How I Got Here: Tommy Lubinski (BUS ‘09, MST ’11, MBA ’15)

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The DePaul MST and MBA alumnus describes how he landed his dream job working in the sports footwear and apparel industry

By Tommy Lubinski

In this series, Kellstadt alumni share how they got to where they are today in their careers. Next up is Triple Demon Tommy Lubinski, who earned his bachelor’s in accounting and master’s in taxation from DePaul’s School of Accountancy & MIS in 2009 and 2011 respectively, then completed his MBA in sports management, business strategy and strategy, execution and valuation in 2015. Today, Lubinski works as a product manager for adidas Basketball and lives in Vancouver, Wash.

Tommy Lubinski

As a product manager… 

I manage various footwear and apparel product lines, including James Harden, Derrick Rose, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Candace Parker and our team footwear range. I manage the product from the initial brief to the moment it ends up on retail shelves. In my day to day, I work cross functionally with designers, developers, merchandisers, our global markets and brand marketing teams to bring the product to life.

Biggest challenge of my job…

The biggest challenge we face as a team is working in the future. The product development lifecycle requires us to work well over a year in advance of a product being available for sale. In that time span, we must stay on top of trends, innovation and consumer needs. There is only so much that can be changed later in the process, so we really need to rely on consumer and athlete insights that we are constantly collecting.

What I like best about my job…

I love when I’m out and see people wearing the product I worked on. I also really enjoy working directly with athletes. It’s a high stakes game to continually build newer, innovative products that solve for an athlete’s or a consumer’s need. I’m privileged to work with an amazing team each day and stay connected to sport, which is something I have been fortunate to do throughout my career. I’ve also worked on some fun projects with external partners such as Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, LEGO and even Ric Flair!

How I got here…

Lubinski with NBA player Derrick Rose, at a dinner where they discussed Rose’s next shoe.

I’ve always been a “sneakerhead.” There was something about it that caught my eye as a kid. Finally in undergrad, as I started to buy more sneakers and realize that money could be made on rare shoes, I turned my hobby into a job. I would save up to buy multiple pairs of rare sneakers and then sell them. This helped me grow my personal collection as I was going to classes.

I always knew I wanted to work in this industry but didn’t really know the right way to go about it. My undergrad degree was in accounting from DePaul and I tried applying for various accounting and finance jobs at footwear companies upon graduation with zero luck. I basically gave up on it until I started working at a sports agency and saw some of the endorsement deals that our athletes were signing. It really sparked my interest and when I was pursuing my MBA, I decided to go all in on my dream and ended up landing at adidas in the summer of 2015 as an MBA intern in Concept to Consumer.

Things I did to help me get here…

I actually gained a lot of the industry skills, experiences and insights by being a consumer. I’ve camped out for shoes, woken up extra early for them and even traveled to get an edge on getting rare shoes. Looking back, I see those days as the very early stages of my learning how important networking is. I built relationships with store owners and managers over the course of many years of buying and selling sneakers. In regard to basketball experiences, I played since I was a kid and when I got to DePaul, I had the opportunity to join the practice team for the DePaul Blue Demons Women’s Basketball. I got to see the behind the scenes of Coach Doug Bruno coaching and witness all his leadership qualities that make the DePaul Women’s Basketball one of the best programs in the nation year in, year out. That was my biggest takeaway during all those years, besides the competitiveness you need in sports. It’s all come full circle now as I’m currently creating products for that younger version of myself.

The Kellstadt faculty member who helped me the most in my career…

Andy Clark, director of the Sports Business Program, was a major contributor to my success in the sports world. He believed in me and was integral in my pursuit of getting into the footwear and apparel industry. During my time at Kellstadt, I was working at a sports agency and doing taxes for athletes. It was in my Sports Sponsorship course that I learned about the San Diego Sports Consulting course. Andy taught both courses and helped me realize my full potential. The San Diego course provided me with real world experience. We not only partnered with two other universities, but I also got the chance to work in conjunction with the San Diego Padres and Chargers to tackle a real-life business case. The two-week consulting project challenged me to work with other students I didn’t know, utilize market research platforms and present findings to senior leaders of the organization. This course is a boot camp in the world of sports and networking.

Advice for Kellstadt students interested in my career… 

There are a few pieces of advice I give to people.

