Vancouver’s Greystone College business program invites business professionals for a networking event at the end of each course. This time, we were delighted to welcome Karen Pyo who has over 19 years of diverse marketing experience in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, skin care, consumer packaged goods, and telecommunications.

Her areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, Category Management, Product Development, Market Research, Project Management, and Graphic Production. Here are a few tips she shared for those who are interested in finding out what marketing entails and what it means to do business internationally.

The role of social media in marketing

Social media is not the same as traditional marketing anymore. For a marketer, it can be very labor intensive therefore you need to prioritize what will have the biggest results for your investment. You have to think about it as relationship marketing; you need to be constantly aware and able to update the social media accounts. Don’t start with it if you don’t have the time for it. But at the same time, you need to be visible on social media for the simple reason – everyone is there! You need to show that you exist.

Why is marketing important for the company’s growth?

As Karen said, ‘if the economy is down, the last thing you want to cut is your marketing budget’. Marketing does not always show direct dollar correlation so it’s hard for some people to see the value.  But at the same time, everyone understands that marketing is important. It is up to you, as a marketer, to show and prove it! Not an easy role, but feasible. Be prepared for the fact that you
need to be familiar with the vertical skills, from being a doer to a strategist.  A word of advice for those who want to be successful-get as many skills as you can.

Doing business in Bermuda

Karen worked for several years in Bermuda for a mobile phone company. As a foreign worker in a new work environment considers learning the local customs as soon as possible, to avoid time-consuming and expensive problems. You have to be polite to get along well with your colleagues and to be accepted.  It is definitely a key point when traveling, working or doing business overseas. Last but not least, here is what Karen recommended to Greystone College students: ‘To broaden your chances of having a job anywhere in the world you need to network! That is the key. You never know when your classmate or friend can be a bridge to your next future career’.