“Fish out of water” would be a fair characterization of my first day interning at Koddi. Having come from a primarily political science background, I realized I had much to learn about the inner workings of the corporate world. Perhaps more striking, however, was the level of sophistication evident in the Koddi platform, and the level of expertise employed by the people that used it. I could tell that Koddi wasn’t your average digital marketing company, and I was immediately intrigued (not to mention a bit confused). Now, some nine weeks later, with my internship wrapping up and my final semester in college ahead of me, I would like to share some of my most important big-picture takeaways from my time here at Koddi:

1. Smart technology starts with smart people

To call the Koddi platform complex would be an understatement; the amount of data and insights that it is able to provide with a few clicks of a button is unlike anything I have ever seen. But all the fancy data analytics, complicated metrics and groundbreaking insights start in the hands of a group of very smart people, dedicated to taking millions of pieces of disparate information and turning it into a carefully crafted and unique campaign strategy for our clients. The technology is an undoubtedly integral part of the Koddi company, but it is the people that truly provide success to the business.

2. Company culture matters

It has become somewhat of a business-world cliché to heavily emphasize company culture as a defining characteristic of the business. And for a lot of the companies I’ve seen, those references start and end at the door of the interview room. For me, I didn’t expect Koddi to be any different. But after my first week here, I was majorly taken aback by the active culture that was present in day-to-day interactions. If I had to summarize the three most prominent aspects of Koddi’s culture, they would be:

• Hard work – Koddi employees work hard and work often. They sometimes work late into the evenings, and they don’t stop until they feel they can successfully walk out of the door having solved their client’s problems. Driving all of their hard work is a passion to innovate and create solutions. I can tell these people enjoy what they do.
• People first – Koddi’s culture values its employees, plain and simple. Take it from the college intern, who at some companies lives out a painful summer of making copies and engaging in activities not far from the line of servitude. At Koddi, I felt valued and appreciated, and was brought in as a member of the team from the very beginning. The only limits on the projects I could partake in were the ceilings I set for myself. As a result, I have gained invaluable insights into the world of digital marketing and improved many important business skills along the way.
• Have fun – Another cliché, I know, but nonetheless very true. Koddi makes a conscious effort to ensure its employees are engaging in activities beyond day-to-day business operations. This takes many forms – it can be a company trip to the local TopGolf, or as simple as standing around the office kegerator (yes, you read that right) at the end of a long week. As my manager said, quite astutely, “We spend the vast majority of our days with the people that we work with, and that means we should come to like each other.”

3. Data-driven advertising is the future of marketing

From my outside perspective, I see a sort of crossroads formulating between the traditional forms of advertising and the forms of “smart” advertising that utilize data to deliver results based on customer preferences. The Internet has drastically changed the way in which we interact with content and the market in general, and as a result, the expectations of consumers are changing in regards to the advertisements they see. With the vast pools of audiences available on the Internet, campaign strategies must be formulated to make smart decisions and deliver relevant results to customers. In many cases, it is no longer sufficient to formulate a “one-size-fits-all” approach, and dynamic and customizable advertising that enhance consumer experiences are likely to take a greater slice of the pie moving forward.

Overall, I want to thank the Koddi team for an awesome summer. These people are smart, driven, and dedicated to making the most successful optimization platform for travel out there, and I feel lucky to have served as a part of their team.

Want to intern at Koddi?

We’re always looking for smart and passionate people to join our team. Check out our careers page to see our available positions and apply today.