What an Associate Marketing Director at NAMM Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Music Industry
Luke, an Associate Marketing Director, learned the importance of navigating company politics and understanding "the Power Players" to succeed, advising newcomers to observe for six to twelve months before implementing major initiatives. The small size of the music industry also highlighted the critical need to cultivate and maintain relationships, as "burning bridges" could quickly lead to exclusion from opportunities.
Industry Politics, Relationship Building, Professional Networking, Company Culture, Career Advancement
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Luke Walton
Associate Marketing Director
NAMM
USC 2013, SDSU 2020
MBA, SDSU
Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Understanding company politics and power dynamics is crucial for career advancement. It's important to observe and understand the company culture before making significant changes or implementing new initiatives.
2. The music industry is smaller than it may seem; building and maintaining strong relationships is essential for success and avoiding the potential for burning bridges.
3. Be mindful of actions and decisions, as seemingly minor issues can have major consequences. Always seek necessary approvals before making significant changes to avoid negative repercussions
Transcript
What have you learned in this role as a marketing manager that you wish someone would have told you prior to entering this industry?
It's difficult because company and industry are very different. On the company side, I think I would have liked to have understood the politics and the power players. That's applicable to almost any company.
One reason why it's sometimes a good idea to come into a company fairly quietly is to hang out for six to 12 months without pushing too heavily with ideas. This allows you to understand how things shake out before you start adding your initiatives and perspective.
I did that because I knew I was entering familiar territory, and it was crucial. I think that's part of the reason I still have my job. You need to understand that everything is politics – industry, company, anything.
As such, there are people who can get you fired if you're not respectful or don't do certain things for them. For example, one person told me a story about someone who painted their office a certain color and got fired for it. They weren't allowed to do that and had to run it up the flagpole in a specific way.
They took it on their own and were fired. I thought it was an illustrative example of not making too bold a statement or changing anything fundamentally without understanding the people who should at least have the opportunity to say no. If they don't get that opportunity, you might not have the opportunity to work there anymore.
That's one of the things I wish I had understood better. It's hard in the professional world, especially working at something that's been around, not a startup.
Then, industry-wide, I wish I had understood how small it really is. There aren't a lot of sales. This is an industry that has a lot of opportunity to burn bridges if you're not smart and don't value each of those relationships.
I'm trying my best to do that. Obviously, it's impossible to always do that, but I think it's important to know. When you are at industry events, don't do something stupid because you could be shut out of the industry very quickly.