Erin George (HCB, ’23, MSM, ’24) is a marketing professional whose role illustrates the changing world of marketing. While George’s job at Pilot Flying J involves traditional marketing tasks like creating campaigns, it also requires a deeper knowledge of statistical analysis than previous generations of marketers needed to know. “This field is more data-driven than ever, and I see that trend continuing,” says George. “Not all marketers will be responsible for performing the analytics that drive business decisions, but every marketer is expected to understand results and derive insights.”
Creating campaigns and analyzing results
George works on Pilot’s loyalty strategy team. Alongside her team, she’s responsible for creating and monitoring global and personalized loyalty campaigns, a role that requires her to make data-driven decisions while ensuring that they align with the company’s brand and customer needs. “I analyze our campaigns to see what had statistically significant results and diagnose how we could improve,” she says. “I also spend a lot of time researching other loyalty programs and investigating our first-party data to help develop new, innovative ideas.”
The role is a technical one, requiring knowledge and skills that most undergraduate marketing programs don’t provide. While George says it’s possible to learn these skills on the job, she’s grateful for the preparation she received in Haslam’s Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) program.
A solid education for today’s marketing world
George developed an interest in marketing while studying management at the Haslam College of Business. As a junior, she declared marketing as a second major and began looking at options for a graduate degree. “I chose the MSM program at Haslam because it offers the best value out of every program I applied to, and has the most diverse range of courses,” George says. She also appreciated that the program is only 10 months long. “The fast pace and collaborative nature of the MSM made my transition into the field easy.”
George entered the MSM program feeling uncertain about her data and analytical skills, but the course sequence and experiences along the way helped her gain confidence. Courses covering quantitative insights, data visualization, and storytelling built upon each other to create a solid foundation. “By the end of the program, I was confident to take the lead on data analysis—and I realized I enjoy this part of marketing.”
In addition to the coursework, George found many opportunities to network and craft a personal brand while going through the program. “For example, I created a digital portfolio and attended mock interviews that prepared me to stand out to employers on the job hunt,” she says. “Applying myself in group settings and putting in the work to learn—not just memorize—the material paid dividends and continues to do so at my current job.”
As marketing approaches continue to become more digitally-driven, George says graduates need to think about ways to differentiate themselves in a crowded field. “People with nontraditional marketing backgrounds are competing for some of these roles as the space shifts,” she says. “I suggest leveraging your network and boldly putting yourself out there. After graduation, continue to foster relationships and stay in touch.”
