Marketing Communications Today is a collection of resources for marketing communications
professionals filled with industry research, marketing trends, and career
information about integrated marketing and data-driven communications.
Learn industry insights through the Marketing Communications Today blog,
podcast, as well as Integrate Online.
No one wants to find out that they’re being underpaid, no matter how much you love
your job. It makes you feel under-appreciated and even taken advantage of. That's
why it’s important to know what people in similar positions are being paid. Luckily,
there are some very easy ways to figure out these statistics. Recruiters, friends
in the business, and various websites that list the information you’re looking
for are great places to start. Checking in at
Salary.com is an easy and popular way to find out what the salary range
is for someone in your position. Other websites, like
salarylist.com, list out salaries at specific companies. Lastly, there’s
glassdoor.com, where current and former employees anonymously give information
about their salary, benefits, and the inside "skinny" on what it’s like to work
at the company.
These are useful tools that every working person should be taking advantage so as
not to be in the dark about the generally accepted value of your job. In fact,
I counsel people to go out on interviews occasionally, even if they’re not in the
job market, to get a better idea of what else is out there and how much people
are earning. But even with the most accurate information, your value in the marketplace
compared to your value at your company is not so black and white.
In our roles as communicators, we seek to help our clients and organizations solve
problems or enhance their image with purpose. This can include seeking funding,
increasing positive visibility, and motivating key audiences to act.
IMC and
DMC professionals might be surprised to know the multiple benefits of working
with government.
With our guest, Mike Fulton, we will explore recent real-world case studies and the
many benefits organizations have achieved by tapping into government resources
and opportunities. Results speak volumes — grants awarded; third-party validation
of products, services and programs; successful nominations of federal advisory
committee members; earned media placements; social media support; and the receipt
of proactive ideas from government officials.
Fulton teaches
IMC 638 - Public Affairs at West Virginia University. He's the director of
Asher Agency’s Washington D.C. office and has more than 30 years of business networking,
government relations, and communications experience.
Take a quick skim through LinkedIn for the position title of Marketing Specialist.
You’ll find one job posting after another that seeks what has been dubbed a ‘marketing
unicorn.’ The postings don’t explicitly say ‘unicorn’ of course, but they list
desired skills that run the gamut from artistic to data-centric to coding. After
reading just one listing that requests applicants with Adobe CC, photography, videography,
copywriting, event planning, Google Analytics and HTML and JavaScript skills, you’ll
be wondering if it was actually meant to be split up into several different positions.
With so many ‘marketing unicorn’ requests on job boards, it begs the question, is
marketing an art or a science? The short answer is it’s both. Ultimately, the degree
to which marketers need to channel their inner unicorn depends on the size of the
company.
Molly Gilmore is the owner of Blue Genes Media, a consulting business
in the New York City area that's focused on user experience design and product
development. Gilmore's professional background includes more than 20 years in software
product design at companies such as Microsoft, Intuit, Hyperion Software, and usability
research at Scripps Networks Interactive.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Gilmore on our weekly
Marketing Communications Today podcast. Here’s what she had to say about
UX design and how it bridges the gap between old and new technologies.
Cyndi Greenglass: Would you define UX for us in your terms: What
does it mean to you? What should our listeners know about that term?
After graduating with an art history major and working in event coordinating,
Rickie Huffman decided to grow her career with a graduate degree in Integrated
Marketing Communications. Rickie is a perfect example of someone who hoped to pursue
a career that would nurture her creative spirit and her love of innovation.
Initially, I wanted to work in museums or art galleries, but I knew I didn’t want
to pursue a graduate degree that required more Art History training — but I still
wanted to do something with the degree. I also felt a little burned out from four
years of studying the subject.
As the founder of Wax Marketing — an integrated marketing agency based in St. Paul,
Minnesota —
Bonnie Harris and her team design and implement
IMC strategies for clients across the United States, focusing primarily on
mid-sized companies in the healthcare, technology, and manufacturing industries.
As an industry trailblazer, we’re excited that we had the opportunity to interview
Harris on our weekly
Marketing Communications Today podcast. Here’s what
she had to say.
Michael Lynch: I want to talk about personas. What is the traditional definition
of persona in an integrated marketing communication platform?
The healthcare field is growing, and with it, the need for talented marketing communications
professionals — especially for marketers who have advanced knowledge of the particular
needs within the healthcare industry.
Healthcare is a dynamic field, and with so many complexities, there's a real need
for trained professionals who have studied marketing communications from a healthcare
perspective. What might work for other fields (related to marketing practices),
cannot be assumed to work in healthcare — especially when it comes to implementing
integrated marketing communications campaigns in unified, consistent ways.
I’m always trying to plan ahead, constantly thinking five years into the future.
A really bad habit of mine is actually getting on Apartments.com about three times
a week to “just browse apartments I could live in one day” in a few cities that
fit my “five-year plan.” I also do this on LinkedIn, but with job titles. I keep
a running list of job postings that interest me and am constantly trying to uncover
how I can be the “perfect candidate” for whatever job title I have decided I will
be pursing post-graduation that week.