EC Agency Gives Students Real-World Marketing Experience with National Client

Emerson College’s student-run digital marketing agency, EC Agency, has launched a new partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), giving students the opportunity to work on marketing campaigns for one of the country’s most respected journalism organizations.

The collaboration was forged by Marketing Communication Senior Affiliated Faculty Craig Grant, who is the faculty adviser to EC Agency, and SPJ New England Chapter President and Boston Globe correspondent Adam Sennott ’14. While the long-term scope of the partnership is still developing, early work will focus on amplifying SPJ’s national membership needs and membership drive.

For EC Agency, the chance to collaborate with a national organization represents a meaningful expansion.

“Taking SPJ on as a client presents an exciting opportunity to do work for an organization that operates at the national level,” said Manuel Trujillo ’26, a Marketing Communication major and co-president of EC Agency. “We hope this experience serves to push our team as we work to target a larger audience than ever before.”

A Student Agency with Real Clients, Real Work, and Real Stakes

Formerly known as EmComm, EC Agency underwent a rebrand in fall 2024 with Grant’s leadership, who worked with the student board to reposition the organization as a true, full-service agency. Grant — a veteran creative director, designer, and longtime Emerson faculty member — designed the agency’s new logo, while students developed its website. The agency now mirrors the structure of professional firms, with departments in creative, strategy, social media, public relations, account services, entertainment, research, and events.

Students either join or apply to specific teams, and many stay for multiple semesters, often rotating roles to broaden their experience. Each client project comes with real-world expectations: deadlines, deliverables, and strategic goals. Many of the agency’s clients are nonprofits, though it also engages with small businesses and for-profit organizations.

“Working with real clients is incredibly impactful at the college level. Students get to be a part of, and witness, the ins and outs of client relations and agency work,” said Christina Sanchez ’26, a Communication Studies major and EC Agency co-president. “Real clients mean real work, real commitment, and real experience — things college students should have before entering the workforce.”

A Strong Partnership 

This opportunity builds on an already productive relationship between Emerson and SPJ. SPJ New England has hosted events on campus in recent years and partnered with Emerson for a Spotlight Team panel with current and former Boston Globe investigative editors, including Pulitzer Prize-winning alum Brendan McCarthy ’04, moderated by Journalism Department Chair Lu Ann Reeb.

Sennott said those previous collaborations made the partnership with EC Agency a natural next step.

“Emerson produces some of the best communications students in the world,” said Sennott. “Any opportunity we have to work with them is something we have to take advantage of.”

Grant said he is similarly pleased with the additional opportunities students will have to gain hands-on professional experience. “We look forward to helping SPJ and having our students use their various skillsets to create messaging that is both meaningful and impactful,” he said.