Matthew BalestrieriMarketing to Socially Conscious Consumers
My initial impression of BBMG was one of familiarity. As a small, growing firm, BBMG employees seemed to take on a wide variety of tasks and there was a communication flow that spoke of a flat corporate structure and a dynamic office environment. My employer before Columbia was a small non-profit firm in which there were few layers of management and an unspoken requirement that each employee wear many different hats. This is the work environment that I am comfortable in and one I was seeking for my internship. Even though I got the impression this was the case while in the interview process with BBMG it was a welcome confirmation once I began my employment. The office is small, well lit and bright on the 15th floor of a building overlooking Union Square. The enormous windows offer a beautiful view of Manhattan and the environment seems naturally cheery and creative. In short, even on first viewing, it is the perfect work environment for a creative firm working at the intersection of business and sustainability.
My first week started off with a quick, two-hour tutorial of the firm and a crash course on how to use a Mac. After that, I was immediately brought into a campaign to disseminate a recent BBMG proprietary study to individuals within a number of targeted companies. In my previous employment, I directed several marketing campaigns, both national and international and thus was comfortable with the project immediately and was able to contribute insights gained from my prior experience. This summer I will be working on a variety of projects, both internal and client related. I hope to have a nice mix between organizational development programs and client work. I am extremely interested in entrepreneurial companies that are in their initial growth stages and it is exciting to be involved in a company in this stage that is so mission driven. There are a number of clients that I hope to be involved with, although I am not sure what my contributions will be at this point.
As I mentioned, I am very interested in entrepreneurial organizations that are growing and are still run by their founders. I have been involved in businesses of this type that have succeeded greatly and one that has failed. It’s fascinating to see how entrepreneurs turn their ideas and plans into viable businesses. BBMG is a mission driven strategic marketing and branding firm that seeks to help mission driven firms and non-profits harness the power of branding to reach their goals. Thus far, BBMG has worked for a number of both types of clients that have valiant social and environmental goals and have turned away work from clients that did not fit the firm’s decided direction. However, as BBMG becomes better known and is becoming a name in the branding and marketing world, larger clients are approaching them and it is harder to determine if the company fits BBMG’s ideals. As an example, Microsoft has requested information and presentations from the firm and seems to be extremely interested. While Microsoft is generally regarded as a good corporate citizen and a progressive company, there are still allegations of monopoly abuses, etc. If it were Philip Morris, there would be no question as to whether or not to take the work, but the nature of working with larger firms, especially conglomerates and CPG firms will bring an interesting test as to the direction BBMG will take as it grows.
Journal 2:
My fellowship is moving along quite nicely. I have transitioned to working both on internal initiatives and external client engagements. For each client, BBMG puts together a team of employees whose background and skill set meets the needs of the client. I have been placed on several teams, working with almost all of the different employees in the company, including those in the San Francisco office, as well as with clients in a variety of fields. I am most engaged with a retail start up engagement engaging the full array of BBMG services. We will be naming the company, designing the logo and all other visual materials and creating a comprehensive marketing and communication strategy. I have been involved in all of the meetings, both face-to-face and telephone, and have been given the opportunity to research and present segments of the initial deliverables to the client. I have also been a team member for other clients including a two billion dollar community financial institution, a consumer products company and have helped create and pitch work for the City of San Francisco and an eight billion dollar consumer products company, among others. Each of these clients and potential clients has been from a different field and has varying degrees of social and environmental responsibility. It has been fascinating to work with a gamut of organizations that range from those who have always had social and environmental concerns on their radar to those who are just moving in that direction and, while enthusiastic, need a little help.
My co-workers have allowed me to dive right in to each engagement and have treated me as a valued team member. I have tried to use my business school, and previous work background, to enhance what BBMG is offering to its clients and I believe that in a number of cases I have brought a different perspective to the table. However, I have also learned that I have a lot to learn. My co-workers are all very experienced and have unique backgrounds and this shows in the work they do. I have also had the pleasure of working with both principles of the agency and it is readily apparent why the agency is growing fast; both Raphael and Mitch are extremely talented and have led the way in providing many socially and environmentally responsible companies and organizations with a voice. While I have worked in non-profit marketing before, it was in a field where many factors led to success and while marketing was important, it was not the primary driver of business. Working for BBMG has helped me to realize how important marketing and branding is for socially and environmentally responsible organizations, especially for non-profits who rely on donations for their survival. Again, while I knew the importance in a theoretical and somewhat experiential manner, it was an eye-opener to actually work at BBMG and see the results. I think this field is going to only get bigger with the new emphasis on “green” consumer choices and the clutter that exists in this space. The organization that creates a clear, sustainable message will be the one to succeed in this new market.
Journal 3:
As my fellowship comes to a close I am actually thinking back to my application for Columbia in which I described the work I wanted to do after I graduated. It is a great feeling to know that I have fulfilled the major part of what I wanted to accomplish through my education, doing work that is making a difference. Through my projects at BBMG I have been able to work with clients who are really trying to create a new and better world. Both the non-profit and for-profit clients have their unique paths and are trying to have a positive influence in their chosen spaces. In helping them to create an image and craft a marketing strategy, we were able to help each client better fulfill their goals and make an impact.
The other nice thing about my fellowship has been the opportunity to work for a company that walks the talk. As a founding member of B-Corp, an organization that seeks to create companies which are purpose-driven and evaluated on financial, social and environmental standards. In essence, B-Corporations are responsible to their stakeholders not simply their shareholders. BBMG manages its environmental impact at every step of its work process and selects its clients based upon a standardized measure of factors, including the client’s industry and company practices. For a person who came to business school to get involved in the socially responsible business world, I was very happy to find myself there during my fellowship.
During my final internship week at BBMG I had a comprehensive review with my boss, the managing director, in which I was able to speak openly and freely about what I liked and didn’t like and what I learned and what was helpful during the internship. I also received feedback, through the MD, from a number of employees that I worked with, as well as thoughts from the principles, which were very helpful. The summer ended on a high note with a party in honor of the summer interns and an offer to continue working in the fall which I intend to take. Overall, I consider my summer internship a great success.
