“If you want to be a pioneer, start the process of writing and become an ambassador of yourself” – Guest Professor Dr. Severina Cartwright of the University of Liverpool Management School in UK

Dr. Severina Cartwright is an Associate Professor in Marketing, the Global Opportunities Academic Lead for the University of Liverpool Management School, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. During the winter and summer semesters of 2023/2024 she taught courses on Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing at the Pforzheim Business School. In an interview with student reporter Sophie Mercedes Familia, she shares her thoughts on the future of marketing, international differences between the UK and Germany and gives some advice to our students.

Professor Cartwright, is this the first time that you are teaching in Pforzheim? Why did you decide to teach at our Business School?

Yes, first time teaching in Pforzheim in both semesters in 2022/23 (winter and summer). I decided to teach here because of the people, colleagues were very friendly and welcoming, and it is great to teach in a high-profile German institution.
  

You are teaching Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing at the Pforzheim Business School. Of all various areas of interests in the field of Marketing – which one is your absolute favorite and how do you manage to transfer your fascination to the students?

My absolute favourite area of marketing is my own research expertise, which covers business-to-business marketing, relationship marketing, social media marketing and influencer marketing in both the corporate and business-to-business domains. As I research these topics, I encourage my students to familiarise themselves with different social media platforms, read my articles to get a deeper insight into the research and be prepared for the future. For example, we found clear differences in the relationship between the importance of social media and the perceived effectiveness of social media marketing across different business models.
  

Regarding all the changes in digitalization and technology, how do you see marketing in the future?

The future of these topics is exciting because digitalization is growing in every aspect with the metaverse, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. These areas are growing in importance and therefore there is very limited research in certain areas, especially from a corporate perspective. As a result, there is a lot of potential which makes the future of this topic very exciting and provides a lot of opportunities for research. Hopefully you will be able to read some more of my articles around here!

In terms of technologies, those like ChatGPT have been an eye opener. I think it is important to embrace this technology rather than suppress it, which it is not possible to suppress anyway in terms of research. As I am looking more focused on business relationships, ChatGPT is more about giving answers rather than collaborating or engaging with your costumers, which is what business-to-business relationship marketing is all about. For this reason, I have not done any research on it from a business-to-business perspective and how companies might use the platform. But you never know what the future brings.
 

Germany and United Kingdom are two countries which are present in your resume: Do you already experience (inter)national differences regarding Digital Marketing and the readiness of the countries for future changes?

My research has been carried out in the UK and in the US, so in fact I cannot really say anything about Germany’s progress in terms of digital marketing from a research perspective, but I personally do see differences. Especially in social media marketing, I think Germany is just about picking up social media marketing in the very early stages. Whereas the UK, I would say, is more advanced in that area. These differences are quite exciting from a research perspective, because there is potential for interesting research that can be done comparing the two countries, for instance. But in a nutshell, I do think that the UK is more advanced in terms of social media, both from a consumer’s perspective but also from a corporate perspective, using LinkedIn, Instagram and connecting and engaging with their audiences. I think a great example are Instagram accounts of different universities in the UK compared to Germany as most universities in Germany are not even present on social media accounts, whereas some universities in the UK are very actively engaging with their audiences.
  

In a globalized and fast-changing world like today, what is your final advice for our students?

If you want to be a pioneer and be one of the first and get a job easier, then definitely create a personal brand on LinkedIn because it will come to you whether you want it to or not.

Therefore, my advice is to get on social media. Create LinkedIn profiles but also start posting and developing your own personal brand. Become an ambassador of yourself. Write some content. Maybe start a blog, or if you don't start a blog then reshare information with your own thoughts. I see a lot of students in the UK who have a LinkedIn profile that they have built throughout their education. Among areas they are interested in, they have shown what they have done, which project they have worked on, where they have volunteered and how they have engaged in extra-curricular activities at the university. By sharing their experiences, they build a profile and a personality which can be a great advantage in the job market as well. It will take time like everything else, but consistency is key. And don't be afraid. We are not all copywriters. Everyone makes mistakes and English is the students’ second or third or fourth language, so it is OK to make mistakes. We are all human, but it is important to start the process of writing, so don't be afraid!

Thank you very much, Professor Dr. Cartwright!

Since 1892, Liverpool University's civic purpose has been to teach 'for the advancement of learning and the ennoblement of life', to make a difference in an enterprising and vibrant world city of culture. Founded in the early 1960s, the globally networked management school currently offers a portfolio of courses to more than 3,000 undergraduates, over 1,000 postgraduates and 100 research students, covering key management disciplines such as economics, finance, marketing, big data, operations, and organisational behaviour. In addition to its study and research programmes, the University of Liverpool Management School offers professional development activities and guest lectures, as well as opportunities to work and study abroad. Its mission is to enhance students' research skills and employability and to inspire future leaders to become socially responsible global citizens.