Job Description (Final Draft)

Inside DIRECTV: My Experience as a Marketing Intern

This summer, I worked as a Marketing intern at DIRECTV. In this role, I worked directly with the product management team. My primary role was to assist the team with market research, analyzing trends, and identifying content that captures viewers’ attention and draws them to DIRECTV. Most people don’t think about this part of television because they only see the shows or the sports on screen. Behind the scenes, though, there’s a whole team working to figure out what keeps you interested. And don’t confuse us with the people making the ads you see on YouTube. My main job wasn’t creating commercials. It was more focused on learning how data and strategy come together to make content stand out. In this memo, I’ll explain what the job was like, the projects I worked on, and what I learned from the experience.

Exploring What Viewers Want

A large part of my job was exploring. I spent time researching what viewers watch and how they react to different content. It was kind of like scouting before a game, you don’t just run onto the field without knowing the game or your opponent. As a part of one of my intern projects, I had to focus on DIRECTV’s free channel offering and figure out what types of content would best speak to our different audiences. So I looked at which DIRECTV free channels got the most clicks, likes, and mentions on social media. Not only did I research free channels already offered, but I also looked at where we could improve with different channel offerings that could attract different audiences or more of our current audience.

I also studied what other competing companies are doing, especially within their different product marketing areas. For example, I did a lot of research on Amazon focused on their marketing of the Amazon Fire TV Stick. I conducted an in-depth analysis of their marketing plan. The analysis included what they did, what they focused on, and areas of improvement. I used the information found and thought about ways we could utilize some of their tactic, but also ways we could improve them to fit our audience. 

This role really made me feel like an explorer. While I was looking at research and data, I was also helping to collect the data and attach meaning to the data found. I wasn’t just sitting at a desk staring at charts and graphs. I was searching through data to find patterns and clues about what people really want to watch. I found information that became the basis of my work at DIRECTV. 

Collaborating to Bring New Ideas to Life

Another essential part of my job was testing and brainstorming new ideas, which wasn’t something I did alone. I collaborated with members of multiple teams and other interns to identify new features or improvements that could keep people engaged. While I was at DIRECTV, collaboration was key. Each person had their own important contribution. When we put each piece together, the ideas became stronger.

One project I spent a lot of time on was called “bet mode.” I collaborated with other interns to develop a new feature that attracts a more modern audience. After collaborating and exchanging ideas, we decided on an interactive feature that adds real-time sports betting options while fans watch live games. It was like asking: how do you take the excitement of the stadium and bring it into the living room? My role was to consider how this new feature would benefit DIRECTV and how our audience would react to it. Would they see it as fun and easy, or complicated and distracting? To answer that, I worked with the team to brainstorm features, review feedback, and connect what we saw in the data to what fans actually want.

Turning Data Into Stories

Another important part of my role was to make sense of the numbers and data I collected. Research and testing don’t mean much if you can’t understand the results. My job was to take data and turn it into a story the team could actually use. Think of it like translating a different language. You start with charts and spreadsheets, and you end with a clear message that everyone can follow.

For example, I helped create slides that showed how viewers reacted to different “MyFree” channel content. Instead of just saying “engagement was up,” I explained it in plain terms: more likes and comments meant people wanted to see more of that content. I also created documentation of my analysis of the Amazon Firestick’s marketing campaign. These stories helped managers decide where to put their time and resources. In this role, I was a storyteller. I wasn’t writing a novel, but I shaped the information into an easily understandable story that helped the team create effective action items. The ability to simplify data was a valuable skill I learned at DIRECTV. 

Why It Matters

Looking back, this internship taught me more than I expected. I expected to learn and better understand marketing, but I was truly exposed to all aspects of marketing and the business world as a whole. I was able to collaborate, research, and turn ideas into real experiences for viewers. Exploring what people wanted showed me how important data is. Collaborating on “Bet Mode” showed me the success big projects have when different perspectives come together. Turning numbers into stories allowed me to further my communication skills and see how communicating effectively can make the difference between an idea sitting on paper and one that gets built. These skills go beyond one summer job. My internship gave me a small but meaningful role in shaping how people connect with entertainment. That experience confirmed my interest in marketing and showed me how I can use my skills to make an impact in the business world.

• Passive Sentences:0

• Flesch Reading Ease: 62 

• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8th Grade