Impact of Brand Campaigning: Company Engagement in the NOnprofit Sector (Spring 2021)

Participating in the Illinois in Vienna Virtual Project has been a great honor this semester. Working with THUS.agency, I gained tremendous knowledge about the nonprofit sector. Over the course of several weeks, I had the privilege to interview important US and Austrian companies about their marketing strategies and engagement with nonprofit organizations. Overall, this project was an amazing journey and has strengthened my German language skills along with research capabilities. Having this professional experience is a great addition to my professional experience. I recommend this program since it will give you essential knowledge and skills for your future career!

IiVP Alumnus Max Masquelier
(Global Studies/History) 

Having collaborated with the THUS. Agency and my research partner, I was able to grow my knowledge about the non-profit industry and give myself a new perspective on how different countries function in their business matters. Because the project consisted of many interviews with Austrian and American companies, I felt that I learned how to be a better communicator and qualitative researcher in both English and German.  This project allowed me to not only reconnect with the country of Austria after having lived there but also gave me a chance to practice my German skills which have been valuable. I would recommend doing a virtual study abroad project if one would like to grow personally and professionally.

IiVP Alumna Emily Freiburger
(Management) 

The mentoring program was a lovely and very expanding experience for our team. We were not only able to conduct interviews we would not have done otherwise, we also learned about the US system and their way of addressing the issues we are dealing with. The students we were working with were absolutely dedicated and it was a pleasure to work with them. They themselves were able to learn about the Austrian system and get in contact with a lot of interesting CEOs from both countries. Our team is very grateful for the experience and chance to participate in this program.

Mentor Anna-Teresa Reiter