Marketing & Finding Meanings: My New Step on Digital Marketing
Hi there,
Welcome to my blog!
You might have found this page through my class publication “Marketing in The Age of Digital” or because perhaps one day (I hope) one of my posts gain enough traction (like what Gen-Z says right, we are manifesting). Either way, you seem to be interested in Digital Marketing topic. Whether you are a Marketer or not, learning about this realm has become essential to our life. On average, Americans spend eight hours a day on digital media. That means nearly half of our waking hours.
As a Marketing graduate student in NYC and a former Brand Manager from a Fortune Global 500, count me in as your friend to explore the Digital Marketing space! I will share my pieces of thoughts weekly.
As we go further, let me introduce myself :)
My friends called me Mai. I am a proud Indonesian born in a coastal city. If you haven’t heard much about my country, it has a unique landscape as the largest archipelagic country in the world. We have over 17,000 islands, 1,000 ethnics, and 700 languages. It is well-known by tourists for the people’s friendliness and hospitality.
I spent my early childhood with my late grandfather in a diverse military housing community as he was a soldier. It was fifty years after Indonesia’s independence and we have a deep-rooted value in community. It formed Indonesia’s slogan “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” or Unity in Diversity.
This upbringing led me to listen to and observe people’s stories since. My neighbors came from different races and religions but we have a warm kinship. I was taught that respecting and helping others is part of practicing my faith.
Little did I know, today I realized this background has shaped my marketing passion, which is rooted in empathy, communication, and help others to solve their problem.
Where the Marketing gig started.
Here’s a funny story. Back in the military housing, not every house had a phone. Since my grandparents did, they let our neighbors come over to use it. One day, my neighbor was surprised to see a 3-year-old me in front of their house trying to tell them that they got a phone call. I was the one who picked up the call and ran over to their house to let them know. I guess it marks the beginning of my interest in observing people and communicating with them.
When Empathy Skill Meets Business
After completing my Business degree, I joined a global consumer goods company as a Marketing Trainee. Over six years, I managed 12 brands in the Personal Care and Foods category. In my role as Brand Manager, I was responsible for the total business. It encompasses brand building, media investment, innovations, and P&L delivery.
It is undeniable that today being Digital Marketing savvy is crucial. Brands I worked on invest highly in YouTube, Meta, and Google Search. However, I realized that this channel is vast and dynamic. There is much to learn. In evaluating digital marketing effectiveness, I often bumped into discussions about the intersection between digital media and the content itself, as well as the ROI.
Onboard with me, learning together!
Here are some things I expect to share:
- Observation of brands’ core applications of marketing. How to ensure that the consumer journey reaches conversion?
- Content. As my Professor — Joanne Tombrakos ever said in one of my classes, “Everyone is a storyteller”. I hope to also make my way to be a great storyteller. Part of it is by analyzing what makes great content.
- Digital media ecosystem including its performance metrics such as CPA, and CTR.
- Advancements in digital marketing, especially with the growth of AI.
I hope my future blog posts will help you better understand the Digital Marketing world and inspire you to develop your strategies, whether for business or personal use.
La crème de la crème!
I have been trying to live life purposefully for the past few years. I discovered that my faith taught me to reflect and find meaning in every aspect of life, including in my Marketing career. This drives me to name the blog canal “Marketing and Finding Meanings”.
So, what is your story? This medium is a safe space to exchange ideas. I am looking forward to reading yours in the comment section.
‘Til next week!
