Pitt AMA’s GBM on November 10th, 2020 kicked off with a presentation from President of Root and Branch, Zack Duncan. Root and Branch provides its clients with transparent, intelligent, and effective digital marketing solutions, including media and content planning, messaging, and channel strategizing. Prior to becoming the President of Root and Branch, Zack completed a multitude of marketing functions such as brand planning and strategizing for multiple large companies before focusing on Root and Branch.
While presenting, Zack referred to the Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma” which focuses on how social media continuously makes money from those who use social media through ad revenue and algorithms. Zack described the goal of social media companies: to boost engagement through shares, likes, conversations, video views, and more. Social media monetization is based off of monthly active users (MAU) and average revenue per user (APRU), which can be determined by how much time each individual spends on social media and how many advertisements they interact with. So, what is The Social Dilemma? If social media brings in large amounts of revenue, what is the dilemma?
Rebecca Rhoades, Career Development Program Manager at Pitt stepped in to describe the problems with social media, of which she has witnessed through personal experience. The issue with social media is that information, whether accurate or not, can spread like wildfire and social media companies can profit off of spread of “fake news”. Rebecca described a time when all of her social media accounts were hacked and bots manipulated her accounts. They shared posts of political views and followed different accounts under her name. While some social media platforms helped her track the bots and shut down the accounts, her experience goes to show the desire to spread information and increase engagement for profit.
​Zack wrapped up the presentation with a few wise words of advice; he recommended to always read varying news sources when looking for accurate information. Not everything you see on social media is accurate, as the information may have alternative motives. Those who joined the presentation definitely saw another view of social media and left the meeting much more informed! Thank you Zack Duncan and Rebecca Rhoades for presenting for AMA!
Pitt AMA's Marketing Week for 2020 came to a close after having a very successful week, and being the first ever entirely-virtual large event Pitt AMA has hosted, it was certainly a change from the norm. The events in their entirety went super smooth, and it is all thanks to the continuous effort that was put in by both the guests as well as the week's coordinators - most prominently: Vice President, Louis Weimer, and President, Rachel Hannum. The final day of Marketing Week was spectacularly presented by Lauren Loughnane, a Pitt Business Alum who now works at Google as a Program Manager for Youtube BrandConnect.
Lauren talked through the process of graduating from Pitt leading into future job opportunities, and most critically pointed out how important determination and persistence are in reaching your goals. Lauren had always known she wanted to work for Google, but it was not a straight-forward path, nor an easy one. After applying countless times across several years while working many various management, director, and related jobs she was at last welcomed to work for her dream company. While working at Google surely has many perks to it, Lauren made sure to mention how enjoyable it is being able to complete all her work from home during COVID, and likewise how easy Google has made that transitioning process for their employees.
​ Additionally, being that Google has many brands and divisions within the company, Lauren spoke on the ease of communication between departments and how the company encourages their employees to branch off into new experiences internally. Having reached this incredible milestone a couple years ago, Lauren had plenty of answers, tips, advice, and more for Pitt AMA, and encouraged everyone to believe in themselves and never give up. Lauren's career is an exemplary framework for working hard, improving yourself over time, and staying focused on your big goals in life.
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A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the events throughout the week - we know it was a lot! And an even BIGGER thanks to all of our incredible guests who attended across the course of the week - it could not have happened without you all and we are abundantly grateful. Here's to hoping that next year's Marketing Week can be conducted in-person in a healthier, less chaotic world!
Hello AMA!
As finals end and summer starts, it’s easy to look back at the school year and wish things had a different ending. As a graduating senior, there are so many Pitt lasts that I wish I had. However, there are so many more moments that I’m grateful I had.
This year, many of my proudest and favorite moments came from AMA. Not just because I had the opportunity to be a leader in an organization I joined my first semester at Pitt or because I led an executive board of amazing friends, but because AMA became more than just an organization this year. It became a community.
Our executive board was dedicated to rebuilding AMA this year into the strong and fun group we once were. We developed three major goals that would help us get there.
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Grow our professionalism as an organization
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Foster better relationships with professionals
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Host more outside AMA social events
I believe we made great strides in accomplishing these goals as we welcomed speakers from the Penguins, PPG, Brunner, Gatesman, and Merkle. We had workshops in resume building, Canva, elevator pitching, and diversity and inclusion. We had our strongest and most colorful marketing week: The Art of Marketing where we learned from a student panel, professionals, and visited the downtown Moxie office. We also initiated a strong partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods who hosted our annual regional conference at their corporate headquarters. There we welcomed 80+ students and professionals from the Steelers, Highmark, Fedex, TechBlue, Saxbys, and more.
