Samara Gerard Transitions from Advertising to Digital Media Planning

Posted by Lily Henkel on

Samara Gerard (B.S. ‘13) began her professional career in the world of advertising and transitioned all the way into the field of digital media planning.

“I started the Monday after graduation at 3W Studios, a boutique web firm as a Digital Coordinator. It was a great experience since it was small and I had to wear my hats and test out what truly interests me,” recalls Gerard. “My boss was the owner of the company and he took me under his wing, which allowed me to gain knowledge at a much more accelerated rate than I had anticipated.”Samara Gerard

With an ICT degree from FSU, she had already built up a strong foundation to take on digital advertising, but was pushed into digital media planning role after an interview with Zimmerman Advertising in Fort Lauderdale.

“I was looking for a career that would be ever changing and challenging for me to continue to learn,” says Gerard. “When I was applying for a job at Zimmerman Advertising, I was telling my interviewer of my interests and background and they steered me in the direction of digital media planning, and I love it!”

After working in Fort Lauderdale for a little over a year, Gerard was ready to transition to something bigger and better: New York City. That’s when she first heard about an open position with MullenLowe Profero.

“I [found out] from another FSU graduate,” explains Gerard. “We were both involved in Arrowhead Advertising at different times but had a lot of mutual connections. Networking really does help you get your foot in the door! I was ready for the change and the next step in my career.”

The next step came with an array of responsibilities and an ever-changing schedule. There are three main components of Gerard’s position as the Digital Media Planner for MullenLowe Profero: planning, activation, and reporting. With such a vast spectrum of clientele and tasks, everyday of work for Gerard is a little different.

“The three components of my job normally overlap due to working on different campaigns at once. I do spend a lot of time in excel, as expected for media planning, but equally if not more time conducting research about trends and now tactics that will help my client, creating presentations and developing strategies with my team.”

Looking forward, Gerard hopes to work her way up into a more strategic role overseeing all digital media within MullenLowe Profero as an Associate Media Director (AMD).