Marist Alumni Welcomes NRC Members at Viacom NYC

Barbra Marciano, Account Coordinator - Ty Louis Campbell

North Road Communications is a student-run Integrated Marketing Communications firm that works with non-profit organizations to help them enhance their communications efforts. The work we do for these non-profit organizations is voluntary and allows for outstanding learning opportunities that go far beyond a typical internship experience.

North Road is proud of their hardworking alumni who now work at some of the top corporations and agencies in the industry. The strong alumni network is extremely supportive in keeping in touch with current NRC members, while providing continuous advice on ways to get involved in the industry.

Viacom NYC Headquarters

On Wednesday, February 27th, a group of NRC members were fortunate enough to visit Viacom at their headquarters in the heart of Times Square! Viacom is a major media, broadcasting and cable company that focuses on entertainment and television. Some of their major global brands include; MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1 and many more. The company began which began in the early 70s has kept its impressive status, now owning 170 networks worldwide.

NRC members who attended the agency tour were excited, to say the least. Our host was none other than Briana Flynn, a Marist and NRC alum! Briana graduated as a Communications major with concentrations in public relations and television production.. NRC taught Briana about professionalism and responsibility in the workplace. Currently, Briana serves as the Digital Events Manager, monitoring the media for MTV and VH1, two of Viacom's major brands.

While touring the agency, Briana explained that the digital world is constantly changing, and how it is crucial to always be on top of the next big thing. It was so interesting to hear about all of the different components that go into creating, promoting, and developing new events and shows that the brands put out to their audience. Another major aspect Briana touched upon was analytics. Digital analytics is what is currently driving the industry while helping identify how audiences respond to posts and information sent out by the media.

For me, one of the biggest takeaways was when you want to dive into a field so diverse, you have to be on your A-game. The digital world moves at a rapid pace and there really isn’t any time for hesitation! Knowing the next big thing, while keeping up on industry trends creates a path to success. Briana’s most important point stressed the importance of doing what you love while following your dreams.

Going into Viacom, I knew they were strong, reputable, and were not messing around. I loved walking into the lobby and seeing Spongebob playing on massive television screens, which immediately set the tone for the day. Nickelodeon, another brand of theirs, expresses a sense of youth and excitement about the future, which I think is what Viacom is really about. Throughout my experience at Viacom, I finally saw how innovation drives the market. As a freshman, I was a bit overwhelmed to be sitting in a room with students ready to head out into the real world! But, truthfully I believe that’s what being progressive means, stepping outside of your comfort zone and grabbing people’s attention, which is what Viacom and Briana surely did for myself and my peers.