Rod Peterson joined Freestyle Marketing Group as an intern for the summer and we already miss him. His extensive background in public relations made him an incredible asset to the team. Rod shared his experience working with FSMG in the excerpt below.

“Freestyle Marketing Group (FSMG) is not the average advertising agency, so it makes sense that the agency does not offer the average internship. During my time at FSMG, I have been involved in client meetings, pitching stories, writing press releases, creative brainstorming sessions for advertisements, event promotion, database management, writing synopsizes for different organizations, emailing press releases to media distributors, and creating a FAQ for a press event. Interns are required to read books and give a presentation along with various assigned tasks. This is not a coffee­-and- bagel-­run kind of internship.

FSMG provides interns with opportunities to work in their field of study whether it is on the creative side or the account side. I have learned how an advertising agency operates strategically and tactically. Employees at FSMG are not strictly creatives or account people. Rather, they are more a combination of both disciplines. Watching the collaboration between the creative and account department has made me realize that working at an advertising agency is a team effort, and FSMG has quite the team.

The employees at FSMG are a great group of people that work hard and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone at FSMG gets along and laughter can be heard bellowing out of the offices. Along with my other duties, I am the Minister of Fun (MOF) for the month of October. The MOF is given “fun funds” to make sure everyone is having fun by planning activities for the FSMG staff. There is an element of entertainment and camaraderie between the employees at FSMG, and interns had better be ready to join in.

Being at FSMG has given me a real sense of what it is like to work at a successful advertising agency. Erni Armstrong, FSMG president and owner, has structured the internship position in such a manner that it allows interns to learn and get hands­ on experience. The knowledge and connections I have gained at FSMG are an invaluable asset to me as I continue with my career in the advertising sector. FSMG is a small group of people who are passionate about the work they produce, and interns need to be prepared for a challenging, fun, and rewarding experience. As my internship at FSMG is ending, I can only think there is no other place that I would have rather interned at.”