When a SC&I undergraduate Communication class teams up with one of the globe’s largest media and entertainment companies to collaborate on projects designed to achieve real-world impacts and measurable solutions for both parties, truly innovative outcomes result.

During the fall 2024 semester,  Warner Bros. Discovery, its Max streaming platform, and the company's communication leaders Jeff Cusson, Jaclyn Mandelbaum , Olivia Beer Ford, and Jennifer Garay, all proud Rutgers University SC&I alums, served as the "client" for Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication Mark Beal’s 400-level integrated marketing communication course.

“Professor Beal’s class exemplifies how higher education not only sharpens critical thinking and deepens understanding of the field but also bridges the gap between academic insight and real-world challenges faced by companies and organizations,” said Communication Chair and Professor Marya Doerfel. “This reflects the core of our communication major, which equips students to thrive in both thought and practice—values Professor Beal brings to life with remarkable skill and dedication.”

The collaboration began on October 14, when Jeff Cusson, EVP and Head of Communications, Streaming and HBO & Max Programming, attended Beal’s class and presented the students with a two-part assignment that he and his WBD colleagues had developed over the summer.

For the first part of the assignment, the students were asked to conduct an analysis of the streaming industry and compile competitive research and insights.

The second part of the assignment challenged each group with developing a go-to-market communication strategy to support a hypothetical relaunch of Max. The students were asked to develop key messages for executive media interviews, media outlets to target, social media influencers to engage, events to host as well as a timeline for news release distribution and other creative and strategic campaign elements.

Beal divided the 34 students into seven groups and the students worked on the assignments for nearly two months. They then delivered their final group presentations to Beal and the WBD executives in December. Each group presented for approximately 20 minutes and afterward the three WBD executives provided them with detailed feedback.

“The students gained significant value from meeting and collaborating with senior communications executives from a major media company and leading streaming brand in Max,” Beal said. “They immersed themselves in a real-world communications challenge and applied what they have learned in their courses as communication majors at Rutgers University to their research, analysis, and recommendations. They received the type of constructive feedback they would receive if they were working full-time at a media company such as Warner Bros. Discovery or an agency presenting to the media company.”

WBD noted the ways they also benefitted from the collaboration. “Gaining perspective from college-aged consumers is incredibly beneficial,” Cusson said. “As the potential subscribers of tomorrow, their insights help us better understand how to effectively engage and communicate with this key demographic, ensuring we’re meeting their needs and preferences.”

 Beal said the origins of this classroom collaboration link back to spring 2024 when the Warner Bros. Discovery team became a corporate partner supporting two of the SC&I Communication Department’s signature events, the #BeCOMM campaign and the COMMchella Music Festival. Several executives from Warner Bros. Discovery including Garrison Wilson, a SC&I alumnus who graduated with a Communication degree in 2019 and is now Assistant Manager, Promotions, Planning & Scheduling, attended COMMchella and participated in the Career Conversations area of the music festival.

Following the spring 2024 semester, Beal explained, Cusson and his team said they would like to become even more involved with the #BeCOMM campaign during the 2024-2025 academic year, so they renewed their partnership which included participating in the #BeCOMM Talk Show held in October 2024 and the 2025 COMMchella Music Festival scheduled for April 2, 2025.

In addition to these commitments, WBD also worked with the SC&I Communication Department, specifically Doerfel and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Communication and Associate Teaching Professor Brian Householder, to hire the first intern to participate in the official RU x WBD internship program.

“Gaining perspective from college-aged consumers is incredibly beneficial,” Cusson said. “As the potential subscribers of tomorrow, their insights help us better understand how to effectively engage and communicate with this key demographic, ensuring we’re meeting their needs and preferences.”

Following an extensive search, WBD selected SC&I Communication major Ashley Medrano (who was also a student in Beal’s Media, Marketing and Communication course) as the intern for the spring 2025 semester.

“We’re excited to welcome Ashley to our team this Spring as our Max Streaming Communications Intern, based in NYC,” said Cusson. “She’ll help promote the value of our streaming service across various business areas. From a movie’s streaming debut to new product launches and beyond, Ashley will gain hands-on experience in developing comprehensive communications plans—ranging from campaign ideation and identifying media targets to drafting press materials, tracking industry trends, and more.”

Medrano, who held the Social Media Internship at SC&I last semester, said, “I am filled with excitement and anticipation as I step into this new role, eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities it presents. The chance to work with such talented professionals at WBD feels both inspiring and motivating. Honestly, I’m both intimidated and excited, knowing that this experience will push me out of my comfort zones, but I know this is where growth begins. The entertainment industry has always been where my heart lies, and I am thrilled to be taking a significant step towards building a career in a field I am truly passionate about.”

As WBD looks ahead to these many rewarding and effective collaborations with the SC&I Communication Department, including once again serving as the “client” in Beal's course during the spring 2025 semester, Cusson said, “Students often overlook the valuable opportunities for gaining experience that are available to them. My advice is to fully engage in department and university events that can enhance your resume. Whether it’s helping develop signature events like COMMChella, collaborating with sports teams to boost awareness, or promoting student-driven activities, these experiences are exactly what prospective employers are looking for. They demonstrate initiative, creativity, and the ability to contribute to real-world projects.”

Learn more about the Communication major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website. 

Images: Courtesy of Mark Beal