No. 1: know the industry and consumer. One of the best ways to do that is to work in retail. In downtown Chicago, you have so many brands and opportunities to work with as a student. Retail isn’t the most glamorous job, but you are learning about the product and interacting with the consumer daily. There is so much that can be learned from having a conversation and helping a customer with a purchase. This is the type of value that an intern or someone just coming in can bring. You would be surprised to learn how many people worked at an Adidas or sporting goods retailer prior to joining the headquarters team.

No. 2 is networking. I thought I understood what networking was but then I took the San Diego Sports Consulting course and that opened my eyes. The experience made me step up my game and connect with so many different people that helped build my confidence in pursuit of landing in this industry.

No. 3: stay committed and don’t get discouraged. Most of us don’t get our dream job upon graduation. But if you don’t get hired by that company, don’t erase it from your memory. Instead, learn how you can leverage your experiences when you are ready to make that change. We all make career changes in life. I began to doubt that I would work in this industry, but six years later, I found myself signing a job offer on my childhood dream.

Originally published on Inside Kellstadt.

Building Career Resilience

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By Robin Florzak

Like many Class of 2020 graduates, Michael J. Smith had to pivot his career plans last spring because of the pandemic-driven economic downturn. Smith was looking forward to joining KPMG as a tax data and analytics associate in June. But on the eve of earning his master’s in business analytics, Smith received word that KPMG was delaying start dates for new hires until January 2021.

Despite the setback, Smith remained confident because he knew he had a strong ally to help him navigate his next career step: DePaul. DePaul business students and alumni “have access to a tremendous amount of resources” that support career searches and advancement, says Smith, resources that include personalized career coaching.

Smith asked the Kellstadt Career Management Center (CMC), which helped him land the position with KPMG, for assistance in finding an interim data analytics role until his new start date. A CMC career coach helped Smith “identify the right opportunities for me and network with a purpose,” he says. “I broke my strategy into three steps: create an elevator pitch, analyze the market and identify my target companies and Paloma Mendoza (BUS ’20) (in beige sweater) got her foot in the door of advertising firm FCB during a class visit. (Photo courtesy of Andy Clark) audiences.” Smith identified industries that would need data analysts, even in a tough economy. With election season in full swing, he added political parties to the list.

 

The strategy paid off. Smith was hired as deputy state data director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin in July. The position was a perfect fit for his need to deepen his data analytics experience before beginning his assignment at KPMG, which remains committed to bringing him on board in 2021. “I feel extremely honored and valued during such uncertain times.”

Since the pandemic hit in March, the CMC, which supports graduate business students and alumni, and the DePaul Career Center, which serves undergraduate business students and alumni, have been expanding their resources to help Blue Demons stay competitive in a dramatically altered labor market. The centers offer alumni remote career coaching, webinars on job search strategies and online networking, as well as a wealth of web-based resources, including Handshake, a comprehensive career services portal that provides job and internship listings, as well as information about career events.

One of the DePaul Career Center’s newest initiatives is a job search club for alumni and new graduates “to talk about challenges people are facing and share goals and questions,” says Karyn McCoy, the center’s assistant vice president. “It’s a way to let people know they are not alone.” McCoy also recommends the CMC’s new skills labs created to help graduates think about upskilling, as well as the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) Network as a nexus for alumni to share career insights.

At the business college, faculty, departments and centers are stepping up to connect students and new graduates to career leads through an extensive network of alumni and industry connections. Certificate and graduate degree programs are also available for alumni to build career resilience, especially if they have been out of school for a while. “We encourage alumni to return to refresh their skills and see our college as a resource for growth throughout their professional life,” says Interim Business Dean Thomas Donley.

Business faculty—and their contacts in Chicago’s business world—offer a fruitful networking resource. Paloma Mendoza (BUS ’20) got her foot in the door at the global advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) in July with the help of Andy Clark (MBA ’87), the sports business program director.

Mendoza became interested in advertising agency work as a student in Clark’s sports sponsorship marketing class, which visited FCB’s Chicago office to discuss Super Bowl ads with executives last winter. In the spring, when she learned that FCB was offering virtual account management internships, she applied. “Mentioning Professor Clark’s name and my class experience visiting FCB definitely helped,” she says. Mendoza landed the coveted internship, which pairs her with a FCB account director mentor and puts her into consideration for future job openings.

