On Wednesday, November 3^rd, as part of the course “Media Monitoring” of the study programme “Marketing” taught by Dr. Anna Shnaider, students visited one of Latvia’s most important technology companies – Inbox.lv, founded in Latvia by Latvian student 27 years ago.

Sabīne Šmukste, Marketing Project Manager, prepared a dedicated presentation for the students, introducing the company, its products, key performance indicators, and the team.

The students were twice as lucky – Sabīne also spoke in detail about her work in the marketing department: what tasks she handles, what challenges she faces, and how she solves them. She shared her personal career story – where she started and how she reached her current position. The students asked many questions and simply did not want to let Sabīne go – that’s how engaging the discussion was.

But the presentation did not end there. Sabīne organized a small giveaway and raffled a branded Inbox.lv hoodie. The question was: “How many emails circulate through Inbox.lv in a single day?” Many students came very close to the correct answer, but student Sithara Sithumini Kandage Dona, guessed most accurately and won the hoodie with the company’s branding.

Afterwards, Sabīne led a tour around the office building and introduced students to the IT department. The IT colleagues explained what projects they are currently working on. The students then had another meeting – with the Head of the Sales Department, who shared restricted insight about clients, brand reputation, marketing mechanisms, advertisement monitoring, and explained how Inbox.lv has become one of the leading media portals in Latvia.

Visits like this provide exceptional added value to the theoretical knowledge students gain during lectures. They allow students to see in practice how marketing strategies are applied, how media operations work, what media monitoring and advertising monitoring look like, and much more. Each of the companies visited also offers opportunities for internships — an important benefit that every EKA student can take advantage of.