Marketing Strategy Internship

Do it Best is a hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative serving independently owned home improvement retailers. The Marketing Strategy Intern will help develop a 2028 marketing plan for the True Value brand by conducting market and competitor research, creating brand communications, analyzing opportunities, and presenting recommendations to marketing leadership.

What you'll do:

• Create strategic recommendations that demonstrate the value proposition of the True Value and Do it Best Group
• Build out creative ways to communicate the value of the brand program (sizzle reels, one pagers, podcasts, email marketing, paid social ads targeted towards retailers, etc.)
• Conduct market and competitor research across the independent home improvement, hardware, and retail cooperative landscape
• Evaluate competitor positioning, messaging, retailer support programs, marketing investments, and recruitment strategies
• Provide recommendations for differentiation and competitive advantage
• Gather insights from existing marketing materials, retailer feedback, and industry trends
• Analyze opportunities to enhance awareness and perception of the True Value brand
• Present findings and recommendations to marketing leadership

What they're looking for:

• No relocation is offered, candidates must be local to the Fort Wayne, Indiana area for the Summer 2027 timeframe
• Pursuing a bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Public Relations, or a related field
• Prior coursework or projects related to marketing strategy, market research, consumer behavior, branding, or communications
• Interest in retail, consumer marketing, branding, or business strategy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Interest in learning how to support content development, video concepts, email marketing, and social media messaging
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for asking questions, exploring new ideas, and learning through research
• A creative mindset and willingness to contribute ideas while learning how marketing recommendations are developed
• Interest in building research and analytical skills, including identifying trends, reviewing competitors, and summarizing findings
• Comfort working with basic data, feedback, and market information
• Basic familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, especially PowerPoint and Excel
• Ability to complete assigned tasks with guidance and collaborate positively with team members

Benefits:

• Helpful mentoring from business leaders within Marketing and other departments
• Lunch and learns with Executives
• Development sessions with HR
• College credit
• One-on-one training
• Conferences
• Tuition assistance
• Mentoring
• Social events