Why after a 30-year marketing career, I hesitate to say “I do marketing.”
Reflections on what marketing means today after 30 years in the field.
Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
As you can see, “marketing” encompasses a lot. Yet, in business today, marketing often refers to influencers or social media marketing. Due to how dynamic this field is, I felt the need to break down different aspects of marketing as illustrated through my 30-year career.
This article is not intended to be a boast-fest, but more revelatory around the innumerable facets that marketing contains for students and business owners alike. Here we go…
The Beginning: Public Relations & Promotions Marketing
Thirty years ago in April 1995, around this exact same time of year, I was preparing for graduation with my Bachelor of Journalism Degree, Advertising emphasis from University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou).
My career and life were a blank slate. While serving as Publicity Chair of the Homecoming Steering Committee, I was introduced to a Mizzou Alum, Jack Smith, who happened to be the former Chief Creative Officer of legendary advertising agency Leo Burnett. So, although I had my eyes set on New York City, thanks to Mr. Smith’s introduction to Burnett’s DEI & Human Resources liaison Don Richards, I landed an entry-level public relations position at Leo Burnett in Chicago. There, my writing skills were refined by my supervisor Joe Silberman as I cranked out weekly internal news announcements.
After a one-year post-graduate paid internship, I found the writing was intense, so I decided to look at alternative agencies to expand beyond my knowledge of Corporate PR, to include promotions marketing. Frankel was a leading agency for promotions marketing, where we created contests, sweepstakes and point of sale materials for corporate brands throughout the U.S. I functioned as a junior account executive managing the creation and execution of point-of-sale & direct mail print materials for United States Postal Service, Encyclopedia Britannica, IMAX, Oldsmobile and others. It was at Frankel in 1998 that I worked on my very first live event, The X-Files Tour, sponsored by Oldsmobile in 10 cites. Even typing the word Oldsmobile (which no longer manufactures cars), makes me feel ancient. It was also here where I met my first mentor Marion Black-Ruffin, and lifelong friends, Wendi Hill and Garrick Thurmond who through their unwavering support & guidance helped me establish self-confidence in my skill set (I’m grateful each of them are my cheerleaders to this day).
Working at such a fast pace and on The X-Files Tour exposed me to the type of marketing I knew I wanted to do — entertainment and live event marketing. So, upon leaving Frankel in 1998, I joined Davidson Marketing (later acquired by Ogilvy) as their Entertainment Marketing Specialist.
At Davidson, I refined my business development, contest & sweepstakes execution and negotiation skills. I brokered deals between the singer Monica as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Spokesperson; Keebler Pecan Sandies sweepstakes for a Brian Seltzer Orchestra private concert (my very 1st on-pack promotion), and assisted Riley Davis in an event sponsorship deal with Glaxo Wellcome of a Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams and Dawkins & Dawkins Tour and development of a gospel compilation CD with Verity Records.
I was in heaven as the intermediary for my agency and the music and live event industry (a newly developed position). I developed the music and live event partnership marketing practice at Davidson at the age of 25 years old, under the gracious leadership of Chris Rago and Julie Colbrese. I even remember us all gathered around an art director’s computer as we were developing the agency’s first banner ad. What an opportunity for a young black woman from Memphis! I was on a roll, building my confidence as I went.
The Ascension: Advertising
In 2000, I was recruited to DDB to serve as an account lead on WTTW-TV (Chicago PBS), St. Louis University accounts and Michael Jordan To The Max film premiere. Because I loved my role at Davidson, I wasn’t very excited about this opportunity, but after three offers from DDB, I finally accepted the role. I am better for it too. I am grateful for the deeper understanding of the production and media planning I gained there. My team even won a Reggie for our rollout of the Michael Jordan To The Max campaign. While at DDB, my urging to lean more into entertainment marketing persisted. So, to save for a move to New York City, I lived more meagerly and assumed a second job at night at Borders Bookstore as an R&B & classical sales associate in the music department. I saved and set my intention on a move from the Windy City to the The Big Apple, at last.
While the long hours and weekend work at the four Chicago agencies sharpened my execution pencil, I yearned for more hoped-for peace, freedom, and autonomy outside of agency life. Like most advertising agencies in vigilant pursuit of client approval, at Frankel and DDB, there we frenetic chaos as we worked to develop at campaigns, often staying until 11PM and midnight to ensure our creative work gained necessary approvals and made it to the printer, often using special air couriers to get meet print deadlines.
The Crescendo: Media
After many failed attempts to get interviews in NYC with a Chicago address and phone number, to appear more competitive, I moved to NYC with $5,000 in savings. My dad drove with me and my belongings in a U-Haul trailer to New York City. I lived with my first cousin Jae, who allowed me use of an air mattress in her second bedroom, in the Lower East Side for as long as needed. Although roles at agencies were aplenty, I focused my job search on media companies.
After working in agencies from 1995–2000, I knew the hard work required of agency workers and admired the passion that people who worked on behalf of media entities exuded. So, while temporarily working at Draft Worldwide on the Verizon account, I finally landed a role in media at iN DEMAND TV. After reading TV.com, a book then-SVP, Marketing Gavin Harvey said was required reading for the job, he and Gregg Rothberg took a chance on me without the media experience, and granted me a Director of Promotions Marketing & Partnerships role.
