Case Study 02
AMG
Digital Marketing & Strategy Intern · Ashford Media Group, Chicago, IL · Mar 2025 – Present
After 6 months of client work, I built the agency's first marketing strategy from the ground up.
50+ posts written and produced · 1,300+ followers · 9,000+ reach in four months
Project 1 — Building AMG's Content Engine
- Researched the agency's positioning in the market, then audited its content from scratch — there was no content system in place when I joined
- Designed a three-pillar content framework: recurring formats — BTS, artist spotlights, weekly highlights — for consistency, built out with a full hashtag and cadence strategy, based on thorough research and competitive benchmarking
- Added a fourth pillar I originated myself: Expert Insights — a thought-leadership interview series. I wrote every discussion question across four thematic tracks (Intentional Branding, PR & Social Impact, Direct-to-Fan Growth, Experiential Marketing) — 16 weeks of original content — and produced the video content
- Wrote and scheduled the content calendar across AMG's own accounts, working from assets the team provided
Content Strategy Workbook
Hashtag Strategy
Highlights (bi-weekly)
#musicpr #entertainmentpr #pressstrategy #brandcommunications
Tips (weekly)
#marketingtips #socialmediamarketing #contentstrategy #pradvice #prtips
BTS (bi-weekly)
#behindthescenes #unfiltered #creativeprocess #agencylife
Campaign Spotlight (bi-weekly)
#musicmarketing #entertainmentmarketing #brandactivation #campaignstrategy
Expert Insights Series
#marketinginsights #musicindustry #digitalmarketing #industryinsights
Weekly Tips
- Yes, Your Single Needs A Video
- A Major Label Brings You From 50>100. That Means You Have To Do The Ground Work.
- The Cheat Codes Only Works If You're Already Making Noise.
- You Need A Digital Strategy Before You Need A Publicist.
- Association Is Key. Be Strategic About Your Partnerships.
- Make Yourself Indispensable.
- Your Strength Comes From Your Team.
- Your Time Is Just As Valuable As Your Intellectual Property.
- Make Sure You're Recording Everything!
- Lead Time Will Make or Break The Success of Your Whole Campaign.
- Come to The Table With Solutions, Not Problems.
- Your Label Is Your Brand, Withdraw Wisely.
- Who Introduces You Matters.
- Stop Putting 1-min+ Intros On Your Music Videos.
- The Difference Between Good and Great is a Solid Plan.
- Your Manager Isn't Your Investor.
- Do Your Googles Before You Send The Pitch.
- Managing an Artist is Different than Managing a Brand.
- Set A Goal, Strategize, Then Execute.
- Watch How You Talk to Your Service Provider.
- Always Bring Your Laptop.
- Your Network is Your Power.
- Always Have a Contract. (collab with Deuvil Law)
- "Homeboy Management" Only Works For So Long.
- It's About the Perception. Not the Reality.
- Make Sure You're Controlling The Narrative.
- Your Fanbase is Your Bargaining Tool.
- An Instagram Post Can't Be Your Sole Promotional Plan.
- Understand Your Leverage Before You Negotiate.
- You Don't Have To Be a Part of the Audience to Know Who They Are.
- Ideas Come With a Price Tag.
- Building a Strategy Around A Moving Target is Not Conducive to Success.
- Trust Your Publicist.
- Having a Budget is Key.
- It Needs to be a Vibe to be Memorable.
- Don't Get Caught in Analysis Paralysis.
- Marketing Isn't "One Size Fits All."
Expert Insights Series — Discussion Questions
Track 1 — Intentional Branding for Artists
Week 1: From Personal Style to Brand Identity
- Artists often say, "I just post what feels right." At what point does that stop being enough?
- How do you help artists define core brand elements, such as voice, visuals, values?
- What's the difference between personal taste and brand identity — and how do you find the overlap that feels authentic to the artist?
Week 2: From Talent to Positioning
- A lot of artists are talented but still struggle to be remembered. In your experience, what's usually missing?
- Beyond making good music, how does clear positioning change the kinds of opportunities an artist attracts?
- How do you find what makes an artist distinct when their genre is crowded?
Week 3: Consistency Without Losing Creative Freedom
- How do you think about consistency as something that makes it easier for people to recognize an artist?
- What parts of an artist's brand need to stay consistent — and what parts can evolve naturally over time?
- How do you keep brand consistency when there are multiple collaborators (manager/label, videographer, stylist, PR)?
Week 4: Recap Reel
- If you had to sum up intentional branding for artists in one sentence, what is it?
- When an artist reaches out for branding help, what are the first things you want to learn or review?
Track 2 — The Cross-Section Between PR and Social Impact
Week 1: Turning Values Into Action
- When an artist comes to you with a social impact idea they really care about, how do you help turn it into a real plan?
- What are some concrete steps they can take to get started?
- How do you help the artist decide what level of impact work makes sense for their current stage and schedule?
