Are you a creative professional dedicated to innovative thinking?
Are you passionate about the marketing industry?
Are you concerned that you don't have the skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly-changing field like marketing communications?
West Virginia University's Reed College of Media has the solution for creative minds like you.
WVU’s Reed College of Media offers a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). IMC is an advanced field of study that’s designed to equip marketers with the skills needed to unify all pieces of marketing communications — from content strategy to social media, from sales to advertising, and from public relations to direct marketing.
That said, let's dive into just a few of the many job opportunities available to creatives working in the field of marketing communications.
1. Art Director
According to Truity.com, art directors are "responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging and movie/television productions. They create the overall design and direct others who develop artwork or layouts."
Art directors are also responsible for overseeing the work of other designers and artists who produce images for television, film, live performances, advertisements or video games.
2. Content Creator
Did you know that "content creation/management" is the number 3 digital marketing skill of 2018, according to a survey of 250 marketing leaders by IT solutions provider TEKsystems?
As a content creator, you could be the "chief writer" on an editorial team, responsible for enforcing the tone of your team's blog, topic selection, editorial calendar, email campaigns and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
3. Branding Strategist
Often working under the direction of a digital brand manager or a digital marketing manager, branding strategists are responsible for ensuring consistent and integrated brand messaging across a myriad of media channels.
A branding strategist must also have a solid understanding of SEO, web development, graphic design and social media. And since branding strategists are responsible for understanding an organization's overarching brand, creative thinking and problem-solving skills are imperative for success in this role.
4. Content Marketing Manager
The content marketing manager works with content creators and strategists to oversee big-picture editorial campaigns. This position could entail a combination of copywriting, content development and curation, asset promotion and editing. Content marketing managers keep organized calendars to ensure content is launched on time and developed according to a strict timeline. They must be comfortable talking to customers, partners and internal teams.
5. Creative Director
Creative directors "work with designers, artists, copywriters, sales teams and marketers to create a vision for products sold," according to Snagajob. In this management role, they’re responsible for developing new messaging, ideas for branding and strategy for advertising. As much organizers as innovators, creative directors oversee a large number of specialists and are final decision-makers on copy, design and branding.
6. Community Manager
Not typically thought of as a creative role, but a community manager is responsible for using creative thinking to help a social media team manage its relationship with current and future followers of the brand. Not only do they act as pseudo-brand managers, but they are also brand ambassadors tasked with engaging potential customers and creating loyalty with current customers. They have a special focus on responding to followers’ comments, moderating responses to posts or blog articles, mitigating negative commentary and answering queries, all while staying consistent with their company’s brand voice and tone.
7. Media Coordinator
Sometimes called media buyers or media directors, media coordinators "oversee the execution of marketing and advertising campaigns for various broadcast, digital and media outlets. Their duties often include meeting with clients, preparing plans for media, organizing budgets and negotiating the costs of advertising spaces."
In short, in addition to collaborating with a variety of marketing communications teams, media coordinators ensure that marketing campaigns — including print and broadcast advertising campaigns for clients — are planned, executed and refined accordingly.
Are you a creative soul passionate about marketing?
As someone who's passionate about creative thinking and who's fascinated by the field of marketing communications, you're in a unique position. It's easy to get siloed as a creative, but West Virginia University's Reed College of Media offers you a solution: a first-of-its-kind, cutting-edge graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. As a discipline, IMC is a human-centered methodology that equips students with the skills to succeed in competitive agency settings where integrated marketing communications and story-centric strategies are valued and utilized.
We encourage you to contact us today to learn more about jumpstarting your future as a creative, data-driven strategist in the field of marketing communications.
Explore our informative resource — A Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications — for an in-depth look at the field of integrated marketing.