“She did a fantastic job of following up with FCB and secured a very tough-to-get internship, especially in this environment,” Clark says. “I think Paloma’s story represents the very best of what a DePaul education offers.”

For alumni who are midcareer professionals, DePaul certificates and graduate degrees have become
an attractive option to advance their careers in a competitive market. “At least 35% to 40% of our students are DePaul alumni or family members of alumni,” says Jurate Murray (MBA ’02), associate director of the Kellstadt Marketing Center, which offers a wide range of advertising and marketing certificate programs for professionals to refresh their skills.

Omar Ortiz (BUS ’17), marketing manager for Neighborhoods.com, completed the center’s content marketing strategy certificate program online in March to prepare for a recent promotion. “I thought it’d be a great idea to further sharpen my skills and solidify myself as an expert,” he says.

Upskilling for Andrew Catanese (BUS ’14), club and theatre ticketing manager for C3 Presents, meant enrolling in DePaul’s MBA in hospitality program this fall. Offered entirely online, the program gives Catanese the flexibility to continue working remotely from Austin, Texas, for C3, a nationwide concert promoter. “I’ve been out of school six years, and I think that’s a big gap as far as new techniques,” says Catanese, who hopes to run his own music venue in the future. “I am excited to further my education in the hospitality program.”

Originally published on Business Exchange.

Learning and Traveling to London Without Leaving Home

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By Maya Lomwong

I applied to the virtual study abroad program in England during Spring Break. I got accepted to the International Business of Sports in London class with Professor Andy Clark. This was the best virtual study abroad course that I attended!

I enjoyed learning and traveling in London without leaving home. After I finished this course, I could better understand the nature and background of the London sports business industry such as Premier League, Rugby, Cricket, Wimbledon etc. I also got experience working with a diversity of international teams such as Loughborough students in Hackathon. We learned about sports with incredible guests such as Alex Eckhout from The Premier League, Omar Mohammed, Andrew Sheridan from Liverpool Football Club, Ben Swann from Wimbledon etc., I felt so amazing when I was hearing all the stories from guests, like I was living my dream.

In my opinion, it’s very helpful to learn about the global sports world. I have never understood how it felt when I saw others watching premier league games at night until I joined the watch party program and wore the Arsenal jersey with my class. It was such an amazing moment. Now, I’m trying to find my favorite team to cheer for the next game. In my opinion, It’s a great process of improvement about sports in a week. I noticed that every sport has an interesting story. I never knew about the Wimbledon before. I knew some tennis players, but I’ve never focused on watching any tennis matches. It’s amazing to know about the brand strategy. I like the way Wimbledon creates their brand positioning in the market. TENNIS, GRASS, and WHITE CLOTHES” are all amazing! In addition, I was so much impressed with Wimbledon Strawberries and the love story behind the logo. I enjoy getting to learn more about Wimbledon.

I feel thankful to Professor Clark for inspiring me and opening my eyes to the new world of sports. I learned about different management styles, business strategies, career paths and opportunities. This new knowledge is more precious than anything else in the world! The skills from all classes that I learned were really helpful for my future career. I really appreciate being a Thai student who has a great opportunity to learn about the sports world, not only in the US but also in London! I hope one day I can use these skills to give local sports in Thailand such as Thai boxing a global platform.

Originally posted on The Sojournal.

Going for Gold! Epic Stories from London’s Business of Sports

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By Jess Sanborn

I will never forget watching Michael Phelps win his 18th career gold medal and 22nd overall during the 2012 Olympic Games and being completely awestruck by such an achievement. Since that moment, I have always dreamed of attending an Olympic Games to experience those outstanding sport performances firsthand. Thanks to my study abroad experience, in which I learned all about the business of sports in London, I got a step closer to fulfilling my Olympic dream. Even though Michael Phelps was not there sprinting down the lap pool, I was still standing in the spot where he became the most decorated Olympian and I could imagine just what it was like.

So11

We were at Olympic Park to (believe it or not) watch an England Rugby game. Ask anyone in my group, we were all hesitant heading into the game. We questioned the rules and regulations (Why do they lift one player up to catch a ball? How can they not wear any padding?). We headed into the game with a mindset of leaving 10 minutes early to beat the crowd. Ten minutes into the game, one of my classmate’s made an epic one-handed catch when the rugby ball came our way. We were all captivated and we all ended up LOVING the rugby game. In fact, we became so fascinated by the stadium environment and the fans around us that everyone wanted to stay until the very end.