Week 2: From Giving Back to Building Narrative
- How does having an ongoing initiative or nonprofit shape how people see an artist beyond their music?
- What kinds of stories or moments do you look for when turning impact work into PR without forcing it?
- What are some common mistakes artists make when sharing impact work publicly?
Week 3: Why Social Impact Is a Long-Term PR Asset
- How does impact work support an artist's PR in a different way than traditional PR does?
- Over time, how does consistent impact work influence how media or industry partners talk about an artist?
- How do you keep impact work consistent when an artist is busy, touring, or in album mode?
Week 4: Recap Reel
- What are the 3 things an artist needs to get right if they want impact work to support their brand and PR long-term?
- What does success look like when impact work and PR are working well together over time?
Track 3 — Direct-to-Fan Growth for Artists
Week 1: What Direct-to-Fan Really Means (and Why It's Rising)
- When you say "direct-to-fan," what do you mean in simple terms?
- Why are more artists talking about direct-to-fan right now? What is changing in the industry?
- What problems does direct-to-fan solve that social platforms do not solve?
Week 2: Building a Fan Offer People Will Pay For
- What makes fans willing to pay? What are they really paying for?
- What are some examples of "exclusive content" that are realistic to create on a regular schedule?
- What are the most common mistakes artists make when launching a paid fan offer?
Week 3: Keeping It Alive (Retention, Community, and Consistency)
- A lot of artists can launch something, but keeping it going is harder. How do you keep direct-to-fan consistent over time?
- What role does community play in retention? How do you get fans to interact with each other, not just consume content?
- How do you keep the exclusive space feeling special without putting everything behind a paywall?
Week 4: Recap Reel
- If an artist is deciding whether to start, what is the gut-check question they should ask themselves first?
- What are some things an artist needs to get right to build a direct-to-fan channel that lasts?
Track 4 — Experiential Marketing for Artists
Week 1: Why Experiences Matter (and How to Find the Right Fit)
- Why are experiences so powerful for artists? What can an in-person moment do that online content cannot?
- How do you figure out what kind of experience fits an artist best (concert, livehouse, nightclub, exhibition, listening party, pop-up)?
- What's a good starter experience for an artist who wants to try this but doesn't want to take a big risk?
Week 2: Making It Worth It
- Before you plan anything, how do you define what "success" looks like for an experience?
- What are realistic ways experiences can create value for the artist?
- How do experiences support an artist's PR? What kinds of media angles or interests can they create?
Week 3: Turning Fans Into Community
- What makes an experience memorable for fans? What details create that "I was there" feeling?
- How do you make fans feel seen and included during the experience?
- What are some simple ways to design the experience so fans naturally want to share it online?
Week 4: Recap Reel
- After the event, how do you keep the momentum going so it doesn't end after one night?
- What's the biggest mistake you wish artists would stop making when it comes to live experiences?
Project 2 — Pivot & Expansion: Rebuilding for LinkedIn
- The numbers didn't land — strong effort, but Instagram underperformed relative to what the series deserved
- Remapped the same pillar system for a different platform and a different audience: Monday industry tips, Wednesday Expert Insight (rewritten for a B2B tone), Friday client-results roundups
- Sequenced a three-phase rollout — foundation and credibility first, consistent posting and targeted outreach second, long-form thought leadership third
- Honest note: this is the strategy I designed before my time at AMG wrapped up. I didn't get to see it fully play out, so I'm not claiming results here
Instagram → LinkedIn, remapped
- BTS
- Artist Spotlights
- Weekly Highlights
- Expert Insights
- Mon — Industry Tips
- Wed — Expert Insight (B2B tone)
- Fri — Client Results
Foundation
Weeks 1–4: company page, About section, Theresa's profile connected, five posts repurposed from high-performing Instagram content.
Consistent Posting
Weeks 5–12: the three-pillar system runs weekly, three posts a week, outreach to managers, A&Rs, and independent artists.
Thought Leadership
Bi-weekly long-form posts — case study breakdowns and industry takes — refined by what drives profile visits.
Project 3 — Rebuilding the Agency's Operating System in Notion
- Redesigned the entire agency HQ: task views that auto-hide completed work, a cleaned-up client roster, reusable client-page templates, an automated client-kickoff form, and a new PR tracker
- Went beyond the rebuild — authored a full audit and 4-week roadmap for deeper automation and AI integration (meeting notes flowing in automatically, two-way Slack sync, automated archiving, cross-database client views, email-to-database pipelines), mapping what's possible today versus what needs more tooling, and sequencing a realistic build plan
- Systems thinking applied inward — not client-facing content, but the infrastructure that makes everything else repeatable
Beyond AMG's Own Accounts
Alongside AMG's own channels, I managed and produced content end-to-end for 10+ additional clients spanning music, nonprofit, legal, and consumer brands.
Systems and stories aren't opposites. Build the right one, and the other takes care of itself.