"Building Connections and Crafting Campaigns: Insights from Michael Hatswell on Launching a Career in Marketing"

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend one of my class with Michael Hatswell , Assistant Media Buyer/Recruiter at Essence Mediacom and our college alumnus. Thankyou professor Wendy Greenwood for conducting this session. Michael has had an impressive career in business, particularly in media planning and buying, working for Universal Pictures Canada. During his talk, he shared invaluable insights into job search strategies, networking, and business marketing—providing an honest and interesting perspective on the industry and any challenges one might face in the beginning.

Michael began by discussing his journey, from training with Adidas Canada to joining Essence Mediacom right after graduation. His journey showed the importance of balancing his interests with work roles while having a strong interest in film and entertainment, which ties into his current job Michael gave us a broader perspective on one’s responsibility through his experience, including how he helps create media campaigns that reach including millions of viewers. Breaking down research strategies, networking tips, and the day-to-day tasks of business marketing gave me a better understanding of what it takes to be successful in this field and how I get started.

Job-Seeking Strategies and Their Relevance

Michael highlighted several job-search strategies, and two that stuck out to me were building a strong LinkedIn and sewing covers and resumes. He highlighted the power of LinkedIn, not only to connect but to generate a following of industry leaders , the algorithm on the platform -And example he gave of the job postings he followed through the media and how he got to his current role by a former professor who shared job postings for Michael in the future following the guide. This chain of connections shows how LinkedIn can function as a personal agency when used appropriately.

The second option was to adapt their registration forms and cards to a specific activity. Michael advised using keywords from the job description to maximize the relevance of your application while ensuring the content feels authentic and personal. This tip helped me because I tend to take a more general approach to applications. Michael’s example has inspired me to pay more attention to aligning my experience with the roles I am interested in. These strategies will be important as I prepare to enter the competitive job market.

Key Learnings from Michael’s Case Study

Michael presented a case study that walked us through the stages of launching a media campaign for a film, from planning and audience targeting to setting key performance indicators. Two major takeaways for me were the importance of audience segmentation and the funnel-based approach in performance marketing. Michael explained how campaigns move from awareness to conversion phases, targeting specific audiences at each step to maximize engagement. This segmentation strategy surprised me, as I hadn’t fully realized the extent to which campaigns are tailored to different audience interests, demographics, and even past engagement with similar movies.

Another surprising insight was how extensively companies use retargeting based on consumer engagement. For example, if someone interacted with an ad for a previous movie, Michael’s team might target them again for a similar upcoming release. This case study not only showed me the complexity of performance marketing but also highlighted the creativity involved in media buying and planning.

Considering a Career in Performance Marketing

Michael’s enthusiasm and expertise in performance marketing definitely sparked my interest. While it’s a data-driven field, it still involves creativity in terms of strategizing and audience targeting. I found the idea of working with entertainment clients, like Michael does with Universal Pictures, to be exciting. The combination of strategic planning, market analysis, and creativity required in this field aligns well with my interests in digital marketing.

In summary, Michael’s talk provided a well-rounded view of the marketing industry and gave me practical tools to begin my own career. His job-seeking strategies, networking advice, and in-depth look into performance marketing were enlightening and actionable. Attending this session has motivated me to be more proactive in networking, refine my application materials, and explore potential paths in media buying and planning. As I work toward launching my career, I feel more prepared and inspired, thanks to the real-world advice Michael shared.

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