Interview with a Marketer
Description: The purpose of this assignment is to interview a (degreed or VERY experienced)
marketing professional. This includes professionals that work as CMOs (chief marketing officers),
ad execs, marketing research professionals, sales managers/sales representatives, brand managers,
advertising professionals, and others whose primary job duties involve marketing. (See me if you
need clarification.)
Deliverable: The deliverable for this assignment should be between 6-7 pages. The first 2-3 pages
should concisely review background materials that you researched for the interview. You are
required to at least read/reference:
1. One article from a marketing journal (e.g., Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Psychology &
Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Affairs, etc…) that you can
use to ask a research-type question(s) to the interviewee (e.g., How do you think such and
such theory relates to your industry? –Job? etc…)
2. One article from a marketing trade journal – Advertising Age (Ad Age), AdWeek, Marketing
Week etc… (cf. http://napkinmarketing.com/canadian-us-uk-marketing-magazines/) – to
ask a question related to the interviewee’s job, industry, etc…
3. Three to four other references that you choose from reputable sources to ask great
questions!
Structure: The first third of the assignment should synthesize what you read. The middle
portion of the assignment should synthesize the answers to your questions. While you can insert
the questions directly with the answers (as an appendix, encouraged), you should NOT consider this part of the length requirement. Rather, you should synthesize the knowledge gained from the answers in paragraph style (e.g., like a news reporter). Moreover, the assignment should conclude
with a reflection on the conversation. What did you learn? Are you more/less interested in pursuing a career that deals with marketing after your discussion? Others as appropriate. Finally, the assignment should directly address the impact of COVID-19 where appropriate. In particular, how has COVID-19 impacted the company/industry under consideration, and what will its perceived
impact be going forward?