At CDM, we talk about “hot jobs,” which are jobs that need to go out to the client that day. These jobs are stressed in our “hot sheet” meetings, which occur daily. Hot sheet meetings are usually led by brand coordinators, but when a team doesn’t have a brand coordinator the meetings are led by their project managers. Our jobs are really unique because we’re really into the work and we have to know the ins and outs of every job to make sure that the workflow process is going smoothly.

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SS: What is your typical day like?

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PH: There is no day that is exactly the same with this job! I always begin the day by checking my emails. We submit jobs to the clients through an online system, so personally I like to check this system in the morning to see if the client has reviewed it. Doing this helps us anticipate when we should be receiving client feedback or medical and legal feedback, because most of the time they’re going to have changes to be incorporated in the work that we do.

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That’s one thing about pharmaceutical advertising, there’s so much process and approval that needs to be met before the work is finalized! If you’re into process or having an orderly system of the way work is supposed to go, pharmaceutical advertising is perfect for you.

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SS: What brought you to advertising?

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PH: It was my senior year of college and I was part of the T. Howard Foundation, which is a program for minority students who were interested in working in the entertainment industry. I had just finished that program and was really inspired by the people in that group. As a corporate communications major and English minor, I knew that I wanted work involving storytelling.

 

I’m also a pop culture junkie so advertising was definitely a fun niche! I was working at the study abroad office and I was at a crossroads. I didn’t have a job lined up after graduation and I was talking to a coworker who was a part of MAIP, which sounded perfect because I had a previous internship where I had to track things happening in advertising and I really enjoyed that. So I gave MAIP a try!

 

When working on the application, it had me answer personal questions like “Why do you want to do advertising?” That’s when it clicked to me that this was definitely something I wanted to pursue. The power of how different advertising pieces can influence people’s lives and start a conversation made me go for this industry. Being in the MAIP program also drove me towards this passion.

 

 

SS: Where did you intern as a MAIP fellow?

 

PH: I interned at Merkley + Partners, which is a consumer agency, doing strategic and account planning. Beforehand, I interned at NBC doing market intelligence, so I had already had a strategic mindset that pushed me towards account planning. I still want to go into account planning! That’s currently one of my goals.

 

 

SS: How did you become a brand coordinator?

 

PH: I knew that strategy and account planning would be difficult to break into entry-level, so I began looking into other ways into that department. I became a brand coordinator at CDM New York because I really resonated with the company at their info session. I thought it was so cool that they were working with Health Care Professionals and advertising drugs that change people’s lives.

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It gave me a sense of purpose! I did not have any experience in pharmaceutical advertising so I spoke with Human Resources, who recommended this position as a way to begin learning more about it. What’s unique about this position is that it’s essentially a program specifically at this agency for entry-level people.

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I definitely recommend it because it helps you understand the intricacies of the pharmaceutical industry, which will help you in the future, whether you want to go towards creative, account or project management. I definitely appreciate this role because I get exposure to both the client-facing side and internal management.

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SS: What has been your most difficult experience in this industry to date?

 

PH: For me, coming from a strategic mindset and transferring these skills to a management position was difficult. Account and project managers are constantly balancing so many tasks! You have to make sure that everyone is doing their work internally as well as satisfying the client’s wants and needs. Sometimes the client may not want what you specifically plan for and you have to adjust accordingly.

 

Literally anything can happen and you have to be flexible and adaptable to every situation. Also when I was a strategy intern, I was doing a lot of creative thinking and research behind the scenes whereas as a brand coordinator or if you want to go into account management, you have to put yourself out there and establish good relationships all the time.

 

 

SS: What has been your greatest accomplishment in this industry so far?

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PH: Organizing and helping lead the tactical planning for a client. Tactical planning is a brainstorm of jobs that we can provide the client for the next year. It helps maintain the relationship with the client and shows them that we enjoy working with them and can provide so many more benefits to their brand.

 

Leading the tactical planning was really fun because it entailed both creativity and a lot of research into previous projects that worked well. It felt like we were pitching again for the brand, which is always fun and exciting!

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SS: What do you think is the most common misconception about this industry?

 

PH: When people say that advertising is solely creative, it really isn’t! There is a process to everything that we do. Creative is a huge part, but especially in pharmaceutical advertising there are so many medical and legal requirements that must be considered. Before a creative idea can go through to production, it has to go through so many revisions.

 

 

SS: What are some changes you would like to see internally to this industry?

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PH: There’s definitely a lack of diversity in advertising. This is a problem that has been happening for a while. People from diverse backgrounds and experiences will definitely add value to advertising and solving the problems that brands have. We need to acknowledge that the face of America is constantly changing and it’s good to have the perspective of minorities because they are the consumers of brand’s products.

 

 

SS: What key piece of advice would you give to yourself back when you first began in advertising?

 

PH: Know your strengths and weaknesses. Determine what positive good you can do with your strengths and make an effort to improve upon your weaknesses. Also, take any opportunity that is in front of you fully. Finally, learn from your mistakes!

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SS: In a few words, what does advertising mean to you?

 

PH: Advertising is storytelling!

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