5 Key Takeaways of Going from Intern to Full-Time Employee

By Heather Ebert
Internships serve various purposes for college students, including the opportunity to explore different career paths and network. The “holy grail” is to land a full-time job after graduation. This doesn’t always happen though, and for different reasons. Over the course of my college career at community college and then UNC Chapel Hill, I worked several internships to gain experience and network. But when I came to RLF Communications in the summer of 2015, things were different. I realized that I found a great company and a great place to launch my career in public relations. I spent the next year working diligently to become better at my craft and create a place for myself on the RLF team.
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Summer Intern Spotlight: Jasmine Forte

The communications industry is constantly in flux and there is always room to learn. Even after attending comprehensive classes at a college or university, students should strive to supplement knowledge with real world experience.
At RLF, our interns work alongside seasoned industry professionals to learn the ins and outs of public relations, marketing and advertising.
Our final summer intern spotlight is on Jasmine Forte.
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Summer Intern Spotlight: Julia Lescarbeau

At RLF, interns are an integral part of the agency and actively contribute to the communications process. They learn best practices of the industry, work closely with account teams and participate in a wide range of strategic and tactical work. Our interns not only walk away with real-world experience, but a comprehensive portfolio and business connections to boot.
Learn more about Julia in our second summer intern spotlight.
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Summer Intern Spotlight: David May

RLF’s internship program strives to offer students a holistic agency experience that exposes them to both the challenging and rewarding aspects of the communications industry. Throughout the course of a semester or longer, interns enhance their skill sets and acquire new knowledge to prepare for a career in public relations, marketing or advertising.
This summer, we are happy to have three new interns on board: David May, Julia Lescarbeau and Jasmine Forte. Our first intern spotlight is on David May.
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Learning and Leaving From Brussels

By Monty Hagler
Let’s start with the end.
There are remarkably few reminders of the March terror attacks in Brussels until you depart for the recently reopened airport three hours in advance of the flight home, laden with Belgian chocolates. Traffic jams and merges into a single lane on the approach, allowing soldiers at multiple check points to peer into vehicles as they slowly move forward. Taxis drop passengers 400 yards from the terminal. Hundreds of people drag their bags towards the base of the parking deck. Then up you climb, circling the spiraling car ramp in loops that make you breathe like the 30-minute mark in spin class.
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Millennial Market Shifts Trend in Beer Advertising

By Heather Ebert
Beer advertisements have typically tended to have funny, playful or sensual undertones. The goal of a beer ad is to influence preferences by appealing to emotions rather than trying to convince consumers one brand of beer is better, because let’s face it – beer drinkers know that one brand of beer is just as likely to get them as drunk as the next, even if it tastes like water. In turn, we see horses, puppies and scantily-clad women across our TV screens and in print. But lately, it seems as though some brands have turned away from these images to focus on tapping into a new market – the “socially conscious millennials.”
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2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 2: Cute and Fuzzy Wins Us Over

Super Bowl ads are known for playing up our emotions, especially the ones that feature adorable animals. A few brands made the strategic move to include animals in their commercials, and in turn, made us say “awww.” Below are comments from RLF employees who couldn’t resist the cuteness in this year’s ads.
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2016 Super Bowl Ads – Part 1: Celebrities and Pop Culture References Prevail

This year’s Super Bowl game might not have been all that memorable, but the ads are definitely worth talking about. Many commercials made us laugh, some commercials stirred our emotions, and other commercials left us scratching our heads (puppymonkeybaby??). Among this diverse list of TV spots, a common ad strategy emerged: the use of celebrities and pop culture references. Several brands incorporated famous personalities or funny memes into their ad’s message, effectively capturing the viewer’s attention and leaving a lasting impression of the product. Continue reading to find out which RLF staff members identified their favorite ads in this category.
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