This year, Murmur had the pleasure of partnering with Emerging Leaders and hosting our first-ever Emerging Leaders Intern. Through the Emerging Leaders Internship program (ELI) we were introduced to the very talented Sam Daer. Sam joined our team and contributed her many talents to our Strategy Department as our Strategy Intern. The experience was amazing and we are excited to see what’s next for Sam and her bright future ahead. Before she left, she gifted us this summary of her experience that we’d like to share with you. Thank you Sam! Miss you already!
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This summer and fall I have had the pleasure of interning with Murmur through the Emerging Leaders PDX Internship program (ELI). This program is an opportunity for college students of color to get paid internships with companies around Portland. ELI seeks to bring more diversity to Portland’s leadership landscape, and build a more resilient, productive, and empathetic workforce.
Being a fresh graduate of Lewis and Clark College, my experience with Murmur was invaluable in getting my feet wet in the world of brand strategy and copywriting. I worked directly alongside Angela and Alyson of the Strategy Team, and immediately got to work from the get-go. Being in a small team allowed me to get involved in many different projects. I worked on several brand strategy guides, naming, and wrote copy for case studies, food & beverage brands, and health & wellness products.
I especially enjoyed being a part of the naming process for a client we had. Renaming a company is a big deal, and it is something where you definitely have to trust the process! We draw on insights from stakeholder interviews and develop potential directions that are in line with the strategy. The client loves their new name and I am glad we could exceed their expectations. Also, it is so cool to see the new name with the new logo designed by Murmur’s amazing Design Team.
Interning with the Strategy Team has given me an in-depth understanding of the day-to-day of a brand strategist, and I will never see branding the same way (in a good way!) It was gratifying to see projects from start to finish, and seeing how good brand strategy can even bring clients to tears. In my time as an intern, I sat in on workshops that the Strategy Team holds with clients, and saw first hand how stakeholder interviews are translated into a meaningful brand. The clients Murmur works with are great people, and I loved weaving their stories and values into a utilitarian guide that lends itself to logo design, packaging, and more.
Besides the Strategy Team, I got involved with Murmur’s DEI Committee. Throughout college I was always involved in DEI programming, so I was excited to see what this looked like at Murmur. Through the Committee, I was able to work on Murmur’s annual Pro-Bono program that awards a nonprofit $20,000 in Murmur services. It was inspiring to work with Zip from the Design Team, since she is so passionate about this program and all things DEI at Murmur.
Overall, my experience as an ELI Intern at Murmur has been very impactful for me, and I am excited to explore more of the world of brand strategy. When writing case studies, we always try to end things on a pun, and I want to share that spirit here: Interning at Murmur is un-beat-able!
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