It’s the season for summer internships and Allen & Gerritsen’s latest crop of interns is fully immersed in the day-to-day activity of our agency. We’ve seen all types of interns here at a&g (and nearly all of us have started out as interns ourselves, including the most famous intern, CEO Andrew Graff). We have found that successful interns share the same traits.

Interns that make an impression are hungry. They dive into their assignments and ask for more work.

Interns that are successful are curious, they like to discover and learn new things. They ask questions.

Interns that are memorable embrace the culture of the company: they believe in the company, are proud to be a part of it and most importantly, advocate for the company.

Interns that receive recommendations have the traits described above but are also on time, buttoned up (appearance-wise and work-wise) and take good care of their borrowed workspace.

Interns have to make themselves vital to the company. There will be opportunities for challenging projects, but everyone has to spend some time in front of the copy machine or entering data into a spreadsheet (and may of us still do).

Employers who foster successful interns provide a comfortable environment for interns to ask questions and learn.

Employers should only take on the responsibility of an intern if they have a role to fill and work for the intern. Prior to each semester, we evaluate our intern needs and fill them accordingly.

Employers can help interns contribute to the agency by mentoring and remembering that there are “coachable” moments every day.

Employers can empower their employees to learn about management by taking on an intern: they will learn hands on how to delegate work and give and receive feedback.

At Allen & Gerritsen, we receive an average of 500 internship applications per semester. We make sure we hire smart, passionate interns and sometimes are lucky enough to have them return for another intern stint and in a few cases, join our agency full-time.

First Date
It’s not often that first dates live up to the hype, but the iPad certainly does - the rich media, the video, being able to actually see every word on the screen, and the mobility are all key benefits that the iPad brings to those seeking content in a easy to use sexier shape and form.

Involvement
Users cannot help but jump into this intimate space where they choose the content and interact with it. It’s a richer experience than any print magazine could ever dream of and much deeper than the hunched over grab and go web experience that most busy multi-tasking users undertake.

Nurturing the Relationship
This is a place where you can interact with users in new and exciting ways. It’s what Connection Planners have been waiting for. We have permission to begin to create an affinity with users here. A place with high res ability, rich media, video, and interactivity that enable us to attract and stay in users minds and lives.

True Love
While the iPad has a diverse audience, one key consumer segment that brands should be aware of is Moms. The ultimate multi-tasker, Moms will love that kids clamor over it and that they can provide educational, mesmerizing activities such as the Disney Toy Story applications. Even better, Mom’s favorite content can be found all in one place, so she can skip from Epicurious to People to Vanity Fair to Facebook.

Attraction
How can brands stand out in the iPad landscape? By creating experiences that facilitate an already meaningful transaction; for Moms, that means multi-tasking and could be realized by an offer that includes games for the kids and easy access to coupons.

By being part of this new experience, brands have the opportunity to generate greater interaction, trial, and advocacy among key consumer segments, whether that be Moms or someone entirely differently. It’s time to get in the game.

Andrew Graff, CEO at Allen & Gerritsen announced today that Rich Grogan has joined its Analytics team, part of the Strategy group at the agency, which intersects technology, creativity and media.

As VP, Director of Measurement and Analytics, Rich will provide analytical insight to maximize ROI for Allen & Gerritsen’s mix of consumer and BtoB clients. Prior to joining Allen & Gerritsen, Rich held senior level analytics and strategy positions at Digitas and Arnold Worldwide during his 14 year career. Just before joining Allen & Gerritsen, he served as Director of Analytics at Studiocom.

Grogan’s areas of expertise include channel strategy, competitive assessment campaign measurement, analysis and optimization test design, financial modeling, sales forecasting, data mining and online measurement tool implementation and optimization.

“Rich’s expertise provides our clients with the context behind data, because the context is what guides better decision-making,” said Andrew Graff, CEO of Allen & Gerritsen. “Allen & Gerritsen’s investment in analytics over the years has propelled our growth and adding a new perspective to the team will make us even stronger as an agency.”