Marketing Intern Experience

GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities has been VERY lucky to have Ava as our Marketing Intern for the past year. She started with us back in April 2020 right after the COVID shutdown. We weren’t sure how it would work out since we’d never really had a remote/virtually intern before but we overcame the challenges and she has done an amazing job. If you follow us on social media, you’ve seen many of her graphics there. She’s been a wonderful asset to us but she has also benefitted and learned from being part of GiGi’s. She will soon be transitioning on so we asked her to share with us some insight into her time with us.

Since I began my marketing internship at GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities, I have been able to be a part of something much bigger than myself and learn so much about an organization that I hadn’t been familiar with beforehand. During my time here at GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities, I have had the opportunity to get to know GiGi’s Playhouse as a brand through the marketing aspects, and as the amazing institution, it is to the communities around its many locations.

During my time at the Quad Cities location, in my hometown of Moline, Illinois, I was able to be a part of the 2020 Superhero 5K run, dash, walk as my first project as the marketing intern. I was nervous to take on the project as an intern, but the Site Director, Pam Lynch, really helped me to always feel comfortable with asking questions and asking for help whenever I needed it! The environment is so welcoming at GiGi’s Playhouse, I never felt as though I would have to figure anything out alone. I was always welcomed to give feedback and offer new ideas for different campaigning ideas, and was allowed to really grow in my field of marketing.

My job as the local Quad Cities marketing intern entails getting to know the brand well and learning how to portray it to our families and volunteers for more engagement from the community. I also create graphics for our events, programs, news, volunteer needs, etc. Having been at GiGi’s Playhouse for nearly a year now has been a fantastic way to really get to know how the location’s social media calendar and planning works, which is a major benefit. I have also had the opportunity to help create this year’s campaign for the Celebration Club, a fundraising program that happens all year round for community members to help raise money for GiGi’s Playhouse Quad Cities for someone’s birthday or special event! Aside from the Superhero 5K and Celebration Club, I am also beginning to make plans for marketing the 2021 Gala happening this fall! I have been able to be a part of so many awesome events and marketing opportunities where I have had a lot of growth opportunities that I am so thankful for!

As an advertising major at the University of Illinois, I have always wondered how I would be able to spend part of my career giving back to the community instead of just working for large corporation campaigns, and so I am extremely grateful I have had the pleasure of working for GiGi’s Playhouse and am able to get to know more of how non-profit organizations work in the marketing realm! Being the marketing intern this last year of my college career has been one of my favorite parts of 2020-2021!

Thank you Ava for all you’ve done for us.

We have truly been blessed to have you with us and appreciate your time and talents. We will miss you and our weekly chats!

If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a volunteer to help with marketing, please let us know.

309-762-7529 or volunteerquadcities@gigisplayhouse.org

 

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