Tour Train: Red Frog Events and Current Lifestyle Marketing

Seventeen members of the ISU PRSSA Chapter traveled to Chicago for their first agency tour of the year. Members toured Red Frog Events and Current Lifestyle Marketing on Friday, Sept. 5. Despite the early wake-up call and sporadic storms, the group showed enthusiasm for the day’s events. 

Red Frog Events

Upon arrival for our first tour of the day, the Red Frog Events office portrayed a campground with a hard-working, busy, but fun energy. Just beyond the main entrance resides a life-sized tree and camper, which employees can use as a workspace. There is also a conference room that fits the campground theme. The floor looks like grass, the conference table resembles a picnic table, and the lights are encased by mason jars hanging from the ceiling. 

Leading our tour was President of Passion Cynthia Yang. President of Passion? At Red Frog Events, you have the ability to create your own title. Yang began by explaining how Red Frog Events is an in-house company, meaning it works on its own events.  Some of the Red Frog Events brands include Firefly Music Festival, Warrior Dash, American Beer Classic, the Bacon Chase, and more. According to Yang, only a few employees work on an event that can take at least six months to plan. 

In the past, the company produced “frogs,” who are full time employees, from “tadpoles,” who were interns. For efficiency purposes, the internship program at Red Frog Events no longer exists. Now, frogs are hired from the outside as opposed to being cycled through the company. The advantages to being a frog strongly outweigh the disadvantages. Yang joked, “The only thing I have to worry about is gaining weight because there is food everywhere!” As a frog at Red Frog Events, you have the opportunity to create special bonds with fellow frogs, travel while working, and you also receive unlimited vacation days. If this wasn’t enough to convince you that Red Frog Events is a fun-loving and caring workplace, then perhaps knowing that employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work will change your mind! 

Current Lifestyle Marketing

The atmosphere, employees, and work at Current Lifestyle Marketing definitely live up to its name. The office is modern with pops of color, employees were playing bags during “happy hour,” and the women who led our tour were very up-to-date and knowledgeable on “current” topics. 

Four employees welcomed our group and showed us a presentation on the “current” Current Lifestyle Marketing. To expand a campaign to a wider audience and gain more attention, Current Lifestyle Marketing reaches out to celebrities to be spokespeople for the product. Country singer Kellie Pickler and football linebacker Patrick Willis recently promoted the “Rockin’ Refuel” campaign. The opportunity to work on large-scale campaigns such as this one is invaluable, especially for the one lucky intern. 

The Current Lifestyle Marketing internship program offers one intern the chance to work on several accounts within different industries. This opportunity provides a way for the intern to find their “niche” within the company and put it to good use. Former ISU PRSSA member Maddie Zenz was the most recent intern and explained the variation in terms of time spent as an intern. She said there is no set limit on how long you are an intern. It is decided based on client needs and your performance.  

Both Red Frog Events and Current Lifestyle Marketing taught the group about the importance of organizational culture. Members should take advantage of the agency tours because they are an excellent way to interactively learn about a company. 

By Page Crane

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