A Brand Building competition by G&A Communications Inc. is among the company’s new initiatives aimed at providing internship and employment opportunities for students studying Marketing, Communications and Graphic Design.
The local branding agency is partnering with the Barbados Community College (BCC) and the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus to roll out its community outreach programme which has been made possible by funding provided by the Caribbean Development Bank and the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) Technical Assistance Programme.
The Brand Building initiative features presentations by G&A team members to students from the two institutions, followed by an invitation to participate in the competition. The competition offers students the opportunity to demonstrate the application of theory in a real-world environment.
CEO and Chief Brand Strategist, Devin Griffith, said, “Our industry runs on compelling storytelling, visionary designs, inspired visual content and intriguing perspectives. It requires captivating ideas, and talented people who can provide them, so we are excited to work with the best and the brightest coming out of the Barbados Community College and the University of the West Indies.”
He added, “This is an interesting time in our industry as companies continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic attempting to refine their messaging to their audiences, re-establish the relevance of their brand or introduce new products and innovations to a market still trying to right itself from the financial shocks of the last few years. It will be very interesting to see how these students use both their technical skills and personal insight and intuition to address real-world problems.”
The first presentation to BCC students in the Division of Fine arts was delivered on branding and the effects of the pandemic. Students were very engaged, asking questions and sharing their personal experiences interacting with certain brands. They were also eager to gain an internship opportunity by winning the competition.
Competing students were given three weeks to prepare their presentations for judging. The announcement of the winners is scheduled for the end of June and the internships will begin in mid-July. (PR)
