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The IU group who traveled to Chicago stopped for a photo near the Aon building, home of Zocalo Group. The students also visited Leo Burnett.

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Journalism students interested in advertising, marketing and public relations visited two types of agencies during a trip to Chicago Dec. 2.

The students, led by their lecturer Craig Wood and career services director Marcia Debnam, heard from leaders and alumni at Leo Burnett, established in 1935, and Zocalo Group, founded five years ago to specialize in branding and new media.

“For students who are interested in the practice of marketing communications –specifically integrated marketing communications– we saw two different kinds of agencies,” Wood said. “We saw a major iconic legacy agency like Leo Burnett with many iconic brands that they have created, and we saw a social media, word-of-mouth marketing agency that was started four and a half years ago based on the trends.”

At Leo Burnett headquarters, students heard a presentation about the agency from the company’s human resources department leader and from a panel of five IU alumni who work at the agency. The alumni fielded questions from students about the advertising industry, job and internship searches, and the agency itself. Afterward, students were given a tour of the agency before alumni joined them for lunch at Wild Berry Café.

Photo by Nico Perrino

Left, Matthieu Lynch, BAJ'11, responds to a student's question during the Q&A portion of the visit to Leo Burnett. The other panelists are IU alumni as well.

In the afternoon, students visited the Zócalo Group, a social media and word-of-mouth marketing agency, where they spoke with Paul Rand, president; Andrea Wood, director of operations; and other employees, including two IU alumni.

Matthieu Lynch, BAJ'11, a current assistant account executive at Leo Burnett, said he enjoyed connecting with students who are in the same position he was in just a year ago.

“No one had really told me what recruiters are looking for, what employers are looking for, what HR departments are looking for,” said Lynch. “So I learned it this past year and now I just wanted to reach out to some IU students and help them understand exactly what recruiters are looking for."

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