10-04-2023
One of my favorite parts of being a marketing major is having the opportunity to apply what I’m learning in the classroom to real-world scenarios. This summer, I had the privilege of working as an Integrated Marketing and Communications Intern for Post. If you haven’t heard of Post, chances are you’ve eaten one of their products! Post is the parent company of popular cereal brands like Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles, Honey Bunches of Oats, Golden Crisps, and many more.
My journey to working for Post wasn’t easy. I applied to over 60 companies, looking for local and national positions. My top priority wasn’t securing an internship with any specific company but gaining experience that would challenge me and grow my marketing and content creation skills. After receiving a few offers, Post emerged as a front-runner. I jumped at the opportunity to represent a national brand, but it also helped that I was a total fanboy of their cereal! Not only would I be joining a reputable corporation, but their work impacted my daily life.
At my desk with some of Post’s many cereal brands above me. It was surreal to work for a company that had such a direct impact on my daily life!
My role with Post meant leaving my home state of Indiana behind and moving to Minnesota. I had to adjust to a new place, culture, and climate. While Minnesota is still in the Midwest, people have their own slang, way of life, and hobbies. One of the most exciting parts of living in Minnesota is the stunning natural beauty. Dubbed “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” I saw a body of water virtually everywhere I went. Apart from the landscapes, I had to adjust to a new city nearly ten hours from home. Thankfully, Post surrounded me with a caring network that helped me find housing and acclimate. This network included a group of fellow interns for Post who were also figuring out their roles. We participated in various intern events, where I developed relationships with my peers and discovered a hidden talent. I caught fire at our intern bowling night and scored 170 –dominating the competition. My pin-striking prowess became a recurring joke – and a great way to have fun outside work. It’s even led me to take a bowling class at Purdue!
I was given many opportunities to grow my skills in marketing throughout my internship. Right out of the gate, I was given more projects than any other intern for Post. One of my primary responsibilities was managing Post’s social media presence, and many of my projects were focused on improving consumer engagement on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Each Post cereal brand has its own presence, and I was given creative control to enhance many of the pages, including Grape Nuts, Honeycomb and Honey Bunches of Oats.
My largest project was improving consumer engagement with Post’s peanut butter brand, Peter Pan. After Post acquired Peter Pan in 2022, its social presence was marginal. I was responsible for completely re-vamping its online engagement and presenting my work at the end of the summer to a group of high-level executives. My team gave me creative license to implement strategies and concepts I thought would work best. After many hours of hard work, I presented a pitch with various market strategies for Peter Pan. It was so rewarding for the marketing and strategy teams to affirm my ideas and look to implement them in the future!
Me and my internship class during our bowling event. I’m hoping to keep my hot streak alive!
I also faced some unique challenges while interning at Post. Because Post is a large corporation, a vision and legal team must approve everything released to the public. I often had to pitch social media ideas to higher-level executives and legal teams. I had never been taught this in school, but I quickly learned how to articulate concepts clearly in a professional context. I also had to learn how to deal with negative comments on social media. I emphasized Post’s values in real-time, responding to these comments in ethical and brand-conscious ways.
As I look back on my time at Post, I am proud of the practical improvements my work produced. From the beginning of my internship, I already felt comfortable with marketing terminology, strategy and software because of my studies at Purdue. From taking classes on marketing strategy and brand development, I spent less time learning the basics and was entrusted with significant projects to enhance Post’s brand presence. I could draw on knowledge from my major and apply that to projects, most clearly seen with Honeycomb’s social media accounts. I was given complete control over strategy, content and scheduling. By the end of the summer, I had raised the engagement rate of the Honeycomb account by 33%, and since returning to Purdue, it has increased to 47%!
I’m very excited to apply my experiences from Post to my passion for content creation and strategy. As I gathered experience this summer, I want to work for a company that provides me with creative control. The work environment at Post encouraged me to test out ideas, be bold and follow my intuition. Whether I venture into a startup or work in the corporate world, applying my studies at Purdue to a business context gives me great confidence as I pursue excellence in marketing. I’m proud to return to Purdue and can’t wait to see where my path as a Boilermaker takes me next!
Reyn Smith is a senior from Kokomo, IN, studying marketing and economics. He currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Social Media for the Purdue Marketing Association (PMA) and works as a Social Media Specialist Intern for the Daniels School of Business. He most recently worked as an Integrated Marketing and Communications Intern for Post Consumer Brands.
