By David Hart, Corporate Promotions Coordinator, Fall 2021
As you may know by now, Inigo Communications is Chicago’s first and only student-run communications agency. These agencies exist all over the country, and new ones are created on college campuses each semester. But what actually happens in a student-run communications agency?
I can’t speak for every agency, but Inigo is divided into four teams—Account, Creative, PR/Media and Corporate Communications. Each member is assigned to a team, and their specific experience is tailored based on their team placement. The Account Team handles client relations; the Creative Team designs graphics, logos, social posts and more; the PR/Media Team writes everything from press releases to social media copy; and the Corporate Communications Team handles the inner workings of Inigo and manages our brand image. Regardless of which team you might be on, the overall experience is the same for everyone. Student-run communications agencies work with real clients, providing real deliverables and learning from professional mentors.
The first few weeks of our agency meetings consist of client meetings. This is when the whole team meets face-to-face with the companies that we will be working with for the semester. They tell us what they are hoping to get out of this semester, and we then begin to get an idea of what deliverables we will get to bring to life as a team. Once we’ve met with the clients, the Account Team sends out assignments to the PR and Creative teams, and this is when the magic really begins to happen!
Over the next eight weeks, Inigo members create actual deliverables for our clients. As a past PR/Media Coordinator, a few projects that I have personally worked on include an external recruitment campaign guide, a social media content calendar, a pitch pamphlet and a newsletter template. Other amazing products Inigo has created include a mascot, SEO audits and branding packages.
Once the client work period ends, Inigo hosts the Final Showcase where the team gets to present all our hard work from the semester to our clients, mentors and loved ones.
I have loved my two semesters at Inigo, and I am so happy that I made the decision to join a student-run communications agency. The skills I have learned, the experience I have gained and the connections I have made are guaranteed to help with my job search when I graduate in a few months. Running a communications agency is unlike any other elective course, and that is what makes it so incredible and rewarding!