Summary Reflection

In the field of media and digital communications, understanding effective communication practices in both the physical and digital realms is crucial to successfully engaging diverse audiences, conveying meaningful messages, and driving impactful outcomes (Wiggill, 2011,pp.226-227). My internship with the non-governmental organization (NGO) Football for Peace presented an opportunity to apply what I have learned throughout the media and communications modules at Regent’s University London and apply them practically in the workplace. Working alongside two of my classmates, our primary objective was to produce engaging and relevant content that not only aligned with the company's strategic goals but also effectively reached and resonated with their target audience. All while navigating the fast paced and ever changing world of working under a NGO. Throughout our 9 weeks working with Football for Peace we engaged in various media practices, including content creation, digital marketing, and strategic communication, all while adhering to guidelines and expectations that were established by our Football for Peace supervisors.

This reflection provides a review of my journey, examining the key outcomes of this project, the challenges we faced, and how they have contributed to my personal and professional growth.

Outcomes

The beginning of our journey with Football for Peace involved us conducting a deep dive into the company’s brand identity and its position within the industry. Understanding this context was crucial in ensuring that our content was not only relevant but also enhanced the NGO’s ethos (Becker and Gijsenberg, 2023, p.131). We began, in Week 1, by conducting a thorough analysis of the company's current social media strategies, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement across all their social platforms. This analysis informed our approach to content creation, allowing us to tailor our outputs to meet the specific needs of the company and its audience. 

Event Support and Marketing

We started our time with Football for Peace by setting our focus on their upcoming Charity Golf Day and MVP Football Tournament events. For this I began by analyzing the promotional materials for these events and familiarizing myself with the Trello boards we were given access to. I did this to understand how Football for Peace is marketing these events through their promotional materials and how they have marketed similar charity events on social media in the past, so that our work aligns with the organization's ethos and branding (Dowson and Bassett, 2022, p.19). 

In collaboration with my classmates, we drafted an outreach email for the Charity Golf Day, in Week 2, to send to companies and football clubs that we had researched prior. Once given the greenlight by our Football for Peace supervisor we emailed well over 50 companies and clubs in an attempt to garner more participants for the event. However, in the following weeks, we did not hear many responses back which was discouraging. This is most likely due to the fact we did not have a personal contact for these companies or clubs which makes them significantly less likely to want to participate (Pulse Marketing, 2015). If I were to conduct outreach like this again I would start with the contacts of people who are either actively connected with Football for Peace or have attended events the NGO has hosted in the past, that way there is a history to build off of (O’Brien et al., 2019, p.1232).  

While waiting to hear back from our outreach efforts, we were asked to brainstorm ideas for Raffle and Auction Prizes for these events. The next step in this process would have been helping source these prizes however, due to the events being postponed till later in the fall of 2024 this did not happen.

Overall this gave me a deeper understanding of event planning and marketing, as I saw first hand how plans constantly evolve. Observing this need for adaptability in real time highlighted how crucial it is to be flexible and ready to adjust to changes when working with a company.

Social Media Support

For this project, we focused on enhancing the organization's online presence and engagement. Through this process, I learned the importance of consistent branding, the impact of storytelling through posts, and the necessity of understanding audience demographics to tailor content effectively (Werke and Bogale, 2023, pp.15-16).

Following our initial analysis of Football for Peace’s social media presence across all platforms. My classmates and I began to collaborate together to create a Social Media Plan with an accompanied calendar so we could stay organized and on track while working with this organization. This is also something Football for Peace did not already have. Content calendars are crucial for organizations to have on hand when trying to efficiently run social media accounts across multiple platforms. These calendars help social managers stay on top of what's being posted, where it is being posted, and how the post relates back to the company's ethos (Bagley, 2024). 

As our Football for Peace supervisor spoke with us about wanting to connect with a younger audience via Instagram, we came up with the idea of creating a social media campaign based off Football for Peace’s already existing MVP (Most Valuable Peacemaker) role entitled “#MVPMondays”. This campaign was created to spotlight the youth, empowering them to help out within local communities and showcase that everyone can be a MVP, not just professional footballers. This campaign was created to drive both brand awareness and engagement through its posts which spotlighted a member of the community doing good (Κουτρομάνου, Sotirakou and Mourlas, 2023, p.597). Our hopes were that eventually this campaign would drive others to post about their good deeds or nominate others who have done something remarkable by using the hashtag. This not only generates engagement and awareness but it also is a form of user generated content which is free marketing for the NGO (Naem and Okafor, 2019, p.203). We also brainstormed a list MVP social media challenge ideas that can be implemented into the social media calendar going forward to further enhance their Instagram presence. 

While the Football for Peace team greenlit the idea and seemed enthusiastic about it, unfortunately due to so many changes happening within the company, we were never able to fully launch this campaign on social media during our time. 

