Do you know what’s about to blow up on TikTok before it hits your FYP? Can you spot the next big thing brewing in niche Reddit communities or emerging from underground creator collectives?
If you live for that moment when you catch a cultural shift before anyone else does, we want you on our team. As a Creative Strategy Intern at Smartly, you’ll be our eyes and ears in the cultural zeitgeist—hunting down pre-trends, decoding what Gen Z is really talking about, and turning those insights into strategic gold for Fortune 500 brands and their creative and social strategies.
This isn’t about following trends. This is about predicting them, understanding them, and helping our team build creative offerings, packages, and narratives around them. Join our team of 800+ Smartlies and turn your cultural obsession into real business impact.
As a Creative Strategy Intern at Smartly, you’ll collaborate closely with our Creative Technologists and Global Creative Services team. Your mission? To turn trend-forward insights into strategic narratives for some of the biggest advertisers globally—keeping them ahead of the cultural curve across social media platforms. You’ll dive deep into social trends and create compelling presentations to help brands predict and capitalize on what’s next.
As a Creative Strategy Intern, you will…- Research and analyze emerging social media trends across platforms like TikTok, Meta, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, Reddit, and beyond
- Deliver vertical- and platform-specific reports to keep customers up to date on what’s trending now—and what’s coming next
- Create visually compelling, insight-driven presentations
- Develop industry-specific narratives and creative frameworks tailored to different business verticals
- Support the creation of scalable 1:many materials that help multiple brands stay trend-forward
- Present findings or shadow key meetings with Smartly customers
- Conduct creative audits and identify actionable best practices to elevate brand performance
- Curate inspiration and standout examples to fuel creative strategy and spark new ideas
- Partner with Creative leaders to build and develop compelling presentations and creative positioning
- A full-time rising Junior, Senior, or recent graduate from an accredited 4-year college or university
- Pursuing a degree in Technology, Marketing, Communications, Design, Media Studies, or a related field
- Highly motivated and eager to learn more about media, cultural relevance, and strategic positioning
- An ambitious self-starter who is not afraid to try new things
- Interested in working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship
This internship is paid at $20 per hour and will be approximately 30 hours per week between June 16th and August 20th of 2026.
#LI-Hybrid
Smartly is the AI-powered advertising technology company transforming ad experiences for brands and their consumers. Our comprehensive advertising platform seamlessly integrates the capabilities of media, creative, and intelligence to power more than 800 billion impressions and generate more than 300 billion creatives annually, delivering tangible business outcomes for brands and advertisers.
Smartly is the only company in the industry recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Creative Advertising Technologies with PwC validating the results it delivers for brands. We manage creative and media for 700+ brands worldwide and $6B in ad spend across the largest media platforms, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok. Our end-to-end technology, unmatched access to media platforms and exceptional customer service help Fortune 500 brands to reach and engage consumers and learn what performs best.Smartly is a multinational and diverse team of 750+ Smartlies from 60+ nationalities, working in 13 countries. Together, we want to create and maintain an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and heard. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion approach is at the heart of it.
Visit Smartly to learn more.
The processing of your information is described in our Candidate Privacy Notice.
Skills Required
- Full-time rising Junior, Senior, or recent graduate from an accredited 4-year college or university
- Pursuing a degree in Technology, Marketing, Communications, Design, Media Studies, or a related field
- Legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship
What the Team is Saying
Smartly Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Five weeks of paid vacation, company holidays, wellness/recharge days, and an annual holiday shutdown are repeatedly highlighted, with sabbatical or study leave noted in some locations. This broad time-off structure compares favorably against many tech employers.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage are paired with mental-health support, FSA options, and inclusive elements such as transgender-inclusive coverage and pet insurance, alongside life and disability insurance. The scope indicates robust core health protection.
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Flexible Benefits — Office, hybrid, or fully remote arrangements (in approved locations) are offered, complemented by a home-office stipend and short-term 'work from anywhere' programs. These options provide meaningful flexibility in where and how work is done.
Smartly Insights
What We Do
We solve for advertising campaign and creative complexities - both key elements to the time/money savings and performance that brands, agencies and businesses seek. Our unified platform combines media, creative, and intelligence, offering end-to-end workflows powered by AI across the open and closed web. With over 700 brands and advertisers, we've proven that dynamic and personalized creative makes advertising impactful. We are on a mission to transform the advertising experience for brands and their consumers. ⚡️
Why Work With Us
As a fast-paced growth company, we offer opportunities to maximize learning and amplify impact. Our culture and values have always been the secret sauce of our growth. They define how we aspire to build our adtech product, whom we hire and reward, and how we work towards a shared vision. Join us in moving advertising forward.
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Smartly Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We are a hybrid workplace where Smartlies have the flexibility of hybrid work combining office and work from home. We also offer programs for short-term remote work globally.
