Are you a DAC alum? We want to know and share what our alumni are doing out in the world with their DAC certificates or DAC degrees. Send us a note (dac-info@uwm.edu) if you’d like to be featured or to nominate a DAC alum to be profiled.
The first DAC Testimonial comes from Casey Cuene. Casey graduated in 2010 with the certificate in Digital Arts and Culture and a BA in Journalism and Media Communication.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseycuene/
DAC: What’s your title and where do you work?
Casey: Digital Marketing Specialist at Klunk & Millan Advertising (located in Allentown, PA)
DAC: Can you describe your job–what are few of the things you do on a day-to-day basis?
Casey: I’m in charge of all search engine marketing strategies for our clients. This includes SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay per click/Google AdWords), display (banner ads) advertising, pre-roll (video) advertising, and retargeting. I also help our web team with website user experience strategies, Google Analytics advising, and other things related to client websites. In short, I make sure our clients are represented well online.
DAC: Did you imagine that you’d be doing this work when you were in school or recently graduated? How did you know, or what was different than you expected? What has changed, what do you think will remain the same?
When I graduated, I knew I wanted to be involved in digital marketing and advertising but I had expected my role to be a little more niche. I didn’t anticipate being so involved in so many different areas under the digital marketing umbrella. But through internships and previous jobs, I’ve been fortunate enough to be exposed to all areas and I can’t imagine stepping away from any particular area of digital marketing. As far as what has changed, I’ve found that it is a moving target. Depending on the client and industry different strategies work better than others. I’m still really surprised that display advertising works as well as it does because I always found banner ads to be annoying. But the targeting parameters have evolved so much that you can really hit the right audience, allowing campaigns to still be highly successful.
DAC: How did DAC prepare you for the work you are doing now, the job market in general, and/or help you land your current position?
Casey: DAC definitely prepared me for the digital marketing world. When I was a student, Mad Men was still on television and I thought the traditional advertising that you typically would see on the show was the path my career would go. But the DAC program gives you a stronger relationship to the digital side of our world as it relates to business, entertainment, and communication.
DAC: What advice would you give to someone considering a degree or certificate in DAC?
Casey: I would definitely encourage it, you have nothing to lose! It’s going to expose you to a variety of angles within the digital arts field, it’s going to give you a more diverse skillset, and, most importantly, it’s a lot of fun.
DAC: What’s something cool you’re involved with?
Casey: I’m heavily involved with growing the competitive pinball scene. I organize local tournaments in eastern Pennsylvania as well as participate in larger tournaments in multiple different states. It’s a really fun way to keep a unique hobby going and there are a lot of great people that I’ve been able to meet in the form of players, tournament organizers, podcasters, and business owners.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/10/pinball_tournament.html