After quite a break from media visits, we’re back at it!

We woke up this morning and took the bus to Burston-Marsteller, a public relations and advertising agency in Milan. We heard from four individuals from within the company. Each talked about their experience in the field and the projects they have worked on recently, covering various aspects of public relations, from research to promotional.

The campaigns that they work on were interesting, and as a Public Relations and Advertising student, it makes me super excited for my future.

I think my favorite campaign, and most likely everyone else’s, was one that Sergio Rodriquez talked about. It was for Campari, a brand of alcohol that’s local to Milan, but is going international. We taste tested the drink while there, and though I very much hated the taste, the marketing of the product was genius. From the highlighting of top bartenders to creating a short film. It makes me want to buy the product, though I’m definitely not a fan. It just goes to show the importance of advertising and marketing in any industry.

Burston-Marsteller was kind enough to include a small lunch with our visit. They had sandwiches and drinks prepared, which was incredibly kind, as we did have a second media visit to head to today.

After leaving the first media visit, we headed to RAI, the largest broadcast company in Italy. Their facilities are incredible and it was an amazing opportunity to visit the Milan studio. That being said, the visit definitely solidified the fact that switching my major from Broadcast Production to PR/Ad was a good move. I could never see myself working in broadcast, honestly, and I’m glad I had this chance to take a look behind the scenes of a real studio to really give solid reasoning to my decision.

After a long day of media visits, we headed back to the hotel. I was thankful for a little break, as I’m definitely starting to get sick. A sore throat and a migraine lead to a nap before heading back out for the night.

Today is Emily Yurchison’s 21st birthday! To celebrate, a few of us decided to go out for dinner and drinks. Though 21 isn’t necessarily a special age in Italy, it’s still quite a milestone in the United States!

Emily, Victoria, Morgan, Nicole, Casey and myself all ended up at a bar around the corner from the hotel. We had originally planned to head to Milan’s city center, but the rain quickly ruined those plans, so we settled for something closer. The bar we ended up at actually does an incredible buffet for their happy hour. So that’s where we ended our night.

Tomorrow, another media visit as we wrap up our trip during our last full day in Milan!