Breaking In

The Wonderful World of Marketing

The Wonderful World of Marketing

I love it when recent undergrads (or grads) tell me that they want a career in marketing in the entertainment industry… with little thought to what that means.  I usually shoot right back, “…well, what aspect of marketing?”  Typically, I receive a blank stare….

Marketing has multiple faces, especially in larger companies like studios.  Marketing has various sub-departments that specialize in each aspect of the function:

·        Creative Advertising – graphics, copy, images.  The creative group crafts the look and feel for the marketing campaign.

·        Marketing Research – data, statistics, ratings, focus groups.  This is the analytical side; they provide target audience statistics to the creative group, media buying group and promotions group in order to aim at the advertising and marketing campaign best.

·        Media Relations – buyers of advertising, locally and nationally, on TV, billboards, magazines, etc.

·        Publicity – spin, spin, spin, on a local and national level.  These folks create buzz in whatever way, shape and form about the movie or TV show – some may even call them “professional liars.’  Publicists also work with the media on press junkets (round-robin interviews w. the talent, director, producer, etc.)  Lots of energy in this world!

·        Promotions – third-party deals to promote a movie or TV show.  Think toys, fast food, retail, etc.  A lot of these people come out of the consumer products world.

·        Public Relations – sometimes another name for publicity and sometimes really corporate communications – the group that responds to the press, issues press releases, takes questions from the press, etc.  Backgrounds in speech writing and journalism often required.

Companies often have a consumer products group with divisions such as Home Entertainment or Licensing.  Marketing tends to have similar background; however, the product is more tangible, easier to define.  It’s often hard for consumer products marketers to make the switch over to a creative group where you are marketing an image or look and feel vs. a product.

I hope this was insightful to those of you that are future marketers – be prepared to start in one of these niche areas and grow from there… the overall strategy and direction typically happens at the very top by people that started in one specialty once upon a time.

You’re an MBA… Now What?

You’re an MBA… Now What?

Recently, I received a note from an MBA asking about opportunities in the entertainment industry.  MBAs are everywhere!  Believe it or not, I’m an MBA with an emphasis in HR and Management.  MBAs provide great business, ‘big-picture’ perspective to any field within any industry.  So, back to the original question – where do MBA’s typically land in The Industry?

The traditional opportunities tend to be in Strategic Planning/Business Development, Finance, Marketing (in Consumer Products divisions), etc.  If you’re looking for more untraditional direction, like Development or Theatrical Marketing (think more like advertising), and you do not have experience in that area, the truth is, you will most probably start in an entry level position.

When I received my MBA, a great piece of advice I came by was to not let my MBA lead me… not let it be my calling card… but let it be a strong foundation to help build my career faster.  An MBA in HR is not a traditional degree… I started as an Assistant in HR and let my broad business acumen carry me and support me up the ladder… I did not (and never have) had the words MBA follow my name at the top of my resume.

Now… you have every right to be proud!  It’s quite an accomplishment – however, unfortunately, there is still a stereotype out there that MBA’s have unrealistic expectations (job level, salary, etc.) when it comes to the entertainment industry – especially in untraditional areas.

The sky is the limit for an MBA in entertainment, just be prepared to start at the bottom (without any experience) and don’t use your fabulous degree as a means of introduction, use it as your wildcard to set you apart from your peers.

Manage Your Manager

So, you want to move up and don’t quite know how to make that happen… A critical part of growing is constantly finessing your upward management skills. (See more in my posting re: Are you an Assistant?)

Some tips I re-discovered lately:

1. The Boss as a Customer:  Your relationship with your boss is your most important one at work, it affects how happy you are and future mobility.

2. Communicate effectively: 
   • Meet regularly with your boss – come prepared with a list of agenda items to move through quickly.
   • Make sure that your expectations match-up – the worst is when you discover to late that you’re on a totally different page then your boss.
   • Tell your boss what you need – BE PROACTIVE, not reactive!

3. Try to Understand your boss – Observe how they act in various circumstances, how they respond to different communication styles and how they interact with their boss.  Learn from your observations and adapt your style to match what you see works.

Learning what makes your boss tick, not to mention what ticks them off, can help you improve the odds of developing a great working relationship that will lead to future (short-term and long-term) opportunities.

Do your research!

When called to come and interview with a Company, in my experience, candidates typically know a couple of company facts, a bit of company history, etc.  Perhaps I need a reality check, but I was pretty surprised the other day when I interviewed a professional candidate (vs. creative) and when asked why he was interested in the position, he replied with, “…well, I don’t know much about your company or what you really do...”  He lost me there….

This person was interviewing for an operational/business role, did not really care about the type of company, and just wanted an interesting job that was closer to home.

That’s all good – I respect a candidate that has the “work to live” mentality… But, we spend way to much time at work to not enjoy a company’s culture and people.  As a recruiter, it’s my job to find a candidate that, not only has the technical skills to do the job, but the passion and persona that works well in our culture and cultivates our collective growth.

Not being a creative/development professional is not an excuse for not researching and knowing about an entertainment company's history, product, etc. - Most entertainment companies have robust websites to prepare you for any meeting!

Salary Expectations

Does mentioning the words “Salary Expectations” make you cringe?  When a recruiter calls and asks for your current salary and/or what you’re looking for – are you uncomfortable?

No reason to be!  The primary reason recruiters ask for this information is to make sure you are in line with their budget.  You are not giving away sacred information in discussing your earnings and expectations – letting a company know where you are and where you want to be salary wise is and should be an honest and easy conversation.  Think about it, if you are earning $60K and a job only pays $45K – why do we want to waste your time?  Our time is valuable and so is yours.

Ah, but then the words “I’m flexible” come out….Be honest and realistic when it comes to your salary expectations.  When you make a career jump – company and/or next level - your expectation should be ~10%-15% above your current salary.  Be prepared to give your “bottom line” number and TRUST that the company will not low-ball you if you get to an offer stage and present you with a fair offer based on their budget and your experience.

In addition, for those of you that are moving into entertainment from a different industry, do your research on entertainment salaries – all industries are not equal and entertainment happens to pay on a lower end. (…Although, this is shifting given the current “war for talent…”)

So, in a nut shell, don’t worry about or avoid the salary conversation – do your research, be open and honest about your salary history and expectations – trust me, it makes the process more comfortable and seamless.

The Illusive World of Development

Are you one of the many aspiring creative executives that feel like you’re on the outside looking in?   You want to get in, but just can’t seem to find the right door?  It’s that proverbial ‘catch-22’ of an entry level job requiring 1-2 years relevant or development experience?  Entry level?  Key word… RELEVANT….

I recently partnered with my creative team to look at the team’s structure, players, workload, etc.  It was quite refreshing to hear, and to now tell you my aspiring creatives, that there are many doors into the creative area: Physical Production, Producing, development, advertising and/or marketing, and/or a great track record through school with interesting internships.  Creative teams want people that are passionate about trends, stories, human behavior, knowledge, current events, etc.  After all, isn’t that what story telling is about?  Interesting people, their stories, intrigue?

If you don’t have the relevant experience – be willing to get it.  Productions are always looking for good, reliable Production Assistants (PA’s); Talent agencies, Studios, and Production Companies are always looking for capable, hard-working Assistants.

The doors are there – you just need the right key.