InternViews: Ericeli Garcia and Julia Clemente

InternViews is a series where we ask Grady College students to describe their internship experience.

Ericeli Garcia and Julia Clemente are advertising majors currently interning at Inspire Brands in Atlanta. They are interning in audience planning and biddable media, respectively. Read more about their internship experience below.

Provide a brief overview of your role and its associated responsibilities.

Ericeli: I am an audience planning intern at Inspire Brands, where I support the development and activation of audience strategies across the company’s portfolio of restaurant brands. My responsibilities include analyzing consumer and audience data, researching target audiences, assisting with media planning initiatives and collaborating with cross-functional teams to better understand customer behavior. Through this role, I have gained hands-on experience with audience segmentation, data-driven decision-making and the strategic planning process behind major advertising campaigns.

Julia: This summer, I’m working as a biddable media intern at Inspire Brands in Atlanta. Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company with a portfolio that includes Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s and SONIC, giving me exposure to a wide range of audiences and marketing strategies. In my role, I support the planning, activation and optimization of digital media campaigns across these brands. I work across Paid Search, Paid Social and Programmatic channels, assisting with campaign strategy, performance analysis, reporting and budget pacing.

What opportunities have you had during your internship?

Ericeli: My internship has provided numerous opportunities to learn from industry professionals and gain exposure to different areas of the business. I have been able to connect with leaders across departments, visit the Inspire Innovation Center, tour Alliance Kitchen and learn about the work being done at Roark Capital. These experiences gave me a broader understanding of the restaurant and marketing industries while allowing me to build meaningful professional relationships. Of course, getting to try some yummy food along the way has been an added bonus!

Julia: During this internship, I’ve been able to gain hands-on experience working across all the brands in Inspire’s portfolio, both within my department and alongside several others. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with CEO Paul Brown and other members of the executive team, as well as tour Inspire’s Innovation Center and in-house creative agency, Maverick Studios.

What is one piece of work you are proud of creating in this role?

Julia: One piece of work I’m especially proud of is creating the weekly Biddable Media Newsletter. Each week, I compiled and summarized key paid media trends, platform updates and industry news across channels like Meta, Instagram and Snapchat. I also incorporated highlights from Inspire’s portfolio of brands, including new launches and campaigns, to tie in exciting brand moments and milestones. Through this, I’ve been able to stay up to date on industry trends while applying what I’ve learned directly to my work and day-to-day responsibilities!

Did you receive any mentorship or guidance? How did it impact your experience?

Ericeli: Yes, mentorship has been one of the most valuable parts of my experience at Inspire Brands. In addition to supportive managers, each intern is paired with a “Tastebud,” a mentor who helps guide us throughout the summer. Having approachable mentors made it easy to ask questions, seek career advice and navigate both professional and personal challenges. Their support helped me feel welcomed from day one and gave me the confidence to take on new opportunities and responsibilities.

Julia: All the people on my team at Inspire have been amazing mentors and have made such a positive impact on my experience. My manager, Natalie Siegman (AB ’21, MA ’22), has been such an incredible mentor and has helped me grow both personally and professionally every step of the way. What I love most about Inspire is how genuinely invested everyone is in the interns, offering guidance and sharing advice.

What challenges have you overcome in this role?

Julia: A challenge I’ve had to overcome is being thrown into a new environment and not feeling like I knew everything at first. It’s easy to feel behind in a new role, so staying open to learning and not being afraid to ask questions has definitely helped me feel more confident.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you gained from your experience?

Ericeli: The most valuable advice I received was to be intentional about building relationships and taking advantage of every opportunity available to me. I learned the importance of networking, asking questions and connecting with people across different teams and departments. I was also encouraged to be confident in my ideas and embrace creativity.

How has the Grady curriculum prepared you for this internship?

Ericeli: The Grady curriculum provided a strong foundation for my internship by helping me understand key advertising concepts before entering a corporate environment. Courses like Media Strategy & Activation and Digital & Social Communication Strategies introduced me to industry terminology and processes that I use regularly in my role. Beyond technical knowledge, Grady also develops important soft skills such as communication, teamwork, professionalism and presentation skills, all of which have been essential to my internship.

Julia: Being a Grady student has 100% prepared me for this role. Through classes like Social Media Analytics, Media Strategy and Activation and Insights and Analytics, I’ve gained hands-on experience and knowledge that directly applies to my internship. Those classes helped me build a strong foundation in understanding data, strategy, and how campaigns work, which has made it easier to jump in and contribute in this role.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you gained from your experience?

Ericeli: The most valuable advice I received was to be intentional about building relationships and taking advantage of every opportunity available to me. I learned the importance of networking, asking questions and connecting with people across different teams and departments. I was also encouraged to be confident in my ideas and embrace creativity.

How has this internship influenced your future career?

Ericeli: This internship has helped me discover a stronger interest in the analytics and audience strategy side of advertising. While I have always enjoyed the creative side, working with audience data and consumer insights showed me how much I enjoy using information to solve problems. As a result, I am now more interested in pursuing a career in audience planning, marketing analytics or a related field where I can combine creativity with data-driven thinking.

What has been your biggest takeaway from this experience?

Ericeli: My biggest takeaway is that learning extends far beyond your day-to-day responsibilities. Some of the most impactful experiences came from conversations with professionals, attending networking events, and exploring different areas of the organization. This internship taught me the value of staying curious, stepping outside my comfort zone and continuously seeking opportunities to learn from others.

Editor: Sarah Kate Maher, skm01341@uga.edu