3.Take Care – Drake and Rihanna – This song is just amazing.
4. Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band – All time FAVORITE DMB song.
5. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

6. What has been the most valuable experience out of the associate program? The most valuable experience from the associate program has been learning something new every day. At this point, I am still a sponge and taking in everything I can. BKV exposes you to so much and allows you to take advantage of a lot. For example, in my first week I was able to sit in on different meetings and presentations that allowed me to gain a lot of insight into the industry and how it works on a day-to-day basis.

7. Are there opportunities to learn from other departments in the agency? Definitely. If you are interested in other departments, all you have to do is ask and people will tell you all about what they do. For example, the PR department is made up of two of my favorite people, so I always take the opportunity to learn about all the fun things they are doing!

8. What’s the work environment like? Is it team oriented? The work environment is very casual, but at the same time, it is filled with people who work hard. BKV’ers truly value the “work hard, play hard” mentality. This makes for a fun and upbeat work environment. I have been here for about two months now and I can honestly say I have enjoyed coming to work every day. I take pleasure in bragging about how awesome my job is to all my friends. That speaks volumes to the kind of people work here at BKV. BKV is very much team oriented. Everyone is a part of a team in one way or another. I am a part of a great team who has really shown me the ropes over the past two months. I have learned so much already and continue to learn something new every day!

9. Who do associates report to? I report to the media planners for the accounts I have been assigned and then ultimately the associate media director in charge of those clients. I work on a team of five, including myself, on two accounts

Get to Know…BKV’s Associate Program and Brinson Thomas

1. Position: Digital Media Assistant

2. How long have you been at BKV and how did you get started? I have been at BKV since late May and got hired full time in August.  I came out of college knowing that I wanted to go into digital marketing and Amanda Papini had come and spoken in one of my career development classes.  This led me to BKV and the rest is history!

3. What football stands would we have found you in this past season? I was in the northwest corner of Bobby Dodd Stadium cheering on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Go Jackets!!!!

4. If we were to run in to you at a concert…which one would it be? Which one would it not be?  Concerts are awesome!  I will go to just about any concert.  But some of the best/favorite concerts I’ve been to are Jimmy Buffet, DMB, John Butler Trio, and Eric Church.

5. Current top five playlist: Wow this is tough.  I honestly like all types of music and what I’m listening to usually has to do with what mood I’m in but here goes my best:
1. “Carolina” by Eric Church – reminds me of good times in North Carolina.
2. “Everyday/#36” by DMB – all time favorite of his
3. When you’re in the mood for some blue grass, Old Crow Medicine Show
4. Insert random rap song when you’re in the mood to party
5. Jimmy Buffet at the beach – there’s nothing better

6. What has been the most valuable experience out of the associate program? The ability to get real experience in the work environment.  You aren’t just an intern here at BKV to print reports and get coffee.  You are very involved in the day to day work.

7. What’s the work environment like? Is it team oriented? BKV is very team oriented – you are rarely on your own for a project.

8. In your own words, describe the associate program. The associate program here at BKV is an internship that provides you a chance to gain great experience and possibly prove that you are worth a full time hire.

Get to Know…BKV’s Associate Program and Erin Ledford

1. Position: PR/Social Media Coordinator

2. How long have you been here and how did you get started?: It been 7 months for me here at BKV…that’s a long time, right? I started here on May 31^st as an associate and after the 3 month program, got hired on as a full time employee (or according to Todd Bemis, a Ford Truck Enthusiast). Hallelujah! I wasn’t ready to leave.

3. People say that your iPhone is permanently glued to your hand, what is your favorite app? That first of all isn’t true at all, ok maybe a little bit true. But I do always like to have my phone close by in case of any client emergencies. However, I’ve also been known to enjoy the Pinterest app…a lot.

4. What has BKV taught you? Everything. People always said I’d learn more at my first job than I did in college. But shhhh…don’t tell my parents that.

5. Current top five playlist:
1. Anything and everything by Michael Buble (is that cheating?)
2. Andy Grammer – Keep your Head Up
3. Boyce Avenue – Fast Car
4. Billy Joel – Piano Man
5. Did I mention Michael Buble?

6. Do associates work together or on separate accounts? In my associate position, I did not work with other associates. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t get a chance to get to know each other through client meetings and agency events!

7. What’s the work environment like? Is it team oriented? It truly is all about team work here! Being creative and strategic is a constant part of the job, and being able to bounce ideas off your team members really makes a great outcome. The way people work together here at BKV is something to be applauded.

8. Why BKV? I have always been so impressed with the respect that this agency shows, between co-workers and for clients. Everyone here really wants the best, and not only for themselves. I think that’s something a lot of companies lose sight of. Plus, did you see our holiday card? This is such a group of fun and intelligent people that I am truly honored and lucky to work with!

THE BKV CULTURE:

The culture of BKV is truly unique within the advertising business.  At BKV, everyone from the president on down fulfills an active “hands-on” role working as a team to satisfy client projects.  Entrepreneurial in spirit, professionals are encouraged to grow, are treated with respect and work within a team environment where all members are focused on results.

The success of BKV’s culture can be measured on multiple levels.  First, the company has a very stable team of professionals who have worked for BKV for many years while serving as the core of the culture.  Secondly, layoffs have not been a part of the company’s profile as proven performers are valued and retained. Additionally, the agency has a long history of double-digit growth and profits year over year.

The culture is rapid-paced and flexible to a varied client environment. This demands adherence to the highest industry standards for performance while encouraging individual initiative for success.

ABOUT BKV:

BKV has been in business for over 25 years and is one of the largest privately owned full-service Direct Response agencies with offices in Atlanta and Kansas City.  With a staff of over 150 professionals, the company maintains a leadership position in creative, marketing, media, interactive, production and database expertise.

Clients include The Home Depot, Delta, The Salvation Army, Six Flags, The American Red Cross, and AT&T among other progressive organizations.  Superior performance and customer service has allowed BKV to have consistent growth over the years.