BACKGROUND
The advertising & media industry, a multi-billion dollar international business has long asked the question: “Where can diverse talent be found?” In response to this issue, The Marcus Graham Project has created a summer boot camp, teaching transferable skills to potential and future media, marketing & advertising professionals.
This idea was posed in a blog written by Tiffany R. Warren, Chief Diversity Officer of The Omnicom Group and Founder of the AdColor Industry Coalition :
“One idea proposed is the creation of an industry sponsored advertising “bootcamp.” Such a camp could assist those agencies who need to diversify, but are worried about lack of advertising experience in potential candidates. This would also help professionals yearning to be free from other sectors hit the ground running when they enter ours.” Tiffany R. Warren (“The Big Tent”, Ad Age Blog)
The goal of this boot camp is to do just as Ms. Warren suggested, identify opportunities in the industry and those interested in pursuing them.
OBJECTIVE
The boot camp’s primary purpose is to provide diverse aspirants in the field of advertising & marketing with the exposure and experience necessary to solidify careers within the advertising, media & marketing industry. The summer long boot camp consists of a topical case study and concept development initiative focused on creating research-based solutions to social issues.
ASSIGNMENT
The boot camp team will form themselves into a pop-up agency that they will run for the summer, as they manage the clients that they will partner with. The team provides pro-bono consultancy for a select non-profit organization. The 2012 boot camp team will be responsible for creating a get out the vote campaign for non partisan organization Rock The Vote.
