Overview
The Home Depot recognizes that the face of the nation is changing—which means their customer base is also changing. As the global leader in home improvement, it is imperative for The Home Depot to constantly explore ways to meet its customers where they are. Currently, they want to reach the next generation of home buyers and home enthusiasts. They want to learn how they can shift their thinking to better serve this audience. This can include but is not limited to developing a marketing strategy, messaging approach, creative executions, social media presence and the online and in-store experience.
This externship provides students an exciting opportunity to be part of that strategy by partnering with The Home Depot’s Multicultural Marketing Team. This team aims to grow The Home Depot business by ensuring their brand authentically connects with the unique experiences and needs of multicultural customers. Their goal is to embed multicultural insights and best practices across the marketing organization so their holistic company marketing reflects the customers they serve and the associates who bring it all to life. They are focused on brand building, driving personalization, and delivering value to The Home Depot’s millions of customers.
The Experience
For this externship, you will research customer trends, perceptions, and sentiment among the next generation of home buyers. You will critically analyze the messaging strategy of brands that cater to younger populations and document learnings for The Home Depot. You will also conduct primary customer research to supplement your understanding of demographic sentiment, behavior, and perception of The Home Depot’s brand. Based on your insights, you will recommend a messaging and marketing strategy that can help THD establish a loyal customer base among the next generation of home buyers and enthusiasts.
During this Externship, you will:
- Become familiar with the mission and objectives of The Home Depot and the Multicultural Marketing Team
- Learn about terms and concepts in branding and marketing and macro trends among younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z, etc)
- Conduct comparative analysis of brands that effectively connect with the target demographics
- Identify best practices in messaging and marketing strategy from leading brands
- Conduct primary research with customer from target demographics to evaluate brand strategy
- Create and deliver a compelling presentation showcasing insights and outline recommendations and creative ideas to engage the next generation of home buyers and enthusiasts
Qualifications
We are seeking ambitious sophomores, juniors, and seniors currently enrolled in accredited HBCUs. The strongest applicants will have demonstrated interest in brand strategy, marketing, creative design, communications, and customer insights, as well as leveraging data and insights to shape messaging and marketing strategies.
Students studying advertising, media, communications, and business with a focus on marketing are the best fit for this program, but it is open to all majors.