The School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s ADVE 420: Agency course grants students an experience beyond the classroom 

The School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s ADVE 420: Agency course has been providing students with invaluable real-world experience through a unique partnership with 1871, a leading global innovation hub located in Merchandise Mart. Instructed by Associate Professor Kevin Christophersen, Agency grants an incredible opportunity for students to work on real projects for a diverse range of clients, developing a range of strategic communication materials, from social media campaigns to branding strategies including startups focused on mental health, dating safety, and climate change. 

Students work directly with 1871 startups, including startups focused on mental health, dating safety, and climate change. By focusing on these impactful projects, students are not only honing their skills but also contributing to positive social change. This immersive experience allows students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world challenges and gain valuable insights into the industry. The course brings together students from various disciplines, including advertising, marketing, public relations, social media, and design, to collaborate on real-world projects. 

Students in the Fall ‘24 section of the course have loved their experience so far, many of which hope to bring aspects of the project into the start of their careers. One of the teams from this semester’s class is working directly with Love Your Community, or LYC, a community-based platform designed to help people build groups, real life communities and routines, along with personal development skills. Love Your Community is founded by Anthony Ferguson. The Agency course team is led by Account Manager Lejla Hadzisalihovic (Public Relations), and seniors Robbie McClain (Social Media and Digital Strategy), Olivia Sowacke (Public Relations), Grace Makinney (Advertising), and Charles Rahn (Photojournalism). 

Olivia Sowacke attributes the working environment between the students and the client as something new, and feels the team adapted well to it. “Working with other in-house marketers rather than being the sole people coming up with ideas has been different”, Olivia stated. This opportunity taught students the different communication styles and workflow of industry professionals. 

Another thing students spoke on was the type of clients the course gives students access to. As shared by Grace Makinney (Advertising), “I would say something really important about the nature of the clients and agencies is that they are all startups. As someone who has been working in the industry at an agency, the majority of clients are well established brands, but working with startups within this class, we have a lot more free rein when it comes to creativity. The research portion of the project is a lot more interesting and a lot more fun to help our client build his brand from the ground up. I would say specifically the nature of the clients at 1871 make this class kind of like the perfect way for young people in the industry to really have free rein with whatever they’re specializing in under advertising or marketing.”  

The partnership with 1871 has been instrumental in the success of the Agency course. By leveraging the resources and connections offered, students have the opportunity to network with industry professionals, attend workshops and events, and gain exposure to cutting-edge trends in the tech industry. This exposure has led to numerous successful partnerships within the class including Cameo, a popular platform for personalized video messages. Columbia Alum Mackenzie O’Connor is now the Chief of Staff there. 

Through this innovative approach, the Agency course is equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market. By fostering collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, Agency is empowering the next generation of marketing and communications professionals.