Lainey Smith

April 27, 2017

ALE Refection Paper

ACOM 4185

Through the duration of my internship for Kimes Ranch Jeans in Scottsdale,

Arizona, I utilized the knowledge from several of my courses at Tarleton State

University. My internship was in the area of marketing, where I did everything from

customer service to press releases and graphic design. Because my tasks and

responsibilities changed daily, it was great to have a broader scope of all

communication subjects.

From Writing for Publications course, I learned APA style and how to format a

story for best engagement. With this course, I also learned how to schedule an

interview, create the best interview questions, and interview a subject. This all

played a part in my internship, when I interviewed professional horsemen and rodeo

athletes for the company blog and created profiles of sponsored riders for the Kimes

Ranch website.

Along with the previously mention writing course, Promotional Writing was

extremely beneficial for my internship. This class taught be how to write and

distribute a press release, which I did eleven times throughout my internship, and

plan to do at least two a month during my employment with the company.

Additionally, this class taught me how to create a promotional campaign and

execute in a business setting. I created a promotional campaign during the National

Finals Rodeo, setting up a morning talk show for new customer acquisition and

brand exposure. I am also assisting with my first national marketing campaign the
will run the entire month of May, aimed to increase sales from a young male

demographic.

With the large volume of media work I get to do with Kimes Ranch,

Communication Law was a pivotal course to have under my belt. Knowing the rights

of companies for various media forms, especially pictures and published material,

as well as the laws prohibiting certain actions was crucial. In week eight of my

internship, I worked with the Director of Marketing and the company lawyer to write

the guidelines for a video contest we will be executing and rewriting the companys

privacy policy. In week nine, I was involved in a dispute with a professional

photographer who believed we were using his picture without the proper rights.

Because of the knowledge I obtained from this class, we confirmed that this was not

the case.

The special topics Graphic Design course and Dr. Atchleys Electronic Field

Production course helped me expand my role at Kimes Ranch. Knowing the

principals and elements of design allowed me to create social media graphics, point

of purchase material, and consumer education material for Kimes Ranch. I am the

lead coordinator for Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest platforms and use a graphic

design site Canva for quick turnaround and publishing volume. Upon graduation, I

will be taking advanced graphic design courses for Kimes Ranch to start designing

print ads. Understanding video production and editing has become an asset for

publishing short video series on behind the scenes operations and allows me to

better promote our sponsored athletes. Video production is an expanding role at

Kimes Ranch that I will be able to immerse myself in upon graduation because of

my foundation.
 Beyond the Ag Communications discipline, some general education classes

helped me in my internship experience as well. Statistics taught me how to look at

data and analyze performance and results. This is used extensively in marketing to

get the most bang for your buck. With social media, we analyzed cost per click,

return on investment, cost per engagement, click through rate, and cost per

conversion. Understanding metrics means best utilizing budget and maximizing new

customer acquisition and brand awareness.

English Composition taught me how to think critically about given information

and form strong arguments based on facts. This helped me assert my opinion

during business meetings where we talked about upcoming clothing lines,

marketing directions, and sales reports for product performance. This also gave me

confidence when submitting or presenting new marketing campaigns, such as a

#jeansthatfitthelifestyle campaign that will be running across print ads and social

media platforms.

Finally, Microeconomics connected the art of supply and demand with real life

application in the competitive western apparel business. I learned how to create

demand within the marketing scope, through special edition products, flash sale,

and online auctions. During office meeting to discuss upcoming seasonal lines, we

looked at trends to make design and production decisions. This is also used in real

time inventory count to decide whether to continue making a product, when to

make, and what quantity to make of each product.

Outside of my time at Tarleton, my experience working with the Trailer

Specialist, Inc and my participation in the National High School Rodeo Association

helped prepare me for and teach me how to excel in a real world setting. The Trailer

Specialist was my first job out of high school, where I was a sales rep at a local
equipment dealership. Here, I learned how to work with a team and how to be a

professional despite stereotypes like age and gender. I learned a number of sales

skills that translates to the world of marketing, such as highlighting desired

features, displaying the purpose of your product, and creating customer

relationships. I also learned the importance and the art of content marketing by

creating a company blog to drive traffic and sales. High school rodeo gave me

lifelong relationships with future industry professionals and taught me how to

network. I have called on this network multiple times throughout my internship to

evaluate sponsorship requests, recruit new professional talent, and assist in

determine the best events for company presence.

Being on an internship brought the complete spectrum of my education in full

circle. Being in both the Tarleton State College of Agriculture and the

Communications Department gave me the foundation to go into any

communications related profession. I found, at Tarleton, my true passion is in public

relations, building and maintaining a companys image. I love promoting and using

educational content to drive conversation.

