Nelson stood there speechless. The Board of Directors stared
blankly back at him in still silence. The company president broke the quiet:
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” In that moment, Nelson's mind raced
with combined disbelief and wonder. As Chief Marketing Officer at Adobe
Systems, Nelson had worked tirelessly, creating new brands, maintaining old
ones, and broadcasting the Adobe name across the world. And he had done so all
before the age of 40. He stood in the boardroom now, facing his bosses, who had
apparently thought his efforts were worthy of being nominated for (and winning)
the American Marketing Association’s 4-Under-40 Emerging Leaders Award [Authoritative Organization].
Nelson knew what this meant for his career. The award was
given every year to up and coming executives that demonstrated leadership,
forward thinking, and innovation in marketing. Nelson’s work in marketing data
analytics was novel and innovative, and it was quickly becoming common practice
among other companies. Nelson never liked to brag. But now he had the approval
of his bosses and the validation of his profession’s highest authority.
The company president spoke again: “Nelson, you better pack
your bags. The Annual Marketing Conference doesn’t appreciate tardiness.” [Influential Event]. This shocked Nelson
back into reality. “Yes, sir. Thank you,” was his reply.
Nelson walked contentedly back to his office. The AMA Annual
Marketing Conference was a mecca. Aspiring marketers have always dreamed of
attending, hoping to build their networks and capitalize on connections.
Another annual conference in summer honored excellent articles written for the
Journal of Marketing, the principle medium for communicating and changing
marketing standards, but it paled in comparison to the main conference [Authoritative Publication, Changing
Standards]. In attending this marketer’s paradise, Nelson’s career would
never be the same.
As Nelson walked and contemplated his future, he passed a picture
frame that had hung on the wall for as long as he had been at the company. In
the frame, in neat script, was a portion of the Statement of Ethics [Regulating Standard]. The marketer’s
version of the Hippocratic Oath, Nelson remembered bits and pieces of it from
graduate school. He smiled a little half smile as he read the marketer’s charge
to “Contribute to the overall betterment of marketing and its reputation.”
Nelson, a normally quiet, reserved man, allowed himself a single fist-pump; it
had been a big day for him.
I love that this post not only explains all the required elements for the assignment but also gives an overall feeling of hope... going back to our most basic conversations about pathos. ethos and logos I feel like the specifics don't mean as much when you explain something that really hits home emotionally. Very well written! fist pump #2!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we are so engrossed in our own careers/fields we feel nothing else can compare. This post really helped me see the prestige and value in other fields, especially marketing. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThis might be a bit superficial, but I really love your graphic. I'm taking Marketing from Swenson right now, and it's cool to see how multi-faceted marketing really is!
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