2026 Creative Summer Intern

McKinney • Durham, NC

2h • $18 • Onsite

About The Position

At McKinney, we believe in creating unfair attention for brands. Great strategy turns cultural tension into creative opportunity and business growth. We’re looking for curious, analytical, culture-obsessed thinkers to join us for Summer 2026.
If you’re the kind of person who asks “why?” before “what,” who studies how brands show up in culture, social, comms, and influencer spaces — and who loves connecting human insight to business impact — we want to meet you.
This isn’t a coffee-run internship. You’ll work on real briefs with real teams for real clients.

Requirements

• A rising junior, senior, recent grad, or graduate student pursuing strategy, marketing, communications, sociology, psychology, business, or a related field
• Naturally curious and always asking questions about behavior, culture, and brands
• Analytical but imaginative — you can interpret data and spark ideas
• Interested in how brands build meaning across social platforms, brand ecosystems, comms, and influencer partnerships
• A strong writer and storyteller who can turn complexity into clarity
• Comfortable synthesizing research into sharp, actionable insights
• Collaborative, open to feedback, and energized by creative environments
• You must be authorized to work in the US for any employer. At this time, we are not providing or sponsoring assistance with obtaining work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Partner with creatives, account teams, media, and production to shape smart, inspiring briefs
• Conduct research across culture, social trends, brand landscapes, and influencer ecosystems
• Help uncover human insights that inform brand positioning and communications strategy
• Support the development of brand, social, content, and integrated comms strategies
• Analyze campaign performance and social/influencer metrics to identify opportunities
• Contribute to thought starters, white space analyses, audience profiles, and trend reports
• Participate in brainstorms and strategic discussions (yes, your voice matters)
• Help craft decks and presentations that clearly connect insight to idea
• Bring fresh cultural observations and platform-native thinking to the table

Benefits

• Hands-on experience shaping brand, social, comms, and influencer strategies for national and global brands
• Exposure to the full creative process — from insight to execution
• Mentorship from experienced strategists
• A deeper understanding of how strategy drives creativity and business results
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced agency environment
• A network of teammates who will champion your growth

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: High school or GED