Welcome to the Ad Undergrad Podcast! A show where Katie Moy and Julian Lewis sit down with marketing practitioners to share their experiences, insights and tips from the industry. The Ad Undergrad Podcast was created to give students, recent grads and those switching industries the opportunity to learn about advertising outside the classroom and provide career advice through the paths of practitioners.
In this episode, Katie and Julian chat with Stephanie Larson, Brand Experience and Shopper Marketing Senior Planner at General Mills. Stephanie shares her experience as a practitioner, along with valuable advice for students and recent grads. Even as her career has moved in unexpected directions, she has made sure to stay true to her values to help guide her along the way. Listen to learn how your passion and curiosity can help you develop your career.
Jump straight into:
(01:26) - The definition of brand experience and its applications in different areas - “It’s really bringing the product and marketing stories to the customer. You want to get their attention enough to make them look at what the product is, put it in their cart and take it home with them.”
(04:28) - On Stephanie’s career and the importance of applying for internships as a student - “As I dug into it I understood that there were so many things you could do with marketing.”
(08:09) - How to land your first job and create stepping stones inside a company - “In the interview process I made sure to go into it knowing as much information as I could. These people I would be talking to live and breathe the brand every single day, so I wanted to show I was just as passionate about the brand.”
(11:36) - The growing in demand skills inside the practitioner environment and why teaming up with small, local businesses is so valuable for the industry - “I wish I would’ve taken more design classes to be able to lean on myself a little more as a designer, instead of always leaning on my creative team.”
(16:34) - On the industry’s versatility and how to properly reach out to a mentor - “I didn’t realize how many things I could do with my degree, and then even to how many industries need marketing individuals.”
(19:47) - Stephanie’s valuable advice for students and recent grads - “Going into the world as a new marketer, you’ll have to be able to come to the table with fresh ideas, but also be able to understand your consumers’ mindset.”
Resources
Connect with Stephanie via LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter
Ad Undergrad is a podcast hosted by Katie Moy and Julian Lewis. To learn more, visit adundergrad.com and follow on social channels @theadundergrad. You can reach Katie and Julian directly via email hello@adundergrad.com.
This show is recorded and produced at StudioPod in San Francisco. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast go to http://studiopodsf.com.
