2026 Summer Strategy Intern
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Overview
Job Description
New York, Durham, Los Angeles
At McKinney, we believe in creating unfair attention for brands. Great strategy turns cultural tension into creative opportunity and business growth. We're looking for curious, analytical, culture-obsessed thinkers to join us for Summer 2026.
If you're the kind of person who asks "why?" before "what," who studies how brands show up in culture, social, comms, and influencer spaces - and who loves connecting human insight to business impact - we want to meet you.
This isn't a coffee-run internship. You'll work on real briefs with real teams for real clients.
What You'll Do
Partner with creatives, account teams, media, and production to shape smart, inspiring briefs
Conduct research across culture, social trends, brand landscapes, and influencer ecosystems
Help uncover human insights that inform brand positioning and communications strategy
Support the development of brand, social, content, and integrated comms strategies
Analyze campaign performance and social/influencer metrics to identify opportunities
Contribute to thought starters, white space analyses, audience profiles, and trend reports
Participate in brainstorms and strategic discussions (yes, your voice matters)
Help craft decks and presentations that clearly connect insight to idea
Bring fresh cultural observations and platform-native thinking to the table
Who You Are
A rising junior, senior, recent grad, or graduate student pursuing strategy, marketing, communications, sociology, psychology, business, or a related field
Naturally curious and always asking questions about behavior, culture, and brands
Analytical but imaginative - you can interpret data and spark ideas
Interested in how brands build meaning across social platforms, brand ecosystems, comms, and influencer partnerships
A strong writer and storyteller who can turn complexity into clarity
Comfortable synthesizing research into sharp, actionable insights
Collaborative, open to feedback, and energized by creative environments
What You'll Gain
Hands-on experience shaping brand, social, comms, and influencer strategies for national and global brands
Exposure to the full creative process - from insight to execution
Mentorship from experienced strategists
A deeper understanding of how strategy drives creativity and business results
Experience working with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced agency environment
A network of teammates who will champion your growth
Our Point of View
We're committed to building a culture that reflects the world we're speaking to. We strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to apply. Different perspectives unlock better insights - and stronger strategies.
Salary
We offer a competitive salary of $18/hour for up to 40 hours/week.
Right to Work in the US
You must be authorized to work in the US for any employer. At this time, we are not providing or sponsoring assistance with obtaining work authorization.
We are in the office Tuesday - Thursday. We look forward to meeting you!
Ready to shape something iconic?
Submit your video, resume, and a brief note telling us what cultural trend, brand, or social moment has captured your attention recently - and why.
Dates:
The Summer 2026 program runs from June 3 - August 12.
We start all employees on Wednesdays.
Automate your job search with Sonara.
Submit 10x as many applications with less effort than one manual application.