The Sweetspot: Partnership Marketing
At iN DEMAND, I put my negotiation and partnership marketing skills acquired-to-date to work on behalf of the pay-per-view behemoth owned by Comcast, Cox and Time Warner. I enjoyed creating partnerships between our brand and movies we aired with Papa Johns, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Terra Chips, Ashley Furniture, Seagram’s Ginger Ale and more. From there, in 2004, I was recruited to Live Nation (right as they were transitioning from Clear Channel Entertainment) where I served as VP, Alliances servicing six and seven-figure sponsorship deals for Wrigley, Hilton, Motorola, Comcast, and ING. That job was the time of my life — getting to go to any and all concerts I wanted to to ensure sponsors were activating and engaging with customers.
Here I gained great exposure to onsite activation (gotta love retractable banners, confetti, street teams and prize wheels) and the value of managing deal point memos with precision. For ING, I led the activations for them across the Juntos en Concierto Tour (featuring Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, and others) for two years across 40 tour stops, traveling by tour bus and all, as well as led the opening of Hilton Theatre, where they were a name-in-title sponsorship and the opening show was an Earth, Wind & Fire musical. With Wrigley, I led the international sponsorship tour which included 3 Doors Down and Rascal Flatts. I will always remember my incomparable and all-time favorite boss Darin Wolf, who flat out refused to limit the genres of music or types of projects I led. He told me that as I grew my career I should mystify executives by having more than just black music projects under my belt. He was insistent that I work on Broadway projects, Hispanic-audience projects and an alternative rock tour too. I cherish that advice to this day.
I remained at Live Nation for over four years, this was my longest-held position. But, the streets were calling — again. I was invited to become the Head of Marketing, Associate Publisher at VIBE Magazine (a magazine I was a charter subscriber to and absolutely revered). So, in late 2008, I made this transition, and was finally amongst the C-Suite. Big Pimpin’ for sure.
Movin’ On Up: The Growth Trajectory
While the teams I led at iN DEMAND and Live Nation hovered at approximately four people, my reportees zoomed to seven. Here I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work at my all-time favorite magazine and work with journalists whom I respected so very much, because I too was a writer. Going to work while at VIBE, felt like a fairy-tale. We all loved and were dedicated to the magazine, and loved and respected one another. I loved leading my marketing posse, including September, Diana, Sabrina, Rimah. VIBE’s office culture was a corporate nirvana and anomaly in which I could simply show up at work and be myself, and be loved. This boosted my creativity and productivity for sure. This time my departure was not of my own choosing. In June 2009, VIBE Magazine folded, and we were all out on the streets in 24 hours after notification — see article here for more details.
The Stretch: Product Marketing
After becoming an accidental entrepreneur in 2009 working on a variety of projects including being Chief of Staff at Translation Ad Agency, I had the fortune of holding the highest role within marketing as Chief Marketing Officer of Carol’s Daughter in 2010. There I led the development of many new product launches in the hair category and led the coordination and launch of our spokesbeauties, Cassie, Solange & Selita to help the brand appeal to a younger audience. Because I’d had a taste of entrepreneurship, it was only a matter of time before I would vacate the role and transition Carol’s Daughter to a client with ESSENCE Festival activation (which was major preparation).
Marketing Career Options
In those 15 years leading up to me being the CMO at Carol’s Daughter, I worked primarily in account management and partnership marketing. But there is so much more. There are those who create the messaging and design of the ads (art directors and copywriters) those who strategize (place the ads in media (media buyers and planners), those who produce the ads (often 3rd party video editors, filmmakers, print production houses), those who conduct & interpret research and evaluate the customer (strategists) and then people like me who lead the overarching development of the campaigns and the confluence of various elements of marketing communication.
So, as I hope this blog post has illustrated, marketing roles include many aspects of communications. If you’re a business owner, do try to think through the specifics of what you need before engaging a marketer. If you’re a student or a person looking to explore the world of marketing, trust that your options are not limited. All marketers are NOT created equally. Consider the backgrounds and companies worked for of the marketers you are considering contracting.
What Is Needed To Succeed in Marketing
To succeed in our field, you must remain open minded, and remain on a lifelong journey to knowledge and growth. Creativity combined with curiosity and interest in data analysis are helpful skills. Our field has changed significantly from traditional media — television, print, radio and direct mail, to now including a staggering number of digital and web-based media outlets and channels, not to mention social media and KOLs/influencers.
So examine which aspect of marketing you truly need (business owner), feel skilled at (student). If you need any assistance deciphering what’s what, hit me up. Happy to help. But, for now, I’m just adding value where I can, not pronouncing that I do marketing. Because nowadays that statement means so much, yet can be so little at the same time.
Happy Marketing…
Olivia is a C-Suite Marketing Exec, Author of 51 Brand Marketing Tips for Creators & Founder of Omerge Alliances & Freedom at The Mat. An NYU & Loyola Professor, she has led mktg at influential organizations such as Carol’s Daughter, VIBE, Live Nation, Ogilvy & more for 25+ years. A Native Memphian, now based in New Orleans, is a forever Harlemite (NYC) who travels extensively and blooms where she is planted.
