Advertising major gets global perspective with Warner Bros. Discovery internship

Editor’s Note: This is the eighth in a series of articles about students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications completing summer internships.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Growing up in West Point, New York, surrounded by military students and professionals, it’s no surprise that Penn State student Davis Yoshitani has a knack for leadership. But with parents teaching history and math at the academy, where did his interest in advertising come from?

Yoshitani was a sophomore at James I. O’Neill High School when he ran for class treasurer. He and a friend made fun, satirical social media videos as part of the campaign. The promotions worked. He won the election and seeing his account quickly gain followers got him interested in the power of advertising.

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is what politicians do.’ They portray themselves in the best light,” Yoshitani said. “We kind of took a comedic approach, but eventually it led me to look at how products develop ways to show themselves off.”

Seeing the many academic and professional opportunities at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, Yoshitani chose Penn State for his college experience. He started at the University Park campus in 2021 and is currently a junior majoring in advertising.

“Davis is a bright, energetic emerging talent,” said Dave Wozniak, career advancement professor at the Bellisario College. “He has demonstrated strong instincts and strategic capabilities with a focus on the long-term. He has also demonstrated a true passion for the business of advertising.”

That passion led Yoshitani to the ad sales department of Warner Bros. Discovery. He is working in New York City at the multinational media company as a digital yield intern this summer. With a global reach and billions of dollars in revenue, he said, there’s been a lot to take in.

“The Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella is massive,” Yoshitani said. “There are a lot of different opportunities for advertisers to place advertisements. What's cool about my internship is that I get to rotate between these different parts of the umbrella and learn about what the teams do.”

Over the summer, Yoshitani will work with household names like CNN, Max, TBS and TNT. As a digital yield intern, he examines the data and analytics of different campaigns and monitors the performance of advertisements that run on Warner Bros. channels. He then joins meetings on how to price the ad space and adjust its value based on performance.

“I do a lot of shadowing with different employees and sitting with them during meetings,” he said. “I have also been able to go through a long training process with different software that they use. I am getting more and more projects with that. They'll ask me to pull some data from different campaigns and I can help with whatever they're working on.”

Yoshitani has also observed meetings that schedule and plan inventory. Essentially, what ad space is booked and how much space is left? He said a lot of the strategy is based on impressions, and he is learning more and more about the vital process of filling ad space.

“It is mind blowing,” he said. “It’s really cool being in a meeting where they’re throwing out numbers and names and all different things. It makes you realize how big Warner Bros. Discovery is. It’s almost shocking, but it’s just another Tuesday for the people in the meeting.”

During the 11-week internship, Yoshitani is committed to being a “sponge,” and he is thankful that his supervisors and coworkers are supportive. They answer his many questions and are accommodating to his intense curiosity.

“I come home every single day and my notebook is full,” he said. “I am taking the opportunity to learn and absorb as much information as possible.”

Wozniak said, in addition to a “thirst for learning,” Yoshitani is an energetic team player with strong instincts and strategic capabilities.

“Davis isn’t afraid to put himself out there,” he said. “By that, I mean, he’ll do whatever it takes for the greater good.”

These leadership qualities are not a coincidence. Yoshitani is steadily and purposefully paving his way to a leadership role. In many ways, he’s already there. In just his second year at Penn State, he was named business manager of Penn State’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Collegian, a position typically held by a junior or senior. He is the vice president of Ad/PR Club and he is also an active leader on Penn State’s AAF National Student Advertising Competition team.

“I came into college wanting to get involved in organizations, but not just get involved … but also become a leader in those different organizations,” he said. “I think you learn the most when you're a leader. You learn a lot about yourself too, which I think is the beauty of leadership.”

Yoshitani gets a lot of his understanding of leadership from his mother, Gail Yoshitani, head of the history department at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He says the way she runs the department, makes decisions and works with others has always been an inspiration for him.

“I learn by seeing what she does with her staff and the different activities or events that she holds,” he said. “I see the type of leader she is and follow her example.”

Once back on campus this fall, Yoshitani plans to continue his leadership roles. He will also keep taking advantage of the opportunities at the Bellisario College, including the many networking connections available. After graduation (planned for 2025), he would like to find an entry-level position at a company all while keeping an eye at the top.

“Whatever the company is, I’d like to challenge myself, show initiative and go up the ranks,” he said. “I've always seen myself as somebody who enjoys being a part of a team and bringing out the best in everybody every single day. I think that being a leader gives me the platform to do that.”

Yoshitani is a recipient of a four-year Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications scholarship.