So2

So1

I promise we did learn while attending awesome sporting events (we also went to England vs Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium and Man City vs Fulham at the pristine Craven Cottage). During our week-long class, I learned just as much, if not more, than in a regular 10-week course. Throughout our trip, we spoke with 32 professionals in various aspects of the sports industry. Our first company visit was at Pinsent Masons, a full-service international law firm with a powerful sector in sports law. After visiting 12 other businesses we concluded at Hill+Knowlton, a global public relations and integrated communications agency. With 32 outstanding speakers, who were all willing to connect with us afterwards and answer numerous questions, I gained tremendous insight on many different aspects the business of sports, as well as advice that translates into any other business. My top takeaway was from James Worrall, founder and CEO of Leaders. He worked with us to decipher the top upcoming trends that are shaping today’s business and emphasized the importance of building and maintaining relationships, stating, “those with the best networks have the most success.”

While I could go on and on about the different memories from this trip, the one that truly sticks out is the strong connection our group had. Maybe it was because of our entertaining and packed schedule’ or maybe it was because of our two great leaders: Andy Clark and Karen Burgard. Still whatever the reason, our group dynamic was irreplaceable. My favorite memory from the entire trip was dinner on the last night (and no it was not at my beloved 24-hour diner VQ that was attached to our hotel). This nice restaurant overlooked the river with the sun setting, and we sat on the patio just returning from the Man City vs. Fulham football match. I remember looking around and seeing everyone just talking, laughing and having a good time. In that moment I knew that I had made some long-lasting friendships on this trip.

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Don’t just take my word for it though! Hear from my classmates about their favorite memory from the trip.

“One night we all went to a pub playing live music and sang along to “Valerie”. It was honestly such an epic moment” – Caterina Parola

“Going to the horse races at Kempton Park, and sitting in the Jockey Club. Their hospitality was amazing, and I will never forget it.” – Asala Musa

“My favorite memory was the lasting connections that I made personally and professionally. Professionally we were able to get our foot in the door to some of the world’s largest organizations. Personally, I walked away with a new family who will always have my back.” – Kevin O’Brien

Originally published on The Sojournal.

The International Business of Sports in London 2021: A Virtual Victory

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By Annika Pallasch

Sports connect us. The passion and atmosphere are a language anyone can understand no matter where they are in the world. Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic stadiums were empty and games were played in silence. As fans like myself had to cheer on our favorite teams from home, those of us who are students also had to cheer ourselves on as we attended our classes far away from campus. Yet, this past March, my classmates and I in the International Business Seminar were lucky enough to virtually travel to the world of London sports and immersed us in every aspect of it.

Literally beyond the pitch, we explored everything from the business models of the Premier League and Liverpool FC, to the KIA Oval (home of the Surrey County Cricket Club), and the history of Wimbledon. During a thrilling match pitting Arsenal against West Ham that we watched together on Zoom – fully dressed in personalized Arsenal gear – we came as close as most people could during the pandemic to experiencing the joys of live sports. Experts from the most popular sports in England guided us through the week and did a tremendous job of creating a live seminar atmosphere for us.

Of course, the week had more to offer than a sense of London’s rich (sports) history and traditions. Every day was filled with knowledge and advice shared by some of sports’ most successful people, all of whom work behind the scenes to ensure the success of their organization or client. We listened to Jimmy Worrall whose company LEADERS hosts networking events for the biggest names in sports provide invaluable career insights. Trevor Watkins and his colleagues at the leading London law firm Pinsent Masons sports division shared legal expertise with us. And Neil Wood MBE, the CFO of the 2012 Olympic Games, walked us through the full process of how an Olympic event is organized and executed start to finish. Each one of them and every other speaker we had the privilege to meet went above and beyond to share valuable information with us that we will be able to apply in our careers and beyond.

