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.
An online program can be daunting since there are few in-person interactions with
classmates and instructors, but for Julia Lienhard and Serafina Maerten, fall 2022
graduates from the
Data Marketing Communications program, embracing the online learning environment
didn’t mean going through the program alone.
The two graduates shared the
Introduction to Data Marketing Communications course
together, and after the very first assignment, Serafina messaged Julia on Instagram
to introduce herself with the hope of gaining a friend in the program.
“I did one project on my own and thought there was no one to talk to about this.
I was kind of lonely, and I thrive better with a team, so I found her on Instagram
and we became friends,” said Serafina. “What really helped me get through this
program was having a friend. It’s why I messaged her in the first place.”
“Picture it!” Golden-Con 2023, just around the corner, with “Thank You For Being
A Friend!” playing everywhere at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk hotel. The
convention brings Golden Girls fanatics together to pay homage to Dorothy, Rose,
Blanche and Sophia from March 31 through April 2, 2023. Although the show ran years
ago for seven seasons from 1985 through 1992, the classic TV sitcom continues to
attract a loyal, cult-like following.
Of course, I may be biased. The four ladies hold a special place in my heart as
my mother and I enjoyed watching reruns together through my formative years.
Nuggets of life and marketing insights can be pulled from the scenarios featured
in the half-hour episodes. Key takeaways include, but are not limited to the
following:
Tackle the tough topics. From Season 2 when Dorothy’s friend Jean comes to town and develops a crush on
Rose, to Sophia being forced to cope with her friend’s decision to end her life
in Season 5, the four ladies featured in the Golden Girls never hide from a hard
discussion or intense moment. Marketers are well served to be fearless enough
to tackle the tough topics just like the writers of this show.
Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. This is a global day dedicated to the
recognition of the achievements of women and call to action advancement for gender
equality within all industries and spaces. The first IWD event was a public gathering
of over one million people in 1911. However, the digital age has transformed the
celebration into this day to cross oceans and empower women to come together, empower
others and share their stories digitally.
Today, some of the industry-leading women who are alumni from the WVU Marketing Communications
Graduate Programs share their stories about being a strong woman in the industry
and the wisdom they wish to pass down to rising leaders.
How did you get your start in the marketing communications field?
In 2020, everyone’s world was turned upside down with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For Whitney Humphrey, she faced even more personal and professional upheaval along
with everything else that was changing.
A 2022 graduate with an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications, Whitney took
a leap following the life-altering changes from the Covid-19 pandemic. In early
2020, Whitney’s grandmother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer which
affected her entire family deeply.
“She and I were very close,” she said. “When I was growing up, she was always there
for me — always at my school events, at my dance recitals, my wedding and held
my children. We lived next door to her, so she was always a constant presence in
my life.”
