BY: AMY WHITMAN Informational Interview

ADVERTISING AND BRAND COORDINATOR FOR BB&T Sarah Creed

What is a typical day like in your job? assist divisions at the bank on major advertising campaigns to promote the brand and our service capabilities “my day is a series of calls and meetings with teams inside and outside of the bank” In one given day:  I could be working on developing a TV spot,  consulting on content and layout of several ads,  analyzing data around clients and prospective customers,  tuning in a webinar on the latest trends in digital media,  and working on communication to our own associates about upcoming campaigns

What did you study in college? “I majored in Business Administration through the Kenan Flagler Business School” She later went back to school for her MBA at Wake Forest University She focused on picking electives that correlated with what she was studying  Sports Psychology  Sports Journalism

How did you get started in this field? Her first job was with UVA Sports Marketing, where she planned advertising, promotions and entertainment around their sports programs She then moved to a private advertising and brand strategy agency, where I worked as an Account Exec on client accounts in the healthcare, furniture, education, financial and retail industries Now she is at BB&T, where she works to promote only one client

What are the greatest challenges/rewards you experience on the job? “I’m never bored!” Working for a large organization has great benefits and resources given the size and scope, but with that comes layers that can be frustrating. It's especially challenging to work in the financial services industry, given the regulatory environment, the perception in the marketplace, and the fact that the product and services we provide are highly commoditized

What skills are necessary to be successful in this field? Ability to multi-task, think strategically, manage teams effectively to meet goals and deadlines, write well, read people and interact with all types of personalities, skillfully present information.

Three Things I Learned (1) That the jobs you have don’t have to correspond directly with your major, or even the line of work you have previously been involved with (2) Experience helps you learn what you want to do- you try one job, figure out what you like and don’t like, and then keep searching (3) You learn things along the way; each job broadens your skill set, which is extremely valuable

Three Things That Surprised Me (1) The “layers of frustration” that come with bigger companies- so much information must be taken into account before final decisions are made (2) A UNC graduate working for UVA athletics? (3) The amount of difficulty surrounding advertising divisions- “my day is a series of calls and meetings with teams inside and outside of the bank to form the right media strategy and creative ad that will help drive new business while communicating the brand image in a consistent manner.”