I recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Media & Journalism, with a focus on Advertising & Public Relations. This degree gave me the opportunity to take specialized classes that have prepared me for a career in advertising. These classes ranged from research, data analysis, creative, strategy, and media planning. I have highlighted some key takeaways from these courses below. For more details, check out my page on classwork.
Research Courses: My favorite aspect of my research courses was the data analysis. Looking at data and finding the “why” behind the facts, connecting the dots, and finding an actionable insights was very exciting to me. A huge part of this was also learning to ask the right questions, because you can’t get the best answers without the best questions.
Creative Courses: My biggest takeaways from these courses are that I love the brainstorming stages and the copywriting, and that I am not skilled in art direction. I was not surprised by my lack of artistic prowess as my current artwork is nearly indistinguishable from my work with stick figures in elementary school. However, I was pleasantly surprised not only by my skill but by my passion for copywriting and video editing. Both of these allowed me to tell a story or get a message across in a specific manner that evoked a specific feeling.
Strategy Courses: These were my favorite courses because I was able to put the things I loved from my research and creative courses together. Under the large umbrella of strategy, I was able to ask the right questions, analyze data, find actionable insights, pick the optimal story/message to tell, creatively brainstorm to solve complex problems, and use my copywriting skills to produce inspiring creative briefs.
“Creative without strategy is called ‘art’. Creative with strategy is called ‘advertising’”
Jef I. Richards
While I have graduated from UNC, I am not done learning about advertising and strategy in particular. Below are some resources that I have been using to continue my education:
- Confessions of an Advertising Man – David Ogilvy
- The Hero and the Outlaw – Margaret Mark & Carol S. Pearson
- Super Strategist – Lesley Bielby
- On Strategy Showcase – Podcast by Fergus O’Carroll
- How Brands Grow – Byron Sharp