terpAMA showcases local marketing, advertising firm

Marketing and branding are some of the most important things a business can do, and there's many ways to go about it, an industry representative said. 

Paula Dwyer of Redhead Companies spoke with students of the terpAMA on Tuesday April 17 about the strategies that Redhead uses and gave examples of the types of campaigns they have run in the past. 

Redhead is a full service marketing and advertising company out of Ellicott City, Md., that focuses a lot on branding and rebranding said Dwyer, a graduate of the University of Maryland. 

"We want to give our clients a chance to stand out," said Dwyer. 

 Redhead does not specialize in any one thing. Redhead employs a seven-step system that varies slightly from client to client.

 Dwyer presented examples of marketing campaigns that they set up such as the "Zoom" campaign for the University of Maryland, the ethics campaign for George Washington University and a campaign they designed for the American University law school. 

Dwyer also unveiled to the group a sneak peak at the brand new Columbia Association logo and ad campaign that will be unveiled officially on Thursday, April 19. 

 "Your brand goes beyond the logo, beyond the stores and beyond television," Dwyer said.

Dwyer explained that one's brand is also represented within the organization.  When work on branding takes place, Dwyer said that, "you change the culture inside the company.  If there is a disconnect, you hear it from the public." 

"It's always good when the speaker is enthusiastic and can give us concrete examples of the work they do.  It helps students develop an interest in the company and the field," said Manas Kulkarni, a junior marketing and operations management major and president of the terpAMA. 

Mike Unruh who graduated from the University of Maryland last year currently works in marketing and was curious about Redhead. 

"I liked that they were open and honest about their campaigns," Unruh said.   

"I thought this event was the epitome of what terpAma is trying to showcase," said sophomore marketing and psychology major Nikkita Sarna.

 "I thought the event was very engaging and interesting for students who are interested in pursing a career in marketing or advertising," Sarna said.