Job Description

Brand Strategy Intern – Summer 2024

About the Role:

This summer, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to immerse yourself in a fast-paced creative agency environment and gain invaluable exposure to a diverse range of industries and high-profile consumer brands.

The Brand Strategy Intern will play a crucial role by supporting Sterling’s dedicated strategy team on client projects, while also contributing to vital internal strategic initiatives.

We are seeking a high-performing achiever with a strong desire to launch a career in the Strategic Marketing field, specifically with an emphasis on branding. Ideal candidates will demonstrate proven leadership in extracurricular or work positions where robust critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills were essential.

What You’ll Do:

You will actively participate in client projects, providing a hands-on learning experience to apply the fundamentals of brand strategy, including:

• Performing category audits and SWOT analyses to deeply understand market dynamics, brand strengths/weaknesses, visual trends, and brand messaging.
• Reviewing extensive market data and quantitative/qualitative consumer research to unearth relevant insights and identify key strategic consumer targets.
• Contributing significantly to brand positioning and brand architecture development.
• Utilizing design thinking principles to assess brand equity and inspire innovative design solutions.
• Participating in dynamic brainstorm sessions to inform naming conventions, creative territories, brand activation strategies, and campaign creation.
• Observing qualitative research sessions to gain a deeper understanding of consumer-centric brand development.
• Assisting in the crafting of persuasive and engaging presentations, and observing client meetings to see how insights, strategic recommendations, and creative solutions are delivered.
• Contributing to Sterling’s thought-leadership content on topics highly relevant to branding, such as sustainability and health and wellness.
• Collaborating with team members across various disciplines including Strategy, Design, and Client Services to gain a comprehensive understanding of agency operations.

Qualifications:

We are looking for candidates who meet the following requirements:

• Must be currently enrolled in at least a four-year college degree program or an MBA program, ideally with a focus in Business, Marketing, or Communications.
• Possess strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate a keen desire to learn or build upon an existing understanding of basic branding and strategic marketing principles.
• Be articulate and creative, with strong conceptual, visual, and writing skills.
• Exhibit the ability to work independently and think on one’s feet.
• Possess a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Keynote.

About Sterling:

Sterling is a leading brand design consultancy with bases in NYC, San Francisco, and Cincinnati. For over 25 years, our expert design, strategy, and innovation teams have been dedicated to bringing brands to life across the entire ecosystem of experiences. We specialize in designing living brands—brands that are responsive, challenge perceptions, connect with audiences, and engage meaningfully. Our work inspires people to think, feel, and act.

At the heart of our practice is an obsessively human-centric approach, ensuring every inspiration is directly linked back to the consumer—their lives, passions, habits, and habitats. The ultimate result is the creation of beautiful, inclusive, and highly effective solutions that empower brands to truly come alive and thrive.