My Role
Led a team of 19 interns, managing timelines, scheduling regular meetings, and ensuring all deadlines were met.
Conducted initial research to inform project direction and strategic planning.
Assisted in developing strategy to align project goals with client objectives.
Filled in as needed across various project areas to maintain momentum and quality.
Co-presented the completed project, representing the intern team alongside the co-account management intern.
Team
The variable agency: Intern class of 2023
Background
Winston-Salem, a midsize city in North Carolina, sits between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, offering a mix of natural beauty and accessibility.
Known historically for tobacco and textiles, it’s now striving to grow as a hub for business, technology, and startups.
While it lacks the scale and resources of major cities like New York, Winston-Salem’s smaller size fosters a tight-knit community and a growing focus on innovation, arts, and entrepreneurship, anchored by institutions like Wake Forest University and the Innovation Quarter.
Develop a campaign to position Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as an appealing destination for Gen Z by highlighting its unique blend of affordability, innovation, creativity, and access to nature, while leveraging platforms and strategies that resonate with their values and lifestyle.
We were asked to…
What is the current perception of Winston-Salem among the Gen Zs who already live there?
“I have lived in Winston- Salem all my life. I am currently 17 and will be turning 18 this year. I might be biased since I live here but I feel that Winston can tend to be boring sometimes. We do not have as many activities to do here compared to bigger cities in North Carolina like Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh.”
“Winston Salem is an alright town, it has potential in some ways. The weather is pretty unpredictable and there isn’t many things to do other than go to the mall or Charlotte.”
“It is a nice city but it can be boring and there not that many interesting things to do but that’s alright”
“Winston-Salem is a very quiet and peaceful place. It is the home of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem State University, and Salem College. However, there is nothing much to do and the population is not very diverse. The cost of living is pretty low though.”
Winston-Salem faces the challenge of being relatively unknown, often perceived by Gen Z as lacking the attractions and opportunities found in bigger cities.
What is Gen Z looking for in a new city?
Gen Z prioritizes affordability, career opportunities, and work-life balance when choosing a place to move, much like other generations starting out. However,
7 in 10 Gen Z has adopted a “work to live” attitude instead of a “live to work” approach
74 per cent of Gen Z employees and 78 per cent of Millennials would switch jobs for a better work-life balance,
One key difference for Gen Z is the strong emphasis they place on achieving a
healthy work-life balance.
Despite that, Gen Z is moving to big cities that promote an unhealthy work-life balance
Insight
Gen Z is known for opposing hustle culture, yet paradoxically, they are drawn to metropolitan areas where such a lifestyle thrives
Genz is looking for a place where they can adult without the extreme hustle that comes with trying to survive in a big city.
Which is where Winston-Salem comes in…
The city already boasts a thriving innovation center, abundant job opportunities, and renowned institutions like Wake Forest University.
The challenge isn’t a lack of opportunities—it’s the misconception about its ‘boring’ reputation.
Yes, Winston-Salem may be boring,
But that’s exactly what Gen Z needs.
Unlike the hustle and grind of larger metropolitan areas, Winston-Salem offers the rare opportunity to truly live your life.
Here, you can avoid the endless commutes, exorbitant expenses, and work-centric lifestyles that dominate bigger cities. Instead, you can focus on balance, personal fulfillment, and meaningful connections.
With this in mind, we’ve created a 360° campaign for Winston-Salem, crafted to resonate with our target audience and communicate in the way Gen Z prefers.
The Thrill of Boring
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The Thrill of Boring -
Out-of-Home
Digital/Social Media
For the digital and social media section of our 360° campaign, we focused heavily on creating a strong online presence, given that our target market—Gen Z—spends a significant amount of their time online.
Content Pillars
We want to highlight the VARIETY of ‘lowkey’ activities Gen Z can do with their friends for any fun type of DIY places whether that is for painting, cooking, woodworking
“Low Key Bucket-list”
Let’s highlight the cost of living based on rental prices in WS compared to other popular Gen Z cities like DC, Boston, Seattle - would love the concept transformed into a pictograph style and mention how if you live in a very expensive city, the fun ain’t gonna last…
“Boring pros”
We want to showcase the breadth of WS business opps based on this inventory and do a few cool entrepreneur spotlights…Carl Turner (SwipeBy) + Olivia Wolff (UpDog Kombucha).
“Less noise more opportunity”
