Key Points to Consider in Internship Development for Acquiring Desired Talent

Dentsu Consulting Inc.'s specialized consulting team, the " Recruitment Branding Experts," supports client companies in branding for talent acquisition.

This article introduces an internship planned and developed by members of Dentsu Inc.'s Recruitment Branding Experts team for the purpose of branding their own company (Dentsu Inc.). It explains key points in internship development while introducing the background and actual content of the internship.

Dentsu Inc. Launches Its First Dentsu Marketing Internship 2025 to Build Student Branding!

In February 2025, Dentsu Inc. held its inaugural "Dentsu Marketing Internship 2025," specifically focused on Dentsu Inc.'s marketing division, with the goal of student branding. The concept development, planning, and design for this internship were handled by members of the "Recruitment Branding Experts" team, with the cooperation of members from Dentsu Inc.'s Youth Research Department " Wakamon."

The internship received a total of 1,668 applications. A survey of participating students revealed extremely high satisfaction with the program and a significant shift in their understanding of "marketing unique to Dentsu Inc."

Internships are employer brand experiences that shape empathy

For today's students, internships serve not merely as work experience opportunities, but as the "first point of contact with employer brand" connecting companies and students. "Employer brand" refers not to a company's simple brand value, but to value creation focused on the company's position as an "employer," aiming to be an attractive workplace. In developing internships, there is an increasing need to design them as opportunities to experience the company's stance, mindset, and the essence of its work.

In this year's "Dentsu Inc. Marketing Internship 2025," we provided opportunities for students to "experience work they are genuinely interested in" and "actively interact with employees working on the front lines" by offering internships tailored to specific job types. This approach further promotes understanding of job roles and the company's unique culture, helping students envision themselves working there with a sense of resonance.

As introduced in the first installment of this series, students today increasingly prioritize "being able to do the work (job type) they want" when considering companies for internships. Therefore, the importance of creating employer brand experiences tailored to students' desired job types, thereby fostering resonance with the company, is growing.

Dentsu Inc.'s Three Key Points for Internship Development

① Internship Development Conscious of the Job-Hunting Journey
As recruitment branding experts, we advocate the following "Job Hunting Journey Map" as our original recruitment strategy method, systematizing each phase of the job search process. Capturing phases like "Empathizing with Working at XX" and "Imagining Myself Working at XX" is particularly crucial for internship development.

For example, in this internship, we held "Dentsu Inc. Marketing Internship DAY0 (Zero)" as a webinar accessible to all applicants, creating a day for them to experience Dentsu Inc.'s marketing worldview and work style.

While featuring a panel discussion with active planners as the main event, we deliberately showcased interactive and casual conversations among employees. This focused on strengthening the "empathizing with working at XX" phase.

② Experience Design Where Students Become the "Protagonists"
For those who passed the document screening, we held the "Dentsu Inc. Marketing 1-Day School: Where People Start to Look Interesting." Beyond lectures on marketing strategy, participants engaged in individual work on marketing challenges, giving them a hands-on experience of actual planning work.

The individual work provided a more hands-on marketing experience. Finally, each participant gave a presentation in front of everyone, creating a structure that delivered content close to real-world practice. These efforts transformed the content from passive to something participants could easily relate to personally. We also aimed to develop a program where the challenge themes were relatable while enabling participants to "imagine themselves working at Dentsu."

③ Dentsu Inc.'s Unique Creative Approach and Building Empathy
For this internship development, planners actively working in the marketing department were involved in planning and design, ensuring development from a marketing and branding perspective.

Furthermore, based on Dentsu Inc.'s unique marketing concept—"focusing on 'people' and appealing to the fascination of 'understanding humanity' through marketing"—we developed the internship's name and key visuals. This ensured a consistent concept throughout the entire internship, from entry to implementation, allowing participants to experience the essence of Dentsu Inc.'s marketing approach more deeply.

Internships are places where companies and students mutually envision the future

The "DAY0" webinar, offered to all applicants, provided a "space for career exploration centered on empathy." Furthermore, the "1DAY School" functioned as a "space for self-discovery" through hands-on planning experiences.

For Dentsu Inc., we successfully shaped the internship as the initial contact point for building relationships with students as "co-creation partners for our company's future." The internship is not merely one recruitment measure; it is a meeting place where companies and students think about the future together. We believe that designing the internship from the student's perspective, centered on empathy, will lead to changing the company's future.

What is an "Employer Branding Expert"?
A specialized consulting team within Dentsu Inc. that supports branding in talent acquisition.
https://dentsu-recruit-branding-expert.com

Dentsu Inc. Recruitment Branding Expert Secretariat (Nishii, Iwabe)
Email:recruit-branding-expert@dentsu.co.jp