Traci Blue (IMC22)

Senior Analyst, Hilton Honors B2B Strategy

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

I had a bit of an unconventional path to where I am currently. My undergraduate degree is in Biomedical Science from Ohio State University, but through my time in undergrad, I discovered market research and the science behind marketing. I was intrigued by this concept that I had never known about before.

After completing undergrad, I worked at a small shopper marketing agency back home in Kansas CIty. I liked the work but felt there were more areas of marketing and communications I wanted exposure to. I had already identified back in undergrad that I wanted to do the IMC program at Northwestern for my graduate studies, so that was the clear next step.

In the IMC program I was able to refine my understanding of my own interests and determined consumer insights and strategy was where I wanted to focus my career for the moment.

What are your main responsibilities in your current role?

I work to understand how our loyalty program is performing with different business traveler segments and identify areas for program optimization or innovation so that we can offer a valuable stay experience.

How did the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full-Time program prepare you for your career?

The program helped me to think more methodically and strategically. In IMC we spend time across many courses learning how to go deep into the “why?” - why are we seeing a specific consumer behavior? Why are we recommending a certain solution? Developing the ability to more naturally go the step deeper has been fundamental in developing valuable insights.

What did you do during Immersion Quarter?

My Immersion Quarter project was with Seaworld Parks and Entertainment. My  team was tasked with defining customer segments for the parks utilizing data from their CRM platform.

What is a class or experience that stick out in your mind and why?

One of my favorite experiences was going on the London Global Perspectives trip with classmates where we were able to deep dive into omnichannel marketing. It was impactful to take our learnings from the classroom and see how they are put into practice in every day life. Additionally, being able to see how truly global IMC is through office visits with alumni made it clear just how far our learnings could take us in the future.

How has Medill Career Services helped you?

Best Meets Best, held in our final quarter of the program, was a series that brought top companies to the IMC program and allowed students the opportunity to hear more directly from those working in marketing and communications functions and also have one on one networking conversations. This series exposed me to many companies and the impressive work they were doing and helped me to expand my network as I searched for career opportunities.

What other types of master’s programs did you consider?

I did consider MBA programs. However, I knew that I was interested in marketing and wanted that to be at the forefront of my learning experience. I appreciate that the IMC program, also supplements it’s marketing and communications curriculum with accounting, leadership, and data courses.

How can your industry be more inclusive and representative of society?

We should prioritize understanding and meeting the diverse needs of travelers. This means actively seeking guest feedback to tailor services, such as offering culturally relevant amenities and personalized experiences. By fostering an environment that values each traveler’s identity and preferences, we can help to ensure positive experiences where people feel welcomed and understood.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Medill Integrated Marketing Communications Full Time program?

Stay open to new opportunities. It’s easy to get comfortable or narrow your focus into one area or path but growth happens when we try new things and get out of our comfort zones.