Career and Major

My decision to pursue marketing formed from several interests as well as prominent teachers throughout high school. It started in middle school, where I had a passion for journalism; I loved researching topics and finding ways to express myself through writing and photography. This passion continued into high school when I took Intro to Journalism my sophomore year. My teacher, Mrs. Kenner assigned us an advertising project in which we had to create a product, its packaging, and an advertisement for it. I was the most enthusiastic member of our group by far; I wanted everything to be just right. It was then that my focus shifted more towards advertising and public relations. Fast forward to my junior year Advanced Placement Composition course, it was then that I fell in love with the power of persuasion and rhetoric and how with the twist of one word how the entire meaning of a paragraph can change. I loved analyzing political speeches and trying to find arguments in everything. Then came along Mr. Marshall my senior year for my economics course. For the first time ever I found myself reading through the chapters assigned in the text book even though I did not need to. He was by far the best teacher I had ever had because he explained everything so well.

So when freshman preview came around that following summer, I was beyond lost at what major I should select. The list of all the majors available at UF is beyond overwhelming. I loved the persuasion and creativity in advertising or public relations, but I loved the logic behind economics. So, basically on a whim, I chose marketing as my major. It was the combination of various influences in my life that led me to this career path.

Now that I look back though I have always really been interested in promotions such as the super bowl commercials, newspaper sales papers, and store displays. Like a lot of Americans one of my favorite parts of the Super Bowl is the commercials. According to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association 23.4% of Super Bowl viewers in 2010, felt like advertisements were the most important part of the Super Bowl. This shows how the advertising industry has gained so much influence, as well as support.




This has shaped my life because it made me consider the way brands choose to brand and present themselves. Also, growing up I enjoyed looking through all the brochures and sales papers on our kitchen table every morning when I ate breakfast. I liked looking at the layouts as well as how they promoted their products. Companies that I respect as great marketers include: Coca Cola, Apple, Google, and Facebook. All of these companies have gained immense popularity and have integrated into pop culture through their marketing strategies. I discussed this in our class blog post on iconic images, in which I analyzed the Coca Cola logo and their broad reach. The Coca Cola label is now recognized around the world, selling 1.4 billion drinks daily. Growing up Coca Cola way always around, in commercials, billboards, and vending machines on school campuses. This has sparked my interest in how brands create such a large base for themselves. Another example is Apple, which markets their phones through a combination of innovative technology, user-friendly software, and catchy advertisements. But what Apple is most notorious for is timing strategy, they release new features slowly and slowly lower the price of their older versions, making each new product more appealing to the customer. It is strategies from companies such as Apple that really interest me in the field of marketing. I feel like growing up in such a consumer based society has shaped my passion towards marketing as well.