Why I fed my laptop cake during my internship at The Walt Disney Company? -By Richang Goyal from IIM Calcutta

Looking at the grim situation, we were sure that the internship would start virtually - a new normal across organizations this year. But our start date was pushed out by a few weeks with the hope that we get to experience the office at least in the last few weeks if the situation improves. Sounds interesting? So, here is a full account of my internship experience at The Walt Disney Company, one of my dream companies.

My journey of internship at The Walt Disney Company started with its selection process, which consisted of three rounds with the Star India team.

• CV shortlisting

• Group discussion 

• Personal interview 

While the GD was about 15 minutes long, my PI lasted for close to 90 minutes. It was a fun and interactive PI where we talked on a range of topics. All in all, it felt more like a discussion than a one-way interview.

An intensive induction and exciting project

The induction lasted for about two days with senior leaders across business units taking us through the journey of the organization, trying their best to provide us with a flavour and feel of its long-standing legacy and culture.

I was elated when I found that my project will be with Disney: Home of Mickey and Elsa, of Marvel and Pixar, of Star Wars and Simpsons. I was lucky enough to be the only intern among everyone who secured a project in the Disney Universe of things. It was a moment of magic.

I was allocated a project in Disney Consumer Products (DCP) division - a market research and strategy project to improve their e-commerce business. Disney has a unique business model where content and character IP is the core of everything - theme parks, resorts, cruise liners, consumer products, and OTT among others. 

A strong framework to facilitate virtual internship

Even though it was a virtual internship, the HR ensured that we do not get restricted into our own projects and get to know the various business functions beyond them. We had weekly Leadership Engagement sessions organized through which senior management from the various units would help us understand how they work and answer any queries we had. Sessions ranged from Disney+ Hotstar to Star TV’s regional dominance, from Disney Parks and Experiences to Star Sports and IPL to name a few.

A rich profusion of learning 

Market research (both primary through surveys and interviews, and secondary through case studies and literature review) and strategy formulation were two important aspects of my internship at The Walt Disney Company. The knowledge gained in my college first year, through courses such as Marketing and Strategic Management helped me a lot during my internship. 

But as it’s said, not all skills can be learned in a classroom. In two months, I learned a great deal about,

• e-commerce landscape in India

• Digital marketing (campaigns and advertisements)

• Consumer behaviour and online shopping preferences

• Brand strategy

• Consumer truth 

Virtual internship brings its own problems, one being communication. My mentor and manager ensured that there were regular catchups to make sure I wasn’t facing any difficulty in the project and provided guidance from time to time whenever I lost direction or was stuck. Working with them for over two months, I learned how to think holistically and not just look at a proposition from one dimension, how data-backed decision making is key in this evolving era of digital commerce and that it is important to look at the world through the lens of both – a storyteller and a number cruncher.

And it’s a wrap!

I loved the gesture when my team sent a cake for my farewell on the last working day of the internship. It’s very easy to get engrossed in the hectic work and blame it on the situation but it speaks of the company’s culture, which is eventually made up by the people, through actions and thoughtfulness.

My farewell meeting was one of a kind – where we all wore a headgear (even if some of us didn’t have a Disney headgear) and talked through our experiences with each other, and I finally cut the cake and fed the laptop screen!