What A Marketing Entrepreneur Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Marketing Industry
Athena, a marketing and strategy consultant, wishes someone had highlighted the broad scope of marketing, encompassing "branding, design, advertising, packaging, sales, and events management," and the crucial interconnectedness of these areas. The lack of communication between departments, leading to outdated information reaching clients, underscored the importance of efficient top-down information flow for successful marketing execution.
Marketing, Communication, Teamwork, Project Management, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Athena Liao
Mktg. & Strategy Consultant, Entrepreneur
Independent Consulting Firm
Yale, 2012
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
Psychology
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Scholarship Recipient, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. The marketing field encompasses diverse areas such as branding, design, advertising, packaging, sales, and events management. Understanding their interconnectivity is crucial.
2. Marketing departments within large companies may operate in silos. Information flow is critical for effective execution and preventing outdated or incorrect information from reaching clients.
3. Entry-level marketers should be aware of the importance of accurate and up-to-date information, as it directly impacts client interactions and overall marketing success. Effective communication and collaboration across departments are vital.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
When specifically talking about marketing, I didn't realize how many different buckets there are. So many categories of marketing fall under that umbrella.
When someone says "marketing," it can cover anything from branding and design to advertising, packaging, and even sales and events management. There are so many things under that umbrella.
Learning about all of them is important, and knowing how they work together is also crucial. This really hit home for me when I was working at a pretty large company. Departments were very distinct and didn't really talk to each other.
Sales reps would send out decks showing our advertising and branded content options. It wasn't until I had been there a while and moved up a bit that I would sit down with salespeople and actually see the decks going out as pitches to clients.
I would notice that the information was outdated, or we no longer offered something, and they had no idea. The slides didn't really mean anything to them; they just focused on selling.
One of the most important things I wish I had known was that everything is connected. When information flows down to the people executing it, especially entry-level people, it's really bad if something is wrong or doesn't make sense. It shouldn't go unnoticed until later.
Making sure that everything is correct and everyone is working efficiently from the top so that it flows down nicely is super important.