Published:
by Toni Jackson. Article was originally published 10/14/20.
Morgan Elwell is currently a marketing coordinator for a DMV area based law firm. Previously, she worked as a communications and promotions manager for a publishing company as well as an associate producer for a morning news show. Here is an interview with Morgan on marketing, work and other such topics:
What is your favorite job that you have had?
This is a great question! I think my favorite job was being an Associate Producer for Virginia This Morning on WTVR. It was a live morning show, so we would have all sorts of guests and experiences and that meant each day was different! The best days would be when a chef would stop by to teach the viewing audience how to cook a meal and everyone working on the set got to sample the final product.
What is an average day like for you?
Currently, no day is average. I work for a law firm and do most of the behind-the-scenes marketing for them. This means I manage the website and promote various events the attorneys are presenting at and help them craft their online image. Each week I take a look at our numbers and see what potential clients are searching for on our website. This information helps us see trends and allows us to center our advertising and community engagement around what is needed.
How has the public health emergency affected the marketing industry?
I used to have regularly scheduled talks and events I would be working to promote for the attorneys in my office, but due to the pandemic, those are now canceled or completely online. I had one major event in October that I would start preparing for in July, but that has been postponed to 2021. My job has now moved to be 100% online and I now work with attorneys to help them with digital presentations and seminars. This has been a big change for them as well, but everyone seems to be handling it well and I think it may end up providing more opportunities in the long run.
What is the biggest difference between producing and marketing?
When I was a producer, I was working towards a finished product and then that was it. The show or clip would air and we would move on to the next idea! But with marketing, it is a constantly changing and moving project. There is no real "end" as my product is currently the image and employability of the office I work for, and my goal is constant improvement. The main goal is to take what I learn from each project and apply it to the next one.
What movie/TV show/book most represents your job?
This is going to sound silly, but Amelia Bedelia. When I create an online ad or promote an event, language is very important. Amelia Bedelia revolves around a character who misunderstands notes or instructions left by her employer, and she is a great example of how a customer might interpret something you've created. It is super important to think about the role of language and how others communicate, otherwise, someone might end up at the wrong event or you could end up in the news for something you didn't mean!
Any advice for people that want to get into marketing?
You might not realize it now, but marketing involves more math than I'd like to admit. You'll be working with analytics and market research, so don't sleep on those classes.