Pace University NYC
Brand Marketing Team
Testimonials
2021 Team
Client: Tinder
The Brand Marketing Team really made my entire experience at Pace, mainly because of the work I got to complete while on the team. Working on the plans book, though, is where I found myself doing the work I want to do in the future. BMT gave me the opportunity to explore many aspects of marketing. I may say that it even made my decision harder as to where I want to end up in marketing because I enjoyed the process so much. My favorite part of being the president on the team was that I had a hand in the development of the work every department did, and really was able to see what things I liked and didn’t like to do. Also, after reading our plans book over countless times and reviewing the past ones, I really got to see what makes a campaign book. Furthermore, I might also add that my presentation skills have never been better. I had to present in another one of my classes, and the professor even commented how my presenting is exactly how a sales pitch should be delivered. I can fully attest that I have never learned so much from Pace as I did from being on this team. I have learned leadership, patience, and confidence, amongst all the relevant business skills I gained. There is so much to be said about BMT, but the greatest benefit I felt in being a member of the team was the real-world experience I gained.
Leah Gaffney, President / Presenter, 2021 Team
Abigail Thomas, Director of Paid Media, 2021 Team
I think the greatest benefit to being on the team was getting firsthand experience that you can’t really get anywhere else. I learn best by actually doing things in practice so being able to apply concepts that I learned in my classes was very helpful. Being on BMT has taught me more than any class has. You learn to be a self-starter and a problem solver as well as a professional. I feel a lot more confident in my abilities and my knowledge than I did a year ago.
The greatest benefit of being a member of BMT was getting to see a marketing campaign completed in full. I appreciated that the team was run like a professional company. Working in departments helped me to better understand how professionals communicate and coordinate logistics. Completing a full marketing campaign in a professional setting is an experience I would not have gained just from taking my core courses or from interning. As a member of the Account Planning Department, I was able to strengthen my research skills. I learned a lot from working with my peers who all had different experiences and knowledge they were more than willing to share. My writing skills also improved tremendously. I am able to write much more effectively. Another great benefit for me was the confidence I gained from being on the team. I am feeling much more prepared to enter the workforce now that I had a true professional experience.
Alexandra Chiarappa, Director, Account Planning, 2021 Team
Although there were many benefits, I think the biggest benefit of being on the team has to be seeing a campaign through from start to finish. Being on the team I was able to see all of the elements that go into making a successful integrated campaign. Although I may not have worked on every element, as a team member I was able to see how all the parts worked and fit together, which was a great learning experience. We really saw everything through from the research to the execution and it was very beneficial as a student to be able to see the bigger picture because a lot of times in internships we are only able to see a small piece of it. Also, being able to see it through really made it OUR campaign, so it was great to work on something at Pace where the students were really devoted to doing the best work possible.
Brenna Budaj, Executive Director, Media, 2021 Team
I feel the greatest benefit in being a team member was getting to work in an agency like environment. For the most part, each department was self-sufficient and we all learned to work with one another and delegate work effectively. In the interviews I’ve had since being on the team, people are very impressed by the amount of experience I was able to gain while still in school.
Elizabeth Hecht, Art Director / Producer, 2021 Team
I believe the greatest benefit of being on the Brand Marketing Team is the real-life expectations of working in this environment. It greatly prepared me for heading into the workforce where I’ll be faced with many people that I may not be friends with but must work with, and many friends I might need to disagree with. It allowed me to grow as a professional by taking charge of my work and offering my opinions.
Haley Kastler, Media / Presenter, 2021 Team
The greatest benefit of being a member on Brand Marketing Team was gaining the experience of working in a company-like setting. Having department heads, COO, and a president is beneficial to our careers by preparing us for life after Pace and learning to deal with people’s differing opinions and how to come together to make decisions that is best for the campaign. In my opinion, this is crucial to your success in a company. There will be situations where you think your idea is better than someone else’s or someone higher up does not agree with your plan and it is important to learn how to navigate those situations in a professional way. I feel Brand Marketing team prepared me for my future in ways that no other class or club could have done.
Brianne Wills, Media, 2021 Team
I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved being a part of the Brand Marketing Team. It was the most rigorous and rewarding learning experience I had at Pace. The greatest benefit in being a member of the team was the preparation for working with a professional team. I had the opportunity in prior courses to work in AP, Creative, and Media, but never had an environment of this quality to bounce around ideas and grow new ones. I am confident that I can take the next step in my career because of BMT. Thank you!
Emma Di Cesare, Creative Copy Director / Executive Director, Presentation, 2021 Team
This team was an experience that I do not think I could get elsewhere. For example, internships can sometimes keep you at the bottom as an assistant, helper, observer, etc., but this team has allowed me to have a hands-on, interactive, and ownership experience. I do not think I could have learned what I have from BMT in a classroom either. Being a part of the ‘agency’ rather than learning about one, has let me understand a marketing campaign from beginning to end. The experience of working with other teammates gave me a gist of what the field of marketing is really all about – and that is teamwork. I have learned what my strengths and weakness are from working alongside others, and really depending on your peers. Overall, BMT has strengthened me not only as a person, but as a marketing professional and I could not be more thankful for the experience.