Our committees also came to life this year. Involvement in committees more than doubled this year from last year. Key Creations began to work with a local business in the South Side called Wings Over and with a Pitt student organization called Food Recovery Heroes. Our PR team built our AMA brand and created fun and engaging content for our social media and a brand new website that features a blog. Our case team worked throughout the year on a national case as well as developed a one of a kind case for competitors at our regional conference. Our sales team traveled to places like West Virginia and Florida to represent our University and from that earned recognition and even internships. By no means was it a slow year for AMA.
We clearly grew professionally this year, but I would also say we started to earn back our self proclaimed title of “Most Fun Pitt Business Organization.” We attended a Pirate’s game, painted pumpkins to destress during midterms, hosted a delicious Friendsgiving, and visited the Winter Garden at Phipps. We also volunteered at the Great Race, PMADD, and donated to the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh.
We’re a good group inside the classroom, the city, and the world. For that reason, AMA was selected at the second best Pitt Business Student Organization during the 2019-2020 academic year. Earning this recognition proves that all strides we made in rebuilding AMA this year were noticed and applauded. I could not be more proud of AMA earning this award as I conclude my time at Pitt.
It was my aim as AMA President to leave the organization better than I found it. Looking back, I can proudly say I was able to do that. If you’re reading this and you’re a member of our AMA community, make it your goal to leave Pitt AMA a little better than you found it too. Whether that’s by joining the e-board to lead a new initiative, joining a committee to improve a specific aspect of the group, or even something as small as asking a guest speaker a question. There’s no contribution too big or small.
It’s been a pleasure being AMA’s President over the past year and I look forward to seeing how AMA grows over the next few years.
Hail to Pitt and Hail to AMA!
Thank you,
Jess Barone
As a freshman in the business school this year, things could sometimes seem daunting. I didn’t know that many people and wasn’t sure how to begin my journey as a business student. I decided to join Pitt AMA as a way to connect with people in the same major as me, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of my journey.
Some of my favorite events from this year include the site visit to Moxie, Halloween pumpkin painting, and Dee from PPG speaking about color marketing. Pitt AMA has given me something to always look forward to every Tuesday night. I think my favorite part of this year was the Regional Conference. Getting to go to the Dick’s Sporting Goods headquarters and having a day full of professional panels, workshops, and networking was an amazing experience: I’m so thankful Pitt AMA gave me that opportunity. I’ve also had a lot of fun on the PR committee this year, from getting to make graphics and posting on the social medias to making blogs posts just like this one to go up on the website!
Not only has Pitt AMA provided me countless opportunities to further my professionalism, but also connected me to a network of wonderful friends whom I can learn from. I think Pitt AMA was the best choice I made for my freshman year and am so sad that it was cut short. But, it just makes me more excited for the fall semester and the upcoming years. I would 100% recommend Pitt AMA to anyone new to the business school or looking for a fun way to get involved on campus. H2P!
​For this week’s GBM, we had the pleasure of hearing from Julie Kirsch who works in client strategy at Merkle. Julie discussed with us digital marketing and advertising diving into the importance of them and how they fit into business. Additionally, she gave us an overview of strategy and discussed the strategic roadmap. Members remained engaged throughout her presentation asking questions about the data behind artificial intelligence and the tools used for digital marketing and advertising. Julie encouraged members to take advantage of free tools and practice their skills. For several companies including Merkle, showing that you are a self-starter can go a long way in an interview. We want to thank Julie for her great presentation and advice and the students from the voices slate who came in to speak to us about student government board (SGB) elections. Remember to vote for your new SGB on February 25th!
We know that we are a little late on this, but congratulations to our November 2019 Member of the Month, Louis Weimer!
​ Louis is a sophomore marketing major working on a certificate in digital media. Besides being an outstanding Pitt AMA member, Louis works hard within the two Pitt AMA committees Public Relations and Consulting and creates photo/video content for Pitt FSAE. Louis is being recognized for his attendance and engagement during the month of November and for all his contributions to Pitt AMA’s committees. He is currently in the interview process for summer 2020 internships, and we wish him all the luck! Pitt AMA is lucky to have you, Louis!