Hello!
My name is Savannah Bridges and I am a Summer Marketing Intern here at City Paper Company. I am going to be a senior at The University of Alabama where I am studying Marketing with a concentration in Professional Sales. On campus, I serve as the Recruitment and Marketing Vice President for Alpha Delta Pi and am a brother of Alpha Kappa Psi. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, taking care of my succulent (the only plant I’ve kept alive in my apartment), eating acai bowls, and reading City Paper blogs, of course! It’s hard to believe I have already been working at City Paper for 6 weeks—they have FLOWN by! Here’s a little bit of what I’ve learned in my time here:
PLACEMENT matters. Think of how many times a day that you see your favorite to-go coffee mug. Once as soon as you wake up (no talky without the coffee). Another time when you grab your cup on the way to work. At the office, every time someone passes by your desk, they see your mug placed right next to your computer. When you head to the break area to refill, you’re reminded again of the fantastic mug you hold so dear. By the time you get home, you and your coworkers have had countless interactions with this mug. Now think: what if your brand was on this mug? How many interactions would you have with that brand now? Boom. Promotional marketing. By advertising on products you use constantly, in places you spend lots of time, you get the best exposure! The same goes for bags, pens, and children’s items. It’s important to promote on products you see frequently and want to use because...
QUALITY matters. As a college kid always ballin’ on a budget, I am constantly on the hunt for the most affordable options. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some bad purchases. Last week, I bought a shirt that I got a solid one use out of before throwing it into the dryer and it shrunk down to about a 2T. Now more than ever, it is clear to me that no one wants to spend their money on things that don’t last! Working in this industry, even just for a month, it’s obvious that quality is often better than quantity when it comes to our products. There is nothing worse than a fidget spinner that won’t spin, a blurry logo printed on an item, or a terrible quality t-shirt. By ensuring we work with the best suppliers and being on top of every point of production, we ensure the very best for our customers since...
ATTENTION TO DETAIL matters. The promotional products industry is h u g e. There are tons of suppliers, distributers, and sales reps out there. What sets City Paper apart from the rest is the spirit everyone puts into their work. Not a day goes by where I don’t find someone going above and beyond for our customers— it’s the coolest thing! No matter the request, someone will find a way not only to make it work, but to make it awesome. The attention to detail is crucial—from initially finding the products that’re the best fit, to product safety, and to the moment the order arrives, every step matters. All of this is possible here because of the company culture, which leads to my final point...
FAMILY matters. The Friedman’s have run a thriving family business for 120 years and counting. It’s amazing to see how over the years the business as evolved, from school supplies and toilet paper, to paper bags, to packaging, promotional awesomeness, and marketing. When you look on the website, “Our People” always talk about the amazing the company culture is here and I can vouch for that. It’s genuinely true what they say—working here is a dream. Here, everyone’s family. It’s the little quirks, the comfortability, the strong beliefs and work ethic that everyone shares that makes City Paper so successful. Even on the dreariest of days, when the sky is grey and the humidity is at 100%, I’m never unhappy about heading to work.
I know this is only the start to my time in the promotional products industry (and if I’m lucky, with City Paper!). It has been such an incredible experience to learn firsthand about the industry, products, pricing, and taking a project from start to finish. All in all, I know I still have a lot to learn. But man, what a great start this internship has been!
And by the way, there is a coloring book for EVERYTHING.