Valerie Raucci, Chief Operating Officer / Presenter, 2021 Team
The greatest benefit from being a member of the team would have to be the transformation from being a student to a professional. Being a leader on the team really taught me conflict management skills that I would have otherwise not learned if I had not joined the team. It is one thing to lead a group of followers, but another to lead team of such intelligent and strong-willed individuals. This experience really challenged me as a leader and as a professional. It taught me how to ensure that all voices were heard, but in a constructive and decisive way that progresses the project forward. Teamwork is very crucial in the advertising/marketing industry and my experience on BMT working very closely with individuals from each department showed me how to not only lead team meetings, but also how to be a valuable contributor to any discussion.
Marinela Torres, Executive Director, Account Planning, 2021 Team
I believe that I personally grew professionally since joining the team. I was able to gain experience working on a project that had a lot of moving parts and many different personalities. As a department leader, I was also able to work on and grow some of my leadership skills and home in on some of the ones that really worked well.
Steven Pego, Executive Creative Director / Executive Producer, 2021 Team
Before I joined, I thought the team was going to be similar to a group project: I was totally wrong. Being a member of the team taught me so much and actually made me understand what being part of a company and working with a team means. All of the decisions between departments had to be coordinated and I gained teamwork, organizational and planning skills. It also gave me so much experience to talk about: when I interviewed for my current internship, most of my answers consisted of examples from BMT and things that I had learned and applied during my time as a member. The brand marketing team taught me the difference between good and excellent and allowed me to learn more in a year than I did in several of my classes. I am very grateful of the opportunity I was given.
Martina Ricciotti, Account Planning / Media / Producer, 2021 Team
I believe the greatest benefit in being a member of the team is the hands-on real-world experience that I received. Every job I get after graduation will require me to work in a team environment. Even if the team does not consist of 19 other members, working well in a collaborative environment is a skill that I will need throughout the duration of my career. I gained knowledge in account planning, media planning, and content marketing. More specifically, I strengthened my knowledge on the target market (sensation seekers), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, effective below the line tactics and how content marketing tactics can shape a company. Being a member of the team allowed me to determine exactly what I want to do in my Marketing career. Overall, I acquired knowledge on marketing strategy, how to create an integrated marketing campaign, and how to correctly budget for below the line tactics. I also strengthened my skills in critical thinking and problem-solving.
McKenzie Harvey, Account Planning / Media, 2021 Team
I’ve learned a lot from BMT and it’s difficult to narrow it down to just one thing. When I interviewed for the spot on the team, I said I wanted it because I need to be in an intense environment with tight deadlines in order to push myself and grow and truly see what my potential was. I believe this accomplished that. I am far more confident in myself as a professional when it comes to stating and defending my opinions. I’ve learned how to do effective research quickly and apply critical thinking in the context of marketing in a way I couldn’t last summer. Prior to being on the team, I was unsure of whether or not I had the work ethic to get through BMT, or if I just said I did, but after putting more hours into BMT than I know what to do with, I’ve learned that I do have that work ethic, and the endurance, to get the job done. I feel like a real marketing professional who can hold their own now, not just like someone in their late-20’s pretending to be a marketing professional.
Vic Figlia, Director of Owned Media / Executive Director, Presentation, 2021 Team
Being a member of the Brand Marketing Team has been such an amazing experience. I felt the greatest benefit of being a member was the experience I gained in creating an advertising project with a team. Although I have taken several marketing courses while at Pace, this was unlike anything I have ever taken. The professors allowed each member to take on significant responsibility and treated us as if we were actual employees of an agency. Working as a member of Account Planning heightened my research skills and further unveiled the importance of using data to make informed decisions. While interning at TLC Network this spring, I saw firsthand how important it is to be able to effectively communicate and collaborate with others in a team. Thanks to BMT, I stepped into my role with abundant experience and skills working on teams to produce high-quality, data-driven deliverables. Therefore, I feel extremely prepared, knowledgeable, and confident stepping into a full-time position post-graduation.
Syler Hand, Account Planning, 2021 Team
Being on the Brand Marketing team taught me a lot about how to collaborate effectively. Specifically, I think working on this campaign with the Creative team taught me a lot about group thinking and listening to each other. The experience of working at the same thing time after time and then seeing the final product was satisfying and enforced the importance of paying attention to detail. I also gained a lot of confidence in my creative abilities, learning so much from my peers.
I feel that I was finally able to put many concepts I learned in classrooms throughout my years at Pace into play through working as a real marketing agency in this team. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge about the industry, and I feel better prepared to soon enter the work-force. Working alongside so many amazing people was just the ultimate silver lining to this unforgettable experience!
Vidyaa Bhoopsingh, Creative, 2021 Team
The greatest benefit of being a member on Brand Marketing Team was gaining the experience of working in a company-like setting. Having department heads, COO, and a president is beneficial to our careers by preparing us for life after Pace and learning to deal with people’s differing opinions and how to come together to make decisions that is best for the campaign. In my opinion, this is crucial to your success in a company. There will be situations where you think your idea is better than someone else’s or someone higher up does not agree with your plan and it is important to learn how to navigate those situations in a professional way. I feel Brand Marketing team prepared me for my future in ways that no other class or club could have done.
Brianne Wills, Media, 2021 Team