Filed under: Professional Profiles
Apartment Therapy is the premiere online destination for those enthralled by the world of home decor and a penchant for finding great advice on how to make everyday living beautiful. With almost five million visitors per month, this top taste-making brand is leading the transition away from traditional magazines as the harbingers of style towards a future in which blogs will rule as central hubs of style influence. A large, dynamic team at Apartment Therapy works hard to ensure that this site thrives in a competitive field -- including Senior Advertising Sales Associate Mariel Buque. Mariel Buque is an executive contributing to the huge success of Apartment Therapy as a rare woman of color in the world of tech advertising sales. Black Voices asked Ms. Buque to share her unique work world wisdom, and to comment on recent news events from her perspective as an Afro-Latina. Here's what she had to say.
Please describe what you do as a Senior Advertising Sales Associate for the amazing site Apartment Therapy. What are your main responsibilities?
In this role, I project manage and implement the company's advertising campaigns and I manage Apartment Therapy's advertising network relationships. My role is a blending of selling advertising campaigns to endemic clients, managing the successful implementation of these programs, and maintaining partner relations with both our advertising and network partners. Working for Apartment Therapy has allowed me to be a part of a team that focuses on the value of the information we provide our readers, making it easy for me to emphasize that value to our media partners.
How did you find yourself in this career? Did you always intend to focus on working in the online world?
My dad worked in media for many years and I found great interest in his work, so I started to major in media studies in my teenage years. Since this time, it has been my intention to work in this field. I stumbled upon digital media, as many of my colleagues have, to explore this "new and exciting medium." Online advertising, as many predicted a few years back, is the driving force behind many of today's marketing initiatives. I positioned myself here to be a part of the digital movement, because I've always believed in its preeminence in the advertising world.
What are some trends that you see in the world of online content businesses? What sets Apartment Therapy apart from other similar content sites?
The most noteworthy trend we're seeing is that of social integration. At Apartment Therapy, we incorporate social criteria into our programs through sponsored content, contests, and media events. The key to successful social integration is to create an environment in which social consumer behavior is seamless. Our readers immerse themselves in our community setting, where they interact with both the editorial content and the user-generated content in one environment.
How do you brush up on your skills and remain up-to-date in the areas of knowledge that are critical to your position?
The best way to maintain a deepened level of knowledge in advertising is by listening to your clients' objectives and keeping current with consumer behaviors in the online space. Staying abreast of these two factors always helps us find ways to make the advertiser-publisher-consumer relationship benefit all who partake in the process. At Apartment Therapy, we work closely with our editors, who understand the readers' expectations first-hand. This helps us maintain an environment that is welcoming to both readers and advertisers alike. This year we found great success in our "The Inside Man" program, which represented this type of synergy between all involved parties. It's a project that we're very proud of. Check it out at: http://theinsideman.apartmenttherapy.com/
As an Afro-Latina, how do you perceive the level of diversity in your field? How would you encourage other women of color who seek a career in online advertising sales, or other related areas of the Web world, just getting started?
Advertising isn't a very diverse field, but I do believe it is an industry that invites a variance of cultures. My advice to women of color who are exploring this field is to consider themselves as individuals who bring a unique perspective