Memories were made as a class when we worked in teams to pitch workforce diversity and inclusion plans to Alex Eckhout at the Premier League office. The weeklong project allowed us to work on a real initiative within the organization and gave everyone a chance to get creative and bring their own ideas and strengths to the table. Our second project of the week was a “hackathon” with students at Loughborough University. Together we collaborated with the West Ham Foundation and were challenged to brainstorm and present an idea for charity programs within less than an hour. Both projects were as much fun, as they were a great opportunity for us to test our business skills for the future.

There was just so much to learn during our digital trip to London, from the rules of cricket, to the marketing strategies of the London offices of the NBA and MLB, to the many insights we had not anticipated to gain going in. The week was an absolute win despite us being benched by Covid-19.

Personally, I was most inspired by every guest speaker’s story about how they got to where they are, why they love working in sports, and what they enjoy most about living in London. It made a dream job in sports feel like a real possibility and reminded me of why I love sports so much. Yet, it also became clearer that sports are a business above all. What most of us experience is the joy of the game, the victories and losses, and the unforgettable moments, but what we do not see is the people who are working hard to ensure that each team and each player are as successful as we want them to be.

The International Business Seminar taught my peers and me what it takes to work in sports, and that the people who do are ultimately driven by their passion for it. It was impressive to see how many people are involved in running a league, team, or event, and my admiration for them has grown exponentially. This deep dive into the world of sports has also helped me to think about where my place in it might be after my time at DePaul. And, of course, my desire to visit London again is even greater now than it was before. So, the next time I fly into Heathrow it will hopefully be to actually set foot into London. I cannot wait to fondly retrace the steps through its sites of sports and business that I was able to take virtually this past March.

Originally published on The Sojournal.

Cleveland Cavs Assistant Coach Lindsay Gottlieb speaks to DePaul Students about Sports Leadership

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Getty Images. Assistant Coach Lindsay Gottlieb coaching Collin Sexton.

 

By Bella Michaels

Cleveland Cavaliers Assistant Coach Lindsay Gottlieb is one of six female assistant coaches in the NBA this season.

As Women’s History Month came to a close last Wednesday, Gottlieb spoke to Professor Andy Clark’s sports business students about her experiences as a woman in a role that has been predominantly for men.

“Being authentic is really important,” said Gottlieb. “I’m not trying to pretend to be just like the guys on our staff. Sometimes I don’t see another female for days at a time. We have a fourteen-person coaching staff, and it’s just me.”

Gottlieb speaking to Clark’s students on Zoom. Clark is the director of sports business programs at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business.

 

Gottlieb initially thought she would follow in the footsteps of her parents and go to law school, or work in sports media. Instead, she is now paving a path for women all over the world to look up to working in what has been traditionally known as a man’s role.

She emphasized two important takeaways to the women in the room:

Lean into your fears

“I’m not going to lie. Twenty years of being a woman’s college basketball coach and then moving across the country to be in the NBA to be an assistant and not a head coach, to be in pro sports and not in college sports, to be coaching men and not women — there’s no question of ‘oh my goodness, can I do this? Am I going to be successful?’ And I’m out of my comfort zone at times. But I think you have to lean into those fears and do the things that feel hard in order to be your most fulfilled and most successful.”

Don’t let this notion of perfection hinder you

“I want to be great, I want to exceed expectations but I think women sometimes get the most restrained by this idea that I have to be perfect in order to try.”

Before becoming an assistant coach at the Cavs, Gottlieb was the ninth head coach of the California Golden Bears women’s team at the University of California, Berkeley.

She led the Golden Bears to their first Final Four in school history in the 2012-13 season — just her second season as the head coach. That season she also led them to their first PAC-12 Conference championship and was named PAC-12 Coach of the Year by the media.

Gottlieb noted that the biggest difference between the college game and the NBA is game prep.

“That’s been my most arduous adjustment,” said Gottlieb. “In college, in the PAC-12 in conference play we played on Fridays and Sundays, every week. Well I got to the NBA, and now we’ve got four games in a week and maybe you got two practices. And I learned in the NBA you do not talk about the opponent until game day.”

Gottlieb has set a certain standard of expectations to create a championship atmosphere. She sets certain goals in the beginning of the season and reinforces them throughout, while also establishing roles but acknowledging that they may change.

“These are lifestyle jobs,” said Gottlieb. “We are in it 24/7 and I think I just learned really quickly that in college basketball you are educators. If you are not in it for the people around you, what are we doing?”

