That's a wrap!

By: Alison Bracy
Account Services Intern 

I can’t believe that it is the last week of my internship with the Sells Agency! These ten weeks have flown by. The time I got to spend here has been nothing short of awesome, and I have learned far more through this hands-on experience than I have in three years of college.

My writing has improved tremendously. Emily and Sarah guided me through the process of writing news releases and media alerts, and then let me write several on my own. With their helpful editing, I was able to improve my writing and I am excited to enter my senior year as a more confident writer. 


I loved being able to watch Kristen, Allison and Lauren work with their different clients. Although they are all account executives, they each have a different style of doing business.

Kristen is a great communicator. She taught me the importance of on-going communication with clients. She showed me how to write conference reports, which she writes and sends to clients after every meeting.

Allison is very good with research. She was a huge help to me and Sarah Hill with our Bank Clarity research project. She showed us how to create our survey in a way that would give us an accurate understanding of average bank consumers. When it was time for us to make a presentation of our research, she showed us different ways to structure our presentation.

 Lauren taught me that it's important to pay attention to details. One of the jobs that she does for a client is a very detailed, weekly e-blast. After updating the e-blast, she is always sure to look back over it, checking every detail. 

I’m so glad I got the opportunity to spend my summer at the Sells Agency learning from so many different people! 

Mobile Banking a Compelling Factor for Young Banking Consumers

By: Alison Bracy

Do you rely on a mobile application to check the balance of your checking account? Or have you ever used a deposit image ATM to deposit a check? In the past few years, mobile banking technology has grown in popularity, especially among young adults. According to this thefinancialbrand.com article, more than half of people who recently switched banks are under age 35 and use mobile technologies regularly. Ten percent of people who switched banks at the end of 2011 named availability of mobile banking as one of the top three reasons for switching. This is a significant increase from only four percent in 2010.

According to a recent report from Javelin Strategy & Research, 11 percent of U.S. consumers are threatening to switch banks sometime before the end of this year. With this large amount of people considering switching, it will be interesting to see if mobile banking will continue to grow as a compelling factor for switchers.

Sarah H., Hunter and I are nearing the completion of our Bank Clarity intern project. Throughout our research, we have learned about many different factors consumers consider when choosing a bank. You’ll be hearing more about Bank Clarity next week as we put the finishing touches on our project, so stay tuned!

'You're not special': The best graduation speech ever?

An English teacher in the Boston-area, David McCullough Jr., gave a speech at a high school graduation this year that started a lot of conversations in the media. Bloggers and reporters alike said that this speech is “the best graduation speech ever.”  McCullough told the graduating seniors: "You are not special. You are not exceptional."

But not all of McCullough’s 12-minute speech was depressing. He ended his controversial message by telling the seniors, "Selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special—because everyone is. Congratulations, good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and ours, extraordinary lives."

Today, graduation speeches usually pat the graduates on the back and tell them how wonderful and exceptional they have become. I recently attended my sister’s graduation and McCullough’s speech stands in stark contrast to her school’s commencement address. The speech at her graduation encouraged the graduates by telling them how well prepared they were to encounter the big, bad world. As an intern I have seen that although I am almost finished with school there is much more that I need to learn. There are always new ways to improve myself. I am impressed by McCullough’s boldness, and I think that my generation needed his reality check. 

McCullough reminded the students and the general public that the world does not revolve around them. In a world where students get awarded for meeting required standards, we need a better understanding of our place in the world and how we can improve it.