Beyond a foundational skill set, my classes at Tarleton taught me how to

immerse myself in a field and industry, to go from job to career. In January, I

attended the Western and English Sales Association Market in Denver, where I sat in

on marketing meetings for magazine advertisements. I learned how to conduct a

meeting and what to include in a yearly marketing plan, but I also made life long

industry contacts. Before entering the program, I was unsure of what I wanted to do

in life and how to become successful. After the program and my internship, I know I

want to be in equine marketing and I can see a path to successful longevity.

 Before coming to work at Kimes Ranch, I had several preconceptions and

made a few assumptions as well. I did not think social media management should

be considered a real job, nor should someone be paid to be on Facebook or

Instagram all day. I quickly realized there is a lot more strategy and emphasis

placed into social media, as the least expensive and most effective way to capture

and engage with consumers. During my internship, I created content schedules

based on user activity data to maximize such content, created content based on

targeted audiences demographics, interests, and behaviors, and unveiled the core

values of the company though social media campaigns. Social media takes up the

majority of most days, creates the most stress, and shows the best returns on

investment with google analytics.

I assumed that a company must have a big marketing budget for marketing

campaigns to be effective. While Kimes Ranch has had tremendous growth in the

last few years, and continues to expand its market, it is still considered a small

company compared to its competitors like Wrangler and Cinch. Smaller pool of

revenue means smaller budgets for marketing, yet we have higher engagement and

brand loyalty than our competitors Cowgirl Tuff Company, Rock N Roll, and are

closing the gap in the mens market on Cinch.

I assumed all jeans are the same. Of course, you cant say that going to work

for a premier denim company, but I never noticed a difference in jeans beyond

some did not flatter me and others did okay. I was wrong. The type of denim (open

end versus ring spun), the quality (American Made Cone Mills versus imported

Textile), and how the cut is sampled (a size 00 sample versus a size 8 sample)

makes all the difference in how a jean fits, flatters, and the life and durability of the

jean. When you wear a jean that fits properly and is designed to flatter your
features, you do not need sparkle or pizazz to detract the eye from your flaws.

When the fabric is constructed for durability, the initial investment pays of three

fold. Kimes Ranch denim lasts, on average, two to three times longer than Wrangler

or Cinch because of the denim construction and quality craftsmanship sourced in

North Carolina and Los Angeles.

I was bias toward lush green hills like the town I was am from in California or

like Stephenville where I lived for two years, therefore the desert must be ugly,

lacked life, and had nothing to be desired. Kimes Ranch is located in the middle of

the Saguaro National Forest. The desert is currently in full bloom, with flowers and

colors I have never seen before. The sunsets may be spectacular in Texas, but they

have nothing on an Arizona sunrise. And there is more wildlife in near the office and

my apartment than I have seen collectively in Stephenville and Oakdale. A piece of

my heart is in every place I live and I look forward to giving more pieces to the

places I go in the future.

Being in the work force during the current presidential election and

witnessing the first one hundred days of President Trump being in office, I am

starting to see how national politics and global issues can affect me on a local level.

With the election of President Trump came a more business friendly government and

gave confident to economic activity. The stock market hit record highs within the

first one hundred days. The patriotism shown by President Trump and his promise to

bring businesses back to America gave citizens more pride in their domestic

purchases and their purchases from mom and pop businesses.. Kimes Ranch is a

family run denim company made in America, and we saw a boost in our sales and a

decrease in negative comments about our given price point post-election. This

attitude in power makes people care more about what they buy and makes
consumer education truly rewarding. The owners, Matt and Amanda Kimes, are

visiting the Cone Mills Factory in North Carolina right now to show our customers

where our jeans start. From a cotton farm in the southern region of our country, to

the home ranch in the rugged southwest, our products are created with pride for our

way of life and sold to those who feel the same. Global events, and how America

responds, directly affects our business, which directly affect my life as well. A

terrorist attack in Syria with no response from any government would make the

global economy shaky and domino to a shaky domestic economy. Buyers lose

confidence and quit purchasing, which has long term effects on an industry like

textiles.

During my internship, the Panhandles of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas were

hit with a devastating fire. Total devastation hit rural America, our core customer

base, but also the roots of the company and everyone who works at Kimes Ranch.

Lives were lost, ranches lost, livestock loss. People in this area lost their livelihoods,

home security, safety, everything. The Panhandle fires were a direct hit to the

agricultural community. We are in the business of selling jeans to the Western

market. There was a shift in the air at our office, and we immediately geared up and

sent dozens of boxes of jeans and apparel to the Panhandle families. This

experience put into perspective of whats in important. While we are in the business

to make money and grow the company, human life, compassion, helping our

neighbors, and working together for the greater good is the most important.