As a Senior Account Executive at Ketchum, Maren Gowland helps craft impactful PR campaigns for household brands, including Wendy’s. Her path to this role started during her time at UNC-Chapel Hill, where her involvement with 1893 Brand Studio helped her build the skills and confidence needed to excel in the competitive world of public relations.

Gowland began her journey at Ketchum through an internship secured by networking with an alumna from her sorority, who highly recommended the agency. “There was an alumni group for my sorority that I joined, …. And through the alumni group, I met someone who had worked for Ketchum, and I reached out to her because I was in the market for an internship,” she stated.

At Ketchum, Gowland takes on high-profile clients and works on campaigns that range from day-to-day product launches to major corporate initiatives. She focuses primarily on brand promotion and product launches for Wendy’s, where her responsibilities include press materials, strategy development, and campaign execution. “It’s so rewarding when you work really really hard on a product launch, or any media launch, and you see results come from it, and you see how excited clients get,” Gowland shared.

Gowland credits 1893 Brand Studio with giving her a solid foundation in PR. She initially joined as the Campaigns Team Lead, where she gained practical experience working directly with clients and managing projects with her peers. Unlike traditional classroom assignments, the Brand Studio allowed Gowland to see the real-world impact of her work, preparing her for her first role at Ketchum. “I was super excited to even hear about the Brand Studio and be a part of it because it was relevant to my field, and get that hands-on client experience,” she explained. Working with clients like MidiCi Italian Kitchen, a local Chapel Hill pizza restaurant, Gowland learned the challenges and rewards of brand promotion and customer engagement early on.

Reflecting on her time at UNC, Gowland remembers how her leadership role at the Brand Studio shaped her approach to teamwork and campaign management. She enjoyed collaborating with her peers, learning from her team’s strategic decisions and then evolving those strategies to make them her own. The Brand Studio also taught Gowland the importance of collaboration in PR, a skill she practices daily at Ketchum, where her projects go through multiple team reviews before reaching the client. 

When reflecting on her time at the Brand Studio, Gowland said, “It’s the best experience you can get outside of a summer internship with a PR agency…You’re working throughout the year, so you’re not just there for a short sprint like you are in the summer for your internship. You’re there longer term, and you really get to know the clients, and you get to know the work you’re doing, and get into a routine of what it’s like to work day to day for a client.” 

Gowland’s journey from UNC’s campus to Ketchum’s office in Charlotte reflects her dedication to making a lasting impact in PR. Her work with industry giants like Wendy’s proves that the foundational skills she built at 1893 Brand Studio continue to propel her forward in her career. Her path exemplifies how hands-on, real-world experience and a strong support network can make all the difference in launching a successful career in public relations.