Brand & Market Analysis Intern

eCard Systems•Brentwood, TN

1d•$15 - $20•Hybrid

About The Position

SUMMER 2026 INTERNSHIP Role: Brand & Market Analysis Intern Duration: 10-12 weeks / 20-40 hrs per week Compensation: $15-20/hr Location: Brentwood, TN (Hybrid schedule) About eCard Systems eCard Systems is a Brentwood, TN-based gift card solutions provider serving 300,000+ merchants across the country, with a strong presence in the restaurant and hospitality space through integrations with platforms like Toast, Square, and SpotOn. As the company builds its first formal Partnership Strategy, there's a strategic need to understand where eCard sits in the market – and how its brand shows up (or doesn't) relative to upmarket competitors. Role Overview This is a high-impact, project-based internship built around one core objective: give eCard Systems a clear, honest picture of its competitive landscape, brand positioning, and visual identity – compared to the competitors it aspires to compete with. This is not a task-based, do-whatever-comes-up internship. You'll own a defined scope, deliver a professional-grade analysis, and present your findings directly to company leadership. This role reports to the Director of Strategic Partnerships. You'll have access to key internal stakeholders and the context you need to do the work well.

Requirements

Currently a junior or senior in a Marketing, Communications, Business, or related undergraduate program or enrolled in a related graduate degree program (MBA, MMark, MS in Marketing, etc.)
Strong research skills -- comfortable synthesizing information from multiple sources into clean, structured outputs
Clear, confident writer who can translate analysis into plain-language insights
Self-starter who can drive their own work forward — you'll have a clear scope, a defined timeline, and a direct point of contact, but won't be micromanaged through every step
Ability to work in-person at our Brentwood, TN office (hybrid schedule)

Nice To Haves

Experience with brand or competitive analysis projects (coursework counts)
Familiarity with tools like Canva, Google Slides, Figma, SimilarWeb, or SEMrush
Background or interest in fintech, payments, or B2B SaaS
Experience building decks or visual frameworks for business audiences

Responsibilities

Competitive Landscape Mapping
Identify and define the competitive universe (direct, indirect, and aspirational competitors in the gift card / payments / merchant solutions space)
Build a tiered competitor framework segmenting players by market position, service offering, and target customer profile
Develop 1-page competitor profiles for 8-12 key players covering products, pricing posture, messaging, distribution channels, and differentiation
Map service overlaps and gaps – where eCard leads, where it lags, and where white space exists
Brand & Positioning Audit
Audit eCard's current brand visuals: logo, color palette, typography, imagery style, and consistency across touchpoints
Evaluate eCard's website messaging, structure, and online positioning relative to upmarket competitors
Analyze voice and tone across eCard's digital presence (website copy, social, any partner-facing materials)
Benchmark findings against 3-5 upmarket competitors to identify alignment gaps and perception risks
Synthesis & Final Deliverable
Develop a gap and opportunity matrix identifying where eCard can differentiate, reposition, or reinforce its brand
Compile a written competitive intelligence report and a polished executive presentation deck
Present findings to eCard leadership at the conclusion of the internship