Originally published on Bella Michaels’s blog.

DePaul Marketing Students Team Up with Paragon Marketing Group on Sponsorship Project

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By Bella Michaels

When the pandemic hit, one of the biggest concerns in the sports world was how teams and leagues would make up for their lost revenue.

As fans are now beginning to attend games again at limited capacity, Andy Clark’s Sports Sponsorship class teamed up with Paragon Marketing Group, to research and reevaluate the signage make-goods that are being offered to sponsors, as well as what other signage is being added for TV viewing.

Clark is the director of sports business programs at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business.

Paragon’s Senior Vice President Matt Waitz and Senior Account Executive Michael Miller created a project brief that the students worked together on to execute the project deliverables.

“We’re the middle man,” Waitz said. “We’re the agency hired by our clients to give them our expertise and this was a great project for us to have someone outside of our circle and everyday conversations to give a perspective on what’s working and what’s not. So a fresh perspective was very valuable for us to be able to move forward with recommendations for our clients.”

“Coming out of COVID, it’s crucial for an agency like Paragon to understand which new assets provide the most value for our clients going into the next season,” Miller said. “We were impressed with the depth of research and creativity we saw from both the undergraduate and graduate students.”

The students were divided into five person teams to build an all-encompassing SWOT analysis for one of these four leagues — NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL.

Each team also had to provide a point of view on which signage opportunities should or should not continue in the future and come up with effective ways to reach a target demographic during this time.

MLB Team

NHL Team

NBA Team

NFL Team

“I found it very interesting to be able to work with an outside agency through a course,” DePaul marketing graduate student Jackson Byers said. “This was something I never had the opportunity to do while getting my undergraduate degree.”

Another marketing graduate student, Derek Arguello, was thankful for this experience.

“I work in media and often collaborate with sports marketing agencies on behalf of my client,” Arguello said. “However, I never really understood what they did. This class gave me the background of the landscape and tools that are directly applicable to my profession.”

Undergraduate student Javiera Antonia Zamorano Espana never thought she’d have the opportunity to work on this project as an undergrad student, especially since she is an exchange student from Chile.

“I find it amazing that we got an inside look at what marketing professionals do and what the process is, while also having the chance to collaborate with them,” Zamorano said. “I just hope that the insights we gave them become useful to their work.”

While students were appreciative of this experience with Paragon, the feeling was mutual on Paragon’s end as well.

“It was a great project,” Waitz said. “It was great to see how it started and how much progress was made by the time the presentations came around. Not only with the data and information but visually. The decks looked so much better than I think we had imagined from the start so that was really impressive.”

Originally published on Bella Michaels’s blog.

DePaul Students Get an Inside Look at Bud Light’s Super Bowl LV Ads

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By Bella Michaels

You’re sitting on your couch, munching on the chips and salsa on the table in front of you. Your friend is passing you an ice-cold beer. It’s Super Bowl Sunday and you’re waiting to see which commercial will amuse you most. But have you thought about why brands do what they do and how they do it?

For the seventh year, Andy Clark‘s Sports Sponsorship Marketing classes got down to the why and the how. Clark is the director of sports business programs at DePaul University.

Joe Lennon, the senior director at Bud Light/Anheuser-Busch, is a client of FCB — one of the world’s largest advertising, marketing and promotional agencies.

Lennon, alongside the FCB team, dove deep into both perspectives of creating a successful Super Bowl spot on Wednesday evening in Clark’s class.

“We wanted to write a love letter to our biggest fans and make them feel proud to be a Bud Light fan,” Lennon said. “So, the intention behind it was to galvanize the Bud Light loyalists, people who got Bud Light tattoos on their arm.”

So as a treat to their brand lovers and characters they love, Bud Light decided to treat their characters like superheroes in its spot in this year’s Super Bowl.

“That’s where we got this idea of Bud Light Legends,” Lennon said. “All of these characters from the past and present that a lot of our fans love and kind of treat them like the superheroes of fun that they are. That’s how we got to our spot.”

But this wouldn’t be a 2021 article if I didn’t mention that COVID-19 managed to make the production process challenging for both the Bud Light and Bud Light Seltzer spots.

