By Jessica Marple
BAPR first-year student
The Media School seems to have yet another star in the making. Fourth year BA Marketing student Philippa Garrett was recently selected as one of four finalists for the Best Placement Student prize at this year’s National Undergraduate Employability Awards, taking place on March 7th in London. The accolade, which comes with a £250 cheque, is presented to the student deemed to have made exceptional and significant impact during their placement.
Philippa, who says the nomination came as a surprise, spent her third-year placement at L’Oreal, working primarily in the company’s luxury alternatives department. During this time, she assisted in the development of marketing campaigns for Biotherm, Kiehl’s, and the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System, which L’Oreal acquired in November 2011. It was this campaign that Philippa found the most exciting, as it allowed her to play a role in recreating the brand’s personality for presentation to the UK market. However, her involvement in such projects was not immediate.
“I had quite a unique internship,” she said. “I started in visual merchandizing, which is a lot of design and store openings, and then I moved to marketing when a position opened up.”
It didn’t take long for management to recognize Philippa’s talent, and she was later asked to stay beyond her allotted placement, further contributing to the promotional launches of several designer fragrances, including Armani Si, Ralph Lauren Polo Red, and Diesel Tattoo. She was also accepted to the company’s graduate program, with plans to return this October.
Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer Colin Merrett expressed assurance in Philippa, both as a student and going forward:
“Philippa has worked very hard during her time with us and fully deserves this success and recognition. It’s an excellent example of not only of how our students enthusiastically engage with their year in industry, but also of how the placement experience really helps to enhance the employability of our Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations graduates. We wish Philippa every success on the March 7th and in her future career.”
About the NUE Awards:
Arranged by RMP Enterprises, the annual ceremony is currently in its fifth year, and recognizes the achievements of employers, universities, and students involved in undergraduate work experience.