Breaking In…Media, Marketing and Brand Development

The cornerstone of this year’s Breaking In program is our highly recommended Overview of Media & Entertainment Overview, with a special focus on Marketing and Brand Development. In it, you’ll learn how the Media & Entertainment business is structured, how its individual parts interact and how they are all held together by brands and how they’re marketed.

While not a prerequisite to participating in our more focused Spotlight series, the information you’ll acquire in this segment will be an invaluable frame of reference with which to better understand the challenges and rewards of a career in the global Media & Entertainment business.

You’ll hear from marketing professionals about how to manage and grow a media brand, what kinds of personalities and skills are best suited to different Media & Entertainment specialties, and what kinds of preparation and sacrifices those careers require. Once you do, you’ll be much better able to evaluate the hundreds of different career paths offered by News, sports, financial information, or general entertainment, and all of the ways they get delivered.

Topics to be covered:

• What is Media & Entertainment in the digital age?
• How has globalization changed the industry?
• What parts of the business offer the best opportunities?
• What skills will you need to succeed in each of them?
• What type of education and practical experiences will give you the best chance of success?
• What kind of life and lifestyle can you expect?

Breaking In – Schedule
Saturday Afternoon:
Students will arrive at Simon’s Rock between noon and 1 pm and be registered and assigned rooms. Sandwiches and salads will be served near our classroom.
1 to 2 pm – registration and lunch

2 to 2:30 pm – Introduction… Jerry will explain the Breaking In point of view, what we’re going to do, how the sessions are going to be recorded and what we hope to accomplish. he’ll also introduce the faculty and take any questions.

2:30 to 3:30 pm – “It’s all about you !” Phyllis will lead a roundtable Q&A discussion among senior and junior faculty focusing on why figuring out who you are is critical to making smart decisions about your life and career. What matters to you? How important is your career vs. your personal life? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you like to do? What don’t you like to do? What kind of life do you want? How hard are you willing to work, and ultimately, what do you expect to get back for your efforts? She’ll also provide an overview of Myers Briggs and how students can use it and other methods to help them answer these important questions.

3:30 to 4:30 pm – Jerry will MC transition to “following in their footsteps,” in which Joel will lead a Q&A discussion among the faculty about how they found their own career paths. Where they went to school? What they studied? What kind of internships and non-academic activities they participated in? Which parts of their early preparation were the most helpful, and which were not? Most important, they’ll be asked what they wish they had done when they were preparing for their own careers, and what kind of personal-educational-experiential package they look for in prospective hires? How many times did they change course along the way…are they still changing?

4:30 to 5 pm – Jerry will MC summary of what we’ll have covered up to this point and explain what’s to come that evening and Sunday. Kids will then have an hour of free time to go their rooms or explore the campus before dinner.

6 to 9 pm – Campfire and barbeque dinner – casual and open, one-on-one and small group discussions among and between faculty and students. Using the brief insights gained during the afternoon, students will be encouraged to get to know the faculty members in hopes of relating with their experiences, as well as their individual life and career goals.

Sunday Morning:
A continental breakfast will be served near our classroom, and students will also have the option of visiting the SR cafeteria.

9 to 9:30 am – Jerry will MC a brief summary of what we covered on Saturday and set the stage for the material that is still to be presented.

9:30 to 10:30 am – “How’s it working, so far?” Session leader TBD. Senior and junior faculty will be asked to talk about their careers and how they affect and shape their personal lives. Do they enjoy their work and get satisfaction from it? Do they have financial and job security? Are there changes they wish they had made along the way? Are they planning to make future changes? Did they learn and profit from mistakes? Would they do it all over again, the same way? What would they have done differently? Do they plan on further changes?

10:30 to noon – “Where is it all going?” Jerry will lead a Q&A discussion among the faculty about global trends and how they view their current professional situations. Will technology create larger opportunities? What will they look like? Will it cause their particular specialty to radically change or even become obsolete? What changes do they feel they will personally need to make in order to remain relevant ? Which parts of the business do they feel offer young people the best opportunities?

Noon to 12:30 pm to1:30 pm – Conclusion and Lunch. Jerry will MC a wrap up of what Breaking In has covered and how students can continue the process when they leave. Lunch will be served near the classroom before boarding transportation home.