The Next Generation of Berliners

You’ve heard it before. But I’ll say it again. The next generation is shaping the future. They take risks; they are outspoken; they are active in their communities; and a lot of the time they are fighting for something bigger than themselves - all sentiments Berlin resonates with deeply. 

As 2023 drew to a close, we contemplated Berlin’s trajectory. What did we envision for our agency in 2024? In 2023 our team almost doubled in size - we wanted to keep this momentum going. Expand, evolve, elevate. We knew the way to do this was with the next generation of young communicators, designers, strategists, and marketers. And that we had to be deliberate about it. At Berlin, we acknowledge that our agency's success hinges on our talent. Students not only add a vibrancy to our agency (i.e., teaching us about artists, fashion trends, and TikToks we’ve never heard of), but they also bring new and innovative ideas, a hunger for doing good work, and unmatched tenacity. 

Before 2023 officially ended we came up with a game plan for 2024, and Berlin’s first official student engagement framework was born. This blueprint identified key individuals and organizations to approach, delineating potential collaborations. These included the Advertising Club of Edmonton (ACE), local universities and colleges like the University of Alberta (U of A), MacEwan, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), student organizations, professors and deans. Berlin had never embarked on something like this before, and we were not sure what to expect. Yet the response was overwhelmingly positive. Each contact proved instrumental in connecting us with students and achieving our goal. Because of this, we realized that just as much as we wanted to connect with the next generation, they wanted to connect with us too. 

Within the first three months of 2024, Berlin participated in 10 student events, including: 

• Sponsoring and judging the ACE 2024 Student Case Competition
• Sponsoring the University of Alberta Marketing Associations’ (UAMA) “Networking Night” and giving the keynote speech 
• Giving a guest lecture to the MARK 3471 class at NAIT 
• Judging the NAIT Winter City Case Competition 
• Participating in the U of A’s School of Business Marketing/Retail Career Cafe
• Being a guest on the U of A’s Entrepreneurship Club “eClub” podcast
• Hosting a Berlin x U of A Marketing Association student workshop
• Being a guest on U of A’s “Marketing Major” podcast
• Hosting a design panel with the U of A’s Student Design Association (SDA), and
• Participating in the ACE Student Industry Tour.

Within those three months, we met hundreds of students. These engagements served as invaluable opportunities to interact with a diverse array of students, from those well-acquainted with Berlin to newcomers eager to learn about our agency and the advertising landscape in Edmonton. It was as much of an eye-opener for us as it was for them. We met students from all over Canada, and all over the world. Everyone had a unique perspective and we recognized what this diversity of experience could bring into the workplace and ultimately how it could shape the future of Berlin. And this work has only just begun. 

As final exams are coming to a close, and our internship applications open, we can’t wait to meet the next generation of Berliners.