Rehydrating The Earth Campaign 

Our work with this campaign began when Football for Peace started working with Baringa, a business management consulting firm, in Week 5. After being introduced and sitting in on meetings between the teams, we were tasked with researching events that involve water or sport within the next 10 years and creating a calendar of them. This way the teams could discuss each of the events on the calendar and decide which events aligned with their goals. During the meetings, we were also tasked with creating a Stakeholders Chart that identified the deliverables that are needed for each potential or current partner.

The biggest task we were assigned was creating the Mozambique and UN Think Tank Communications Pagers which will be used as deliverables to display Football for Peace’s most recent impacts to both current and potential partners (Cutler, 2018). This took a lot of collaboration between our Football for Peace supervisor, the Baringa representative, and us to ensure that the pager supported the company’s overall goals moving forward. This collaborative approach not only enhanced the quality of our outputs but also provided us with valuable experience in working within a professional media environment.

Being able to sit on this partnership was very beneficial for me as I got to see first hand how a professional consultant and client relationship is navigated. Observing these interactions deepened my understanding of professional communication, negotiation tactics, and the collaborative decision-making process which are crucial to the success of a campaign (Czerniawska, 2007, pp.63-65). 

Overall, we produced very successful outcomes during our time at Football for Peace that were a testament to our ability to apply media and digital communication practices in a real-world context. The insights gained from this experience have significantly enhanced my understanding of the media industry and have prepared me for future challenges in the field.

Despite the successes we achieved during our time with Football for Peace, there were a few challenges that we encountered, which provided valuable lessons for future improvement. These challenges included issues related to project timelines, the organization within the company, and overall communication.

One significant issue was the lack of clarity around Football for Peace's priorities. Initially, we were informed that our focus would be on supporting upcoming events. However, by Week 3, all event-related tasks and marketing efforts came to an abrupt halt as the events were postponed to later in the fall. I anticipated that we would resume work on these events in the following weeks, especially since they required substantial promotion through social media and outreach. However, we were never reassigned to these events. While this is not uncommon for organizations to adjust their calendars and events last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, abandoning tasks in favor of starting a new one would prove to be a bit of a pattern within the organization. 

This continued as they asked us to jump from task to task without ever fully completing and posting the content. For example, when we began working on revamping their social media, specifically their Instagram, in Week 4 we were not met with a lot of feedback on our mock-ups despite our Football for Peace supervisors appearing excited to hear our ideas. We attempted to streamline our social media posting efforts by creating a concise Google Sheet document for social media post approvals. However, that fell flat as well and due to this we were unable to implement the social media plan. Reflecting on this, I recognize that I should have been more proactive in reminding our Football for Peace supervisor about the tasks we were assigned prior and importance of maintaining a consistent social media presence. However, as a student working for them, I didn't feel it was my place to push the issue at the time.

While it's understandable that Football for Peace has a lot on its plate, especially with their new partnership with Baringa, I worry that they are losing focus on the importance of maintaining an active social media presence. Especially if they want to attend events such as the FIFA world cups and the 2028 Olympics as these kinds of events require a lot of social media coverage (Ingrid, 2024). These events require for social media content to be posted consistently while showcasing good engagement metrics, and to effectively collaborate with athletes or Olympians, Football for Peace needs to build a larger, more engaged following (Volz, 2023, p.35).

Communication with our Football for Peace supervisor was another area that could have been improved. Although we generally maintained open lines of communication, there were instances where miscommunication led to misunderstandings and setbacks. In Week 9, there was a discrepancy between the current objectives of the Mozambique pager between our Football for Peace supervisor and the Baringa representative which resulted in a delay in producing the finalized pager. In hindsight, I should have been emailing both our Football for Peace supervisor and the Baringa Representative in the same email chain to make sure all the communication about the pagers was being received. Moving forward, I now know I should verify that communication has been seen and heard by all parties involved in a project before moving forward.

This project has been instrumental in shaping both my personal and professional growth, equipping me with the skills and knowledge necessary for future success. 

Professionally, the experience has enhanced my understanding of strategic communication and content creation within the media industry. I have learned how to create informed media strategies, create content tailored to a specific audience, and adapt to the fast-paced nature of digital communication in the workplace. These skills will be essential as I pursue a career in media and communications, where the ability to craft effective, engaging content is essential (Cahn, 2019, p.9).

Personally, this experience has significantly boosted my confidence and ability to work in dynamic, team-oriented environments. I have learned the importance of adaptability and resilience when facing challenges, such as tight deadlines or unforeseen obstacles. These lessons will serve me well not only in my career but also in other aspects of my life, as they have helped me become a more effective communicator and team player.

I am very grateful I had the opportunity to participate in this communications project with Football for Peace, as it has been an incredible learning experience. This experience allowed me to apply and enhance many of my learned skills in a practical setting. I am especially grateful to the Football for Peace team for welcoming us as students onto their team, and for their enthusiasm in working with us. I also appreciate the support of my classmates, with whom I had the privilege to intern and learn alongside throughout this journey.

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