Eco-Friendly Digital Marketing Internship

In order to be eco-friendly, a company has to perform its activities in ways that would inflict the minimal possible harm to the environment. So what can Ingenex do in order to be more eco-friendly? Being in Michigan, where it is COLD during winter and hot and humid during the summer, energy conservation is one of the biggest issues. Also trying to reduce the waste produced by the office activity (paper, office supplies) would be a good idea. The following are some tips that will help you and your company be more eco-friendly:

• Wherever there is a cold winter, and Michigan is especially cold, good insulation is essential. A properly insulated room facilitates temperature control, and  will make your heating bill less expensive and definitely more eco-friendly.

• Encourage the use of public transportation and alternative commuting options. In the case of Ann Arbor, it is possible for a company to get a go!pass for its employees for only $5 a month. Ann Arbor is a bike friendly city, and also very pedestrian friendly. You can provide a bike lock for your employees, so they park their bikes. There is plenty of information about commuting opportunities in Ann Arbor at getDowntown.

• Energy conservation is key. Energy efficient bulbs and motion sensor lighting controls are also a good idea and they will let you reduce your energy spending. By subscribing to programs like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program you can save big money and also become more eco-friendly.

• Telecommuting is an option that can make your company more eco-friendly by avoiding unnecessary commutes. For some employees it may not be necessary to go to the office for doing their job, so if it is not a need the transportation cost saved can be a great way of reducing the environmental impact of our already crowded roads.

• The 3 R’s. Reduce – Reuse – Recycle is the way to go in the office. Again, you’ll benefit directly by reducing your costs in paper, office supplies, etc, while reducing the amount of waste your work produces and increasing your eco-friendliness. Make sure to check out Recycle Ann Arbor for great tips in how to recycle and in how to collaborate with your community, and don’t forget to bring your recyclables to the drop-off station.

Why Jennifer Harrison from Michigan State University would make a great addition to the Eco-Friendly Digital Marketing Internship at Ingenex Digital Marketing. In her own words:

As a highly motivated, self-driven person, the chance to work with a young, dynamic company like Ingenex is very exciting. I’m pumped up to learn about digital marketing, and I’m not interested in doing a ‘typical’ internship – this one seems to really emphasize learning, and individual work is as important as teamwork and communication. I’ve worked with a variety of teams to pull off great results – from serving customers delicious burritos to orchestrating the first ever Women in Business Students’ Association Leadership Conference. Communication will be vital to success – from reaching out on campus, in the community, to local and national businesses, and to people across the globe, I feel that I have the experience and know-how to keep things open and clear at all times.

The things I’m most interested about getting a first-hand look at are:

How Ingenex creates fully integrated campaigns for clients, and how the best mix for each client.
How digital marketing can be successfully used to increase the strength of a brand or company, in local, national, and international settings. The use of social media marketing to revitalize business / interest in a brand or company.

As a college student, it is clear to me that digital marketing is the future of advertising, marketing, and PR. As people become more ‘connected’, they will expect more high-tech, up-to-date information from businesses, and those that don’t keep up will be left in the dust. Digital is applicable across many fields, from local restaurants to nation-wide political campaigns – check out http://www.journalism.org/node/6370 to see the impact of digital marketing on the 2008 presidential campaign. In addition, digital is extremely strong for the fast-changing, adaptable environment marketers work in now – with digital, nothing is permanent, and messages can be adjusted and tailored according to changes in client or customer.

Sure, I was excited when I landed an internship this past summer with Ingenex. My first real internship, learning about real things, working in a real office, doing things that mattered, not just classwork for a grade. But I could not see the real excitement around the corner.

I quickly absorbed as much information as I could, and boy did it pay off! I eagerly took on a few extra tasks, putting in some office time in addition to the internship. Derek took notice, and after some time was excited to offer me a full-time position here at Ingenex.

I thought I was excited before, but this, THIS is excitement! I’m more than ready to kick things into gear with SocialHarbor.com. Everything I learned during my internship time will be put to good use, actual use, from here on out.

The Eco-Friendly Internship at first take provided me with a plethora of information, extending my education beyond the classroom into real-world applications. The internship has now proven to be a substatial stepping stone towards my new digital career with Ingnex.

Stay Tuned!

MSU Spartan Interns Rock!

The digital marketing interns from Michigan State University have been awesome this summer 2008. Our first class for the Digital Marketing Internship at Ingenex Digital Marketing yielded some incredible results.

Since it was our first semester, we all learned together. But I can say that the class of Grant Heitkamp, Kevin Conlon and Lia Homeister has been wonderful.

Kevin Conlon is an excellent people person. His relationship building skills, and his can do attitude will make him a great addition to any team. He has helped us push forward some big projects this summer, and he has learned all about digital marketing on the way. I see Kevin as an account manager or sales executive. And anyone who can sell, and knows digital will go far in this business.

Grant Heitkamp has a wonderful grasp of digital marketing. If you view his blog and see what he’s posted to the eco-friendly internship blog, you know what I’m talking about. Grant came up with the name Social Harbor for our new Social Media Professional Management product we are launching. Grant also took on more work and spent some additional hours at Ingenex headquarters. You headhunters out there, I would grab this guy. He plans to go to Miami Ad School, but we’ll have to see about that.

Lia Homeister has been a quiet and talented addition to our team this summer. She gets things done. She has done a stellar job of completing every assignment, and she is smart. Her wonderful personality, combined with her work ethic will make her an asset to any agency that picks her up. Of course, they will have to wait another couple years. Lia is a Junior at Michigan State this coming year. I am impressed by her maturity. And I hope she sticks with Digital moving forward. She plans to study abroad in Korea in the fall and you can follow her travels on her blog.

The next class of eco-friendly interns has some big shoes to fill. I am sure that MSU will send another wonderful class. As for what I am looking for? People with curiosity. Smart people. Who want to understand and master the digital media. I know this is where the future of our business lies. And I want students who know this too, and want to be the best. I hope to help Grant, Kevin and Lia all land good jobs in the industry. I want to thank them for their hard work. They are stars!

This is the site where the Ingenex Digital Marketing Eco-Friendly Internship will live and breath. This internship trains students and recent graduates in the skills of Digital Marketing. Our first class in the Summer 2008 has been doing some amazing things. Read about them here.