Meet the Media Planner

Naomi Lopez is a senior marketing student who is a member of the media planning team for Florida State University’s award-winning Arrowhead Advertising Team. Naomi began working for the Center of Hispanic Marketing, where she learned of Arrowhead Advertising and the unique opportunity it provides for aspiring advertising professionals. Naomi’s acceptance into Arrowhead has allowed her to discover her newfound passion for media planning and, in turn, has opened many professional opportunities for her upon graduation.

Arrowhead applications reopen for the following school year every March. The application process involves submitting your resume and relevant work samples, followed by an interview. This application process can look very different for each applicant, depending on your experience and desired role. A budding art director will take a different approach to their application than an account manager would. However, there are some tried and true techniques suggested by Naomi that will be sure to make for an impressive submission, regardless of the field of your interest.

 

Beyond the content

Because Arrowhead is open to all FSU students, it is to be expected that everyone applying has a unique background in Advertising; some may have multiple internships under their belt, while others may only have college essays to show for their time. However, regardless of your experience level, you can take steps to highlight your personal brand, beyond the content. 

Suppose you do have relevant work experience, great! Naomi suggests showcasing this within a portfolio website consisting of your projects, resume, and an ‘about me’ section. If you do not have any work samples that align with your desired agency role, you can also create speculative work. This consists of creating content for an imaginary client or brand that illustrates your knowledge for that line of work. Speculative work doesn’t just need to be creative-focused. If you’re more interested in media planning, demonstrate your expertise by creating a budget for a made-up company.

Ultimately, what’s most important is showing your passion for the field, your thought process, and the unique attributes you can bring to the team. So don’t stress about having the same application and portfolio as everyone else. You are your best asset, and conveying that in your application materials will leave a memorable impression. 

 

Standing Out 

Submitting a strong portfolio is a great place to start, but often, something more is needed to set yourself apart from other candidates. This is especially true when applying for a competitive position on the team. There are many ways to differentiate yourself, but one of the strategies Naomi suggests is creating a short video introducing yourself and your work– something she did as part of her application for MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Intern Program).

When she realized the positive impact that a personal introduction can make (especially since personality sometimes gets lost in the digital world), Naomi made the introduction video a permanent part of her portfolio as a way to stand out. Not only did this introduction video illustrate Naomi’s personality, but also spoke to her multimedia skillsets and eye for detail. Depending on what you include in your application to stand out, it can support different soft and hard skills you exhibit. 

By showcasing a unique aspect of yourself through a website, logo, GIF, creative resume, or in Naomi’s case, an introduction video, you make your personal brand more memorable and increase your chances of acceptance amongst other applicants. 

 

Arrowhead Advertising competes in the American Advertising Federation’s annual National Student Advertising Competition. The Arrowhead team spends a year working to produce a 360-degree campaign for a client. Participating in this prestigious team gives you valuable real-world experience and networking opportunities, both from previous alumni and from advertising professionals. 

Applications are open now.

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Advertising and studio art major, Carly Neslaw, talked with Naomi Lopez about her application for the 2021-’22 team and wrote as well as edited this article for the team’s blog. 

Hannah Kakish, an advertising major at FSU’s School of Communication, wrote and edited this article for the team’s blog.