Marketing Communications Today Blog

Question: I am questioning whether the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing is a good thing or a potential loss of human connection. Do you have an expert with insights on that?

Answer: At the  Integrate 2019 Conference at West Virginia University (sponsored by WVU’s  Integrated Marketing Communications and  Data Marketing Communications online master’s degree programs) Jacelyn Swenson of IBM spoke compellingly on this topic. Jacelyn is Leader of Strategic Partnerships and events for IBM Corporate Communications.

Jacelyn started her talk by stating that she believes that AI can be all about connections. She prefers to call it “Augmented Intelligence,” because the word artificial may be off-putting to some. The word augmented implies a helpful presence rather than something that separates humans and machines. She provided several examples of how IBM has encouraged collaboration between AI and humans with impressive and unique results. 

It’s an increasingly-competitive world, and it seems to get more competitive all the time. It can be tough to stand out and differentiate yourself from other professionals in the field of marketing communications. So, what can you do to truly set yourself apart?

Many young professionals find that an advanced degree or certification can have a profound impact on their job searches. Recognizing the ambition and efforts of our students, the WVU Reed College of Media examined how we could assist.

For young practitioners, academic credentials can be extremely helpful in differentiating themselves, and the more specialized a credential, the greater impact it can have in the most competitive searches.

Amy Teller, Marketing Consultant at Orangesplash Technologies Inc., discusses the ethical uncertainties in strategic marketing with the evolution of digital technologies. Digital technologies have transformed the media landscape and are integral to virtually every industry and field, and marketing is no exception. Today, marketers must integrate both the creative aspects of the discipline with more technical aspects.

Data-driven marketing strategies have become fundamental to the new marketing model. Emerging technologies have accelerated the speed, reach, and relevancy of marketing campaigns and inadvertently opened a virtual Pandora's box of ethical uncertainties that cause us to call into question issues of privacy versus convenience.

Matt Cummings: How has digital technology changed the landscape of marketing?

Bailee Miller wanted two things: to explore the field of marketing communications at a deeper level and to do so  while continuing to work. That's when she discovered West Virginia University's Integrated Marketing Communications graduate program.

Here's what she had to say about how WVU's Integrated Marketing Communications master's program encouraged her to specialize in an incredibly competitive field without sacrificing her time in the workplace.

My name is  Bailee Miller, and I’m originally from Roanoke, West Virginia, a small community outside of the town of Weston.

Kristin Meeks is a consultant that specializes in the integration of digital and traditional marketing practices.  Meeks is the owner of  WV Social Media, located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and the founder of the Social Media Marketing Made Simple Training Academy. Her specialty is helping clients and academy members find the strategy behind their social media practices. WV Social Media serves clients from coast to coast, assessing their social media needs, facilitating marketing training and most importantly helping marketers plan and execute strategic marketing practices. Meeks teaches Content Marketing for the WVU Reed College of Media  Integrated Marketing Communications online graduate program. 

Kristen Meeks: There is a sense of urg

ency to get content out. This happens every day, where someone sends me something saying, “Oh, we need to do something with this.” And I say, “Let's slow down. Let's be more strategic and make sure that it looks and feels like our brand, and then also let's make sure it's the right message for that target demographic.” That to me is the most important part, and I feel like people struggle with that because they just feel this sense of urgency to get the content out as quick as possible whether it's from a boss or a client. It’s not always the best approach. It's about getting that content and making it work for your brand and work for your campaign, and also have a good call to action in there.

After years of increases, social media spending declined in 2019.

The CMO Survey saw a drop in social media spending to 11 percent of marketing budgets from a high of 14 percent in 2018. Why? The authors suggest, “… despite massive financial investments, social media is rated as contributing only moderate value to company performance (3.3 on a scale where 7=very highly and 1=not at all).”

If you’re not confident in social media’s return on investment (ROI), it will only get harder to securefunding for  social media budgets. How can you improve this confidence? Ensure you have a strong measurement plan in place to better prove social media’s impact on the bottom line.

On May 23, West Virginia University’s M.S. in  Data Marketing Communications program held an online information session that included a panel of alumni and faculty who offered insight from their experience with the program and provided advice to students who are considering beginning a data-driven marketing graduate program at WVU.

Panelists included  Josh Wilson, Vice President of Marketing at Whitefish Credit Union,  April Blankenship, Manager of Video Partnerships at Initiative Media, and  Cyndi Greenglass,  DMC instructor and Senior VP of Strategic Solutions at  Diamond Communication Solutions. Read on for a recap of the most important takeaways from the session!

David Hazelton has over 30 years of professional experience in design, branding, and marketing. As design director for ProShares, David is responsible for brand consistency across all channels of the company’s marketing, advertising, and corporate communications.

Prior to joining ProShares, David spent over a decade in boutique agencies. During that time, he used his branding and marketing talents to enhance the brand image of clients like OSHA, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.