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Maddie Ehret

Maddie Ehret (IMC21)

Senior Associate, Digital Investment at Mindshare

 

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Tell us about your career path. How did you get where you are today?

As a Broadcast Journalism student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I had several internships in a wide variety of industries, but I was unsure of where I could see myself in a future career setting. During my senior year, I applied to the IMC program and was excited to learn of my acceptance shortly after COVID-19 made its way around the world. Throughout my journey at Medill, I was interested in a career related to strategic communications but found interest in combining this with an analytical side after serving as a TA for Financial Accounting with Professor Tony Poidomani. This led me to the investment world where I regularly use numbers and data to help paint a picture of a client’s media campaigns.

What are your main responsibilities in your current role?
As a Senior Associate in Digital Investment, my role involves overseeing the financial aspects related to digital video and display campaigns for clients. Though my day-to-day tasks differ, my main responsibilities include ensuring alignment between the client and partners, communicating and confirming budgets, negotiating dollars and flighting, monitoring traffic across campaigns, ensuring billing is accurate each month, overseeing and aiding junior team members with tasks and so much more.

How did the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time program prepare you for your career?
IMC thoroughly instilled the concept of not only how certain consumer habits occur, but why. Through every campaign I help launch, I am able to see how consumers interact with our content, the performance metrics and how this comes full circle based on our various KPIs. In an increasingly technological world, IMC prepared me with the knowledge of traditional media concepts combined with modern applications and approaches. Medill not only prepared me for my future career, but for my livelihood in a constantly advancing world.

What did you do during Immersion Quarter?
During the Summer of 2021 Immersion Quarter, I collaborated with four amazing classmates to help revamp the Walgreens myRewards loyalty program. By analyzing three consumer segments, we strived to localize the newly revamped program and strengthen the brand’s image among program members. This was especially fascinating to observe during the time of COVID-19 and understand how these actions were going to impact not only Walgreens consumers, but any and all who were impacted by the pandemic.

What is a class or experience that stuck out in your mind and why?
Crisis Communications with professors Nancy Hobor and Ernest Duplessis was one of the most beneficial courses throughout my IMC curriculum. The lessons learned in this course are fundamental to understanding the relationships between stakeholders, consumers, employees and the overall reputation of any company. Since graduation, I often find myself utilizing class ideologies, both in my personal life when reading the news and professional life in a work setting!

How has Medill Career Services helped you?
Medill’s Career Service Center allowed me to see the full potential in myself from numerous perspectives. When reviewing my resume, they encouraged me to build not only critical skills, but numerical insights as well. Getting to connect with other IMC alumni allowed me to learn about their professional experiences and how to take advantage of my time in the program.

What other types of master’s programs did you consider?
I had only considered IMC! As my mother was an alumna of the Class of 1982, I grew up hearing stories of the late Professor Don Schultz, views of Lake Michigan, the success of her classmates and, of course, lots of purple! This inspired me to take a Northwestern direction and create my own IMC journey.

How can your industry be more inclusive and representative of society?
Though the media industry has made strides in inclusion and representation, there is still much room for improvement. Understanding the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion is vital to the growth and advancement of any organization, especially within senior leadership. The industry should continue to strive for social awareness within the marketplace. While industry leaders aim to connect with the untapped market of Gen Z, in order to truly understand this generation, they have to better understand their values and align with them.

How have your identities influenced the way you navigate your professional career?
As a woman, I am proud to see the increasing number of women within the professional world. I look to senior female leadership on an almost daily basis for guidance in strengthening my skillsets and understanding the real world implications of the work we perform. In the future, I hope to serve as a mentor and guide those starting out in their careers.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time program?
When I was considering IMC, I made sure to join any introductory sessions and reach out to current and former program members. I also did my own research about the subject area to better understand the industry as a whole. This program gives you the critical, creative and analytical skills to prepare you for your professional career. If you are interested in a well-rounded program that will propel you into the future of any industry, look no further than IMC!