From client brief to final pitch: how Loyalist advertising students learn by doing  

What do advertising students actually do? 

The answer may look different depending on which side of the field students know best. Some picture a program centered on graphic design, while others expect to spend most of their time studying campaigns and learning theory. 

In Loyalist’s Advertising and Creative Design program, learners are tasked with solving communication challenges for real organizations. 

Starting in their first semester, students are introduced to real business clients and their audiences, developing campaign ideas, creating recommendations and presenting their work live. Teams work independently, seeing their classmates’ ideas for the first time when they pitch to the client. 

“They learn by doing, not by memorizing and recalling,” says Program Coordinator Robert Kranendonk. 

More than graphic design 

Kranendonk worked as a designer and art director before moving into teaching. He joined Loyalist’s advertising program in 2003 and has spent more than two decades watching students develop their skills and move into a wide range of creative, marketing and communications roles. 

One of the most common misconceptions he’s heard about advertising education is that it is mainly about producing graphics. 

“We cover both the business side and the creative side of advertising and marketing,” says Kranendonk. 

Design is a key component, but it is not the whole picture, he says. Research, strategy, writing, branding, digital marketing, client communication and presentation skills all come together in the classroom, producing well-rounded creative professionals ready to explore the variety of roles that a creative design diploma opens. 

Some graduates may pursue design-focused roles. Others are drawn to copywriting, social media, account management, content development or strategic planning. 

“Not everyone needs to be a graphic designer by the time they graduate,” Kranendonk says. By developing their understanding of visual communication, graduates leave the classroom ready to contribute to creative teams or provide clear direction to designers. 

From client problem to final pitch 

Students begin each pitch cycle with a client brief, followed by research into their client, its market and the people it needs to reach.  

“They develop a key insight—what it is that the client or target audience wants, needs and desires,” says Kranendonk. “That leads to their big idea.” 

They need to determine which research matters, explain the thinking behind their recommendations and present their plan clearly enough that someone outside the classroom can understand it. Throughout the process, they work within a team, manage deadlines and respond to feedback. 

Several teams may produce credible responses to the same brief, but only one will be selected as the top contender. Learning to explain and defend a concept—and to accept that a client may choose another direction—is part of the experience. 

A cross-border business challenge 

One recent second-year project involved Ocean View Diner, a restaurant in Delaware. 

Unlike many of the program’s clients, students could not visit the business and had to build their understanding through research. They studied the local market, competing restaurants, tourism in the area and the kinds of customers the diner wanted to reach. The client later travelled to Loyalist to hear the final pitches. 

“I really try to curate what we bring forward to the students,” Kranendonk says. “I want them to have a wide range of experiences in their portfolios.”  

A restaurant serving tourists in Delaware requires a different approach than a local nonprofit, sports organization or museum exhibition. “They do all the necessary research and understand the business of the client and their target audience,” he says. 

Building a portfolio 

Because students work on client projects throughout the program, they begin building potential portfolio material early. 

“Everything they do could potentially end up in their portfolio,” says Kranendonk. “There is a progression of learning and quality of work that happens, so we teach students to refine their early work and make it better in their final year.” 

Students create both a portfolio website and a printed book.  

“We teach them how to create an impact from the very first piece, building a flow and a story they want to tell about their work,” he says. “The result is something that they can bring into an interview to showcase what they can do.” 

Is the program a good fit? 

Kranendonk’s advice to learners is straightforward: “Be a sponge.” 

“It’s important to recognize that you’re part of a team and you don’t have to have all the answers,” he says. “Be open.” 

That means asking questions, staying engaged and being willing to learn from classmates as well as faculty. It also means accepting feedback and revising work when an idea is not yet ready. 

Students do not need to arrive as emerging designers or confident presenters. A more useful starting point is curiosity: an interest in how people respond to ideas, how messages take shape and how creative work can help solve a real business problem. 

That may be a better measure of fit than already knowing whether they want to become a designer, a copywriter or a strategist. 

Explore Advertising and Creative Design at Loyalist College

Interested in a career that brings together creativity, strategy and problem-solving? Discover how Loyalist’s Advertising and Creative Design program helps students build professional portfolios, collaborate on real client projects and develop skills for careers in advertising, design and marketing.

Explore the Advertising and Creative Design program