“Normally, I’m used to being on set for those, but we were all via Zoom,” Lennon said. “Just the director and a small crew were on set, trying to limit as much as we can. I think production capabilities have caught up a lot. We were able to watch the camera from Zoom from my place in New York, even though the shoot was in LA. We had daily coronavirus tests for everybody who came on set.”

Creating ads like this doesn’t just happen after thinking of an idea. There’s a lot of strategic planning and data that goes into it before anyone steps foot on a production set. Lennon had to ask himself: Who is drinking light beer?

“It’s the loyalists. It’s the 35-year-old, 40-year-old, 45-year-old – mostly guys – that have drank a lot Bud Light over the years. For seltzer it was like ‘let’s use seltzer to talk to the 25-year-olds and people who aren’t drinking beer.’”

This is where an ad agency would come into the picture.

The class got to hear from three key areas of FCB’s business. Howard Klein, the senior vice president and group management director at FCB, manages Anheuser-Busch business and Barilla pasta. His colleague, Chris Hibi, is in charge of strategic planning.

Hibi looks into data and insights to build a strong brief and works closely with Lisa Bright, the executive creative director, to produce a legacy-making idea.

Brand is important. Here’s why:

“Data would suggest that the portion of our brain that’s used to cognitively and deliberately think through decision making actually takes a far back seat to the back part of our brain that’s much more instantaneous,” Hibi said. “There’s data out there that suggests that part of our brain is much more powerful, and brand is a way to help instill and insert those ideas.”

While using celebrities in ads to attract consumers is helpful, it’s not the first or most important element Lennon looks at when he sets a plan. His three main goals are to have a clear intention, be true to your tone and make it more than an ad. So really know what you are trying to achieve before you brief.

Bright went on to emphasize that FCB doesn’t create finished ideas. It creates ideas that drive business short-term but builds brands over time. The goal is to create ideas that “flex to fit different cultures, different audiences and different platforms.”

Next time you watch an ad, think about everything that went into creating it and why it was created.

Originally published on Bella Michaels’s blog.

“So You Want to Work in Sports” Professional Panel Gives Students Insight on Sports Industry

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By Bella Michaels

This afternoon DePaul Athletics and The Blue Crew launched a virtual webinar series “So You Want to Work in Sports” on Zoom with a bright panel of professionals in the sports industry.

The panel was moderated by the event’s founder and MBA student, Jessica Ley, along with Andy Clark, DePaul’s director of sports business programs.

Ley is the DePaul Athletics graduate assistant for brand strategy and integrated marketing. She was instrumental in the development of this webinar series.

Many people love sports. But one of the most important questions directed to the panel was something the students should ask themselves: what can you actually do with your love for sports?

The panel reassured the students to follow their passion, but to not only focus on what they like. You’re not in the business to be a fan. You’re in the business to bring innovation, to take sports to another level.

DePaul’s Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy, Sr. Assoc. Athletics Director Jill Hollembeak and former General Manager of the LA Dodgers Dan Evans gave students insight on how loving sports can be translated to business and finding a successful career.

Evans, a DePaul alum who was cited by Forbes as a top 100 sports business account to follow on Twitter, wasn’t planning on working in the sports industry. Back when he was a student at DePaul, he sat in his advisor’s office and realized how much fun working in sports could be.

“I got great advice from my counselor,” Evans said. “She said, ‘hey, if you’re enjoying it – it’s not a job, it’s a career. Keep at it, see where it leads. I ended up working for the White Sox for 19 years.”

Now he’s 40 years into his career.

Peevy, who arrived at DePaul this past fall after a 12-year stint at the University of Kentucky, pointed out that the students should focus on their current job and figure out the things they don’t like. Doing so will give them a clearer idea of what jobs to steer away from going forward.

There are so many different positions and directions a person could go in the sports industry. Peevy grew a love for baseball at 6 years old. He would watch games with his grandfather and dreamt of becoming a major league player.

While he’s not in the major leagues, he’s working an authoritative position in sports while finishing up his MBA. He’s loving his life in what he calls “the controlled chaos of sports.”

Hollembeak is a former world-class, Hall of Fame gymnast, who earned her phD in education at DePaul. She now works more behind the scenes with coaches and student athletes.

“Sports is transformative,” Hollembeak said. “Creativity and that ability to have an open heart, mind and soul to learn – even through those hard times, even through those failures – is just imperative to any sort of success in any business – but certainly in sports.”

