Andrew Steelman

MMC Scholars

November 7^th, 2015

Informational Interview

For my informational interview, I met with Krysten Phillips, a digital marketing manager for Red Roof Inns Inc. Krysten works at the Red Roof headquarters in the brewery district of Columbus. The address of the headquarters is 605 South Front Street Columbus, Ohio 43215. Her work telephone number is 614-980-4055 and her email is kphillips@redroof.com. The headquarters started as just one building at the 605 S Front street location, but because the company has expanded so much in the last decade, Red Roof bought another building right next to the headquarters and have about half of their employees there, while the other half, including Krysten, are in the first building. When Krysten first got her job with Red Roof Inn, she was in the second building and worked in an office with two interns. However, she was part of the marketing team and the rest of the marketing team was in the first building. So recently, Krysten has been moved to a cubicle in the first building with the rest of the marketing team at Red Roof Inn. The buildings that act as the headquarters are very nice. They are brick and look old on the outside but inside, the headquarters are very modern and upscale. I met with Krysten in the first building, but was not able to see where she worked. She only told me that she worked in a cubicle with the rest of her marketing team close by her. For the interview, we walked outside, across a courtyard like area, and then headed into the second building. We sat in Krysten’s old office, where she was accompanied by two interns. The second building had a very different feel to it than the first. The first building had hardwood floors and was well lit. The second building was carpeted and a little darker. I liked both settings in each of the buildings, but the second building seemed more relaxed and I really liked that about it. There were still cubicles in the second building, but Krysten didn’t have to work in any of them. Krysten said that she also enjoyed the environment of the second building better because she had an office space where her and the interns could all bounce ideas off of each other. The buildings themselves were multiple floors in height, but I never went on any other levels than the ground floors of each building. The atmosphere in the first building seemed a little more professional while the second building seemed a little more laid back, but as far as dress code goes it was pretty laid back. This might have been because I went on a Friday and the dress code could have been casual. The men were wearing jeans and a collared shirt and the women were wearing jeans with regular shirts on. Everyone looked nice, but it was far from a business professional dress code, which was another reason the office seemed like a more relaxed environment.

I was interested in this job position because MMC has opened me up to the idea of maybe majoring in marketing. I had no real desire to before joining MMC, but that’s because I never really thought about what kind of job I could have with a marketing degree. After seeing what Krysten did on an average day and how see felt about her job, I would definitely consider it. One thing that Krysten told me that she loved about her job was that she would do something different everyday. Some days she would work on using social media to advertise her company, and other days she would work on something P.R. (public relations) related. I like the variety the job provides because I am someone who couldn’t get caught up in doing the same thing everyday, but mostly Krysten creates content for properties websites. The only thing Krysten did not really like was how she had to work in a cubicle. I have never really wanted to work in a cubicle, but as long as the work is interesting I don’t think I would have to much of a problem with it.

As far as education goes, you don’t need to have a degree in marketing to get a marketing job, but it helps. Krysten majored in strategic communications, but she has worked in many marketing positions. However, communications share a lot of similar traits that are needed in marketing and Krysten said one of her favorite and most helpful class was a public speaking class. It was a persuasive public speaking class and she said it not only helped her in her professional career, but also in everyday life as well. On top of public speaking, other skills she recommended to have for this job position were multitasking, being able to prioritize, communication with those whom you work with, and being able to handle stress. Krysten said that in her past marketing jobs, she was put under a lot of stress so being able to manage it was key for her success. In the past, she worked in sales and marketing for a catering company in Columbus. She then worked her way up to the top catering service in the city, but she handled all aspects of the companies marketing and was put under a lot of pressure. This is part of the reason she came to work for Red Roof Inn Inc.

The digital marketing field is relatively new and is changing all the time. Right now Krysten uses social media to reach her possible customers but with new technology and new ways to connect with people via the internet, the field is not going to stay the same. It is a rapidly changing field, but I think this makes it more interesting and exciting. The future of the field is unknown but this means that a job in digital marketing will never get you feeling like you’re in a rut.

In the marketing field, there are many careers to choose from. Some of these would be advertising related and many are media related. For example, I could be an advertising manager, an advertising sales director, a media coordinator, or a media director. I would deal with how my company represents itself to the public through use of advertisements.

Overall, my experience at Red Roof Inn Inc. was very positive. I loved the headquarters and it gave me a new perspective on life in the office. The only other time I’ve been in an office like that was with my mom when I visited her at work after school, but it was still a very different atmosphere. My mom’s office was very plain and even boring looking. The Red Rood Inn headquarters gave off a vibe that seemed much more fun.