Landon Lohrman, a senior in Erika Fries’ Marketing program, is finishing a co-op at Protocol 80 where he helps shape digital projects for a variety of clients. This piece looks at how his coursework and hands-on agency experience come together, the skills he’s sharpening, and why programs like his matter to both students and employers. You’ll hear about the classroom tools he leaned on—identifying target markets and defining brand identity—and how those ideas played out in real client work at Protocol 80.
Landon picked the Marketing program because it promised versatility, and that promise has played out. In class he learned frameworks for breaking down markets and spotting opportunities, and those frameworks gave him a grammar for client conversations. The program’s structure forced him to think beyond tactics and toward the bigger strategic picture that brands need.
At Protocol 80, Landon’s role sits behind the scenes but it’s far from passive: he helps translate strategy into deliverables. He’s been part of campaign planning sessions, contributed to creative briefs, and worked on messaging that aligns with defined audience segments. That steady exposure to cross-functional teams pushed him from theoretical knowledge into practical outputs.
One of the clearest payoffs is how classroom concepts like target-market identification became living tools. Instead of a textbook exercise, Landon used audience profiles to prioritize channels and craft copy that resonates with real people. The shift from academic persona work to client-facing audience research strengthened his instincts around who to reach and how to speak to them.
Brand identity lessons also landed differently in the agency environment. Where a campus project might stop at a mood board, Protocol 80 demanded consistency across content, visuals, and social presence. Landon learned to defend a voice, iterate on visual systems, and ensure every piece of content worked with the broader brand architecture rather than against it.
Communication and strategic-thinking skills are the glue between the classroom and client rooms. Presenting recommendations, handling feedback, and translating dense analytics into actionable suggestions are the daily practice that builds confidence. Those repeat play cycles—propose, test, refine—turn theory into muscle memory for young marketers.
For students, a co-op like Landon’s builds an early professional portfolio and an honest sense of market fit. You find out quickly which parts of marketing excite you and where you might want more training, and employers get a chance to evaluate talent in real projects rather than resumes. That two-way trial period often leads to smarter hiring and better retention when people move into full-time roles.
Agencies and companies also get value: fresh perspectives, up-to-date academic thinking, and hungry teammates who haven’t yet learned to fear being wrong. Landon’s presence at Protocol 80 offered low-risk experimentation and helped the team spot new tactics or rethink a stale approach. When mentorship is part of the deal, both sides win.
Looking ahead, programs should keep pushing students into real work while updating curricula for data fluency and platform literacy. Learning to read analytics, use creative tools, and tell stories with numbers will only grow more important. For students like Landon, the most useful classes are the ones that teach how to ask better questions and then measure the answers.
If you’re a student weighing a co-op or a hire considering entry-level talent, Landon’s path offers a clear lesson: pair classroom frameworks with real-world practice and you accelerate growth. Protocol 80 got a motivated contributor ready to learn, and Landon left with a sharper toolkit and clear examples to show future employers. That practical loop—learn, apply, repeat—is what turns academic potential into market-ready skill.