The panel reiterated the importance of having knowledge and skills when it comes to communication, social media and technology. Those were some things that they didn’t have to worry about when they started their careers in the sports world.

Evans emphasized the importance of listening. Don’t just hear. Be okay with changing your mind, adapting and evolving.

The first webinar of “So You Want to Work in Sports” was a great opportunity for students to get their foot in the door and build great connections with successful figures in the industry. To register for the next one, follow Blue Crew and DePaul Athletics and stay connected with exclusive insights.

Originally published on Bella Michaels‘s blog.

Another Big Win for Students Interested in the Business of Sports

jzamoran Student Experience

By Marisa Farella

Well, sports fans, the “Behind the Scenes with Chicago Sports Organizations” class has done it again, and this time, virtually.

For those of you who aren’t aware, the Driehaus College of Business offers a class to both Kellstadt and undergraduate students looking to explore careers in the sports business industry. Andy Clark, director of the sports management programs at the Driehaus College of Business, developed this course to bring students deep into the offices of the most powerful companies in Chicago sports, including Gatorade, McDonald’s, Intersport, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bears and many more.

If you are a student who has heard about this class, you know about the long-awaited anticipation for it to be offered each year. I was one of those students waiting eagerly to take it, so when I heard it was going to be offered during the December intercession as an accelerated, two-week course, I was ecstatic. But like most students, I was also a bit disappointed that the experience would be virtual due to the pandemic. I was skeptical about how impactful the virtual learning experience would be, but my nerves were put to rest very quickly.

Learning From Some of the Best in the Game

Throughout the duration of the course, we had the opportunity to connect with top industry professionals as they discussed their education and varying career experiences that have contributed to where they are today.

Class speakers included Molly Carter, DePaul University alumna and former president of Kobe Inc., as well as Kelly Flatow, executive vice president of events for the NBA, who discussed their experiences navigating their careers as women in sports. We also had a session with the Chicago Bulls organization, which was highlighted by a special appearance by their president Michael Reinsdorf. In addition, the class had the honor of connecting with Bonner Paddock Rinn, a triathlon athlete and World Record holder, a New York Times best-selling author, and founder of One Man Foundation— all things he accomplished as a man with Cerebral Palsy.

We also had the honor of meeting many accomplished DePaul alumni who currently hold positions in the sports industry, including Mike Gordon, general manager at Northwestern Sports Properties and Diego Chadha, account executive at Corporate Partnerships at Marquee 360., among others. We also got to hear from DePaul’s new athletic director, DeWayne Peevy, as well as DePaul Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Bruno, who joined us to discuss the power of hard work and persistence. I was truly inspired by all the guest speakers in this course.

Learning by Doing: A Chance to Play

The game didn’t stop there.

We had the opportunity to gain real-life experience while working with 4Front, a Chicago-based sports marketing agency, on a class project that involved developing a marketing strategy that was then pitched and presented to 4Front’s team. We were put into groups and each group did a phenomenal job outlining their proposed strategies to 4Front, who later relayed our ideas back to their real-life clients.

All in all, this course ended up being one of the most valuable courses I have taken in my five years as a Blue Demon, regardless of whether I pursue a career in sports upon graduating in June. I was able to learn so much from this opportunity to connect with powerful, intelligent and generous professionals, and I’m sure anyone who has taken this course before would confidently agree.

The Value in the Virtual Experience

In the end, I was happy that the online format still provided a seamless experience. If anything, being virtual allowed us to connect with a wider range of speakers and panelists. Yes, the office and venue tours of past classes would have been a cool experience, but the value of this class lies in the connections, networking opportunities and insights we gained from each guest speaker.

If you are a DePaul student interested in learning more about the sports industry, this course will be of great value to you. Contact your academic advisor for more information about DePaul’s Sports Business program.

Thank you for everything, Coach Clark! Great game.

Marisa Farella is a current MBA candidate and graduate assistant at Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. She graduated from DePaul University in 2018 with her BA in public relations and advertising, making her a proud soon-to-be Double Demon. In addition to her studies, Marisa has taken her love for writing and creativity a step further. She is the self-published author of her debut collection, “Truth or Dare: Poetry,” which is available on Amazon. 

Originally published on the Inside Kellstadt blog.