UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Branding has evolved through technology and social media use and it was through those lenses that a panel of experts offered a multitude of advice for students interested in the field.
Penn State Prime, a student marketing organization in the Smeal College of Business that focuses on branding, insights and advertising, recently held its eighth annual “Forging a Career in Branding Panel” virtually. More than 200 students had the opportunity to hear from a variety of expert alumni in the marketing field and beyond.
The panel covered topics such as AI, analytics, branding process challenges, sales and marketing collaboration, career advice and standing out during the interview process.
The alumni panel featured:
- Wendy Dill Whitecavage, head of advisor and field marketing at JP Morgan Advisors
- Lindsay Gatto, senior associate brand manager of Snickers at Mars-Wrigley
- Caroline Fitzgerald, CEO and founder of GOALS
- Peter Kissinger, last mile delivery innovator-ecommerce at Kenvue
- Rachel Saslaw, product marketing leader at SuperAwesome, an Epic Games Company
- Ryan Warrender, product manager at Google Chat
The panel started off by covering technological advancements, specifically ChatGPT and AI’s roles in the branding process.
“There’s so much technology in the world and so much to make us more efficient, that I think a lot about what needs to stay human,” Saslaw said. “You should be putting some of your energy towards some of these new emerging technologies and AI because I think there’s a lot AI can do, but there’s still a reason why a lot of people are still hopefully employed within the tech in branding worlds.”
Over the course of the panel, speakers touched on shifting the idea of storytelling in branding to story-asking.
“I look across my industry, for example, and I wonder, are we really using the power of websites to ask people their stories and get them to engage with the brand in a way that is meaningful to them and different from something our competitors are doing?” Whitecavage said.
“That concept is really coming true in the personal interactions — how can we, as marketers, be a little less selfish and put the focus on the consumer and draw out their stories so that we can better serve them?" added Whitecavage.
Panelists also covered the importance of empowerment in admirable brands, referencing social media campaigns and purpose-driven strategies.
“We’re not trying to push on a story to you or we're not trying to push on a company narrative to you and frankly, consumers don’t care,” Kissinger said. “What makes a brand a brand is the experience, but how it makes you feel makes you want to be a part of that brand."
To finish off the panel, the speakers offered advice in approaching the career field, from self-advocacy and ambition to asking for help and finding mentors.
“Find out what’s one thing that makes you excited and become an expert — go all in on that one thing,” Fitzgerald said. “People are going to remember that, they’re going to remember the passion you exude. So, find out who you are, do it on purpose.”