Why I wanted to intern for Burgeon
I am very interested in the apparel industry. The idea of a White Mountains inspired, White Mountains made outdoor apparel company was really cool to me.In the clothing industry, the need to have meaning or a story behind your clothes is paramount. Every shirt, shoe, short, and hoodie is “inspired” by something. Sometimes the inspirations and stories behind clothing are really interesting and can change the way I think about a brand or even an individual t-shirt. However, other times it seems like brands are just looking to trick people into thinking their clothes have a deeper meaning when all they really want to do is get into your wallet.
Burgeon has a very genuine and real story behind the clothes they sell. This authenticity is backed up on a daily basis both by the people who make the clothes and those who run the company.
When Burgeon offered me an internship they mentioned the need to improve their social media efforts. I saw this as an awesome opportunity. The Burgeon story is one that is known by some but as a young brand it is still unknown by so many. Social media makes it possible to relay this incredible story to so many people if it's done right (please feel free to help us!). That became one of my goals for the summer -- dramatically improving Burgeon’s social media efforts.
Interning for Burgeon also meant that I’d get to interact often with the general manager/founder of an outdoor apparel company face-to-face on a daily basis. No other internship offered this opportunity.
What we accomplished
My first 2 weeks were mostly spent analyzing competitors' social media and comparing it to ours. I spent hours scrolling through the Instagram accounts of brands like Patagonia, Ski The East, and dozens more. I created spreadsheets documenting how often they post, what kind of content they were creating, and how well certain types of content did compared to others.From my analysis I came up with some ideas, made samples of them and worked with Rudy (Burgeon’s Founder) and Justin (Burgeon’s Operations Manager) to finalize them. For the next few weeks my job consisted mostly of creating and scheduling the content that had been approved. By the end of my internship I was running both the Facebook and Instagram accounts.
What I learned
There is a great deal more to social media for brands than just posting your products and stuff you think is cool. Research, planning and good timing are necessary to have a story come together. I knew that to an extent, but actually having to step in and come up with stories to tell, write blogs, create captions, and pull it together so that it synced was more difficult than I expected.
Rudy stressed the need for Burgeon to tell stories through social media and not just have individual daily posts. Telling a story takes time and creativity. I acknowledge I am far from mastering this, but I am much closer than I was 7 weeks ago. Hopefully you like what you have seen over the past few weeks on our social media channels. If you have any suggestions or ideas, I am all ears!
Thank you
Finally I would just like to say thank you to the whole team at Burgeon. I was welcomed from day one and felt like I was a part of the team. My fellow employees encouraged me, contributed ideas, and wanted me to be successful. We all have different roles at Burgeon -- but we have one goal -- making an impact here in the White Mountains. Thank you for an incredible summer internship. Go Friars!
"It was great having Tyler at Burgeon this summer. In a short period of time, he made a positive impact on our company. He was diligent, creative, and did whatever we needed to help advance our mission. Tyler, thank you for everything. We look forward to seeing you in our Lincoln, NH studio or wherever else you may go. Let's catch a Friar's game this coming season!" ~ Burgeon Founder Rudy Glocker
Meet the other members of the Burgeon Team:
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Burgeon Outdoor was founded in 2019. Burgeon’s mission is to help mountain communities flourish. Burgeon proudly manufactures premium outdoor apparel in Lincoln, NH. By manufacturing locally, Burgeon creates year round jobs in the White Mountains. 5% of Burgeon’s sales support its community and environmental efforts. To learn more, please visit our studio at the Village Shops in Lincoln, our website burgeonoutdoor.com or call us at 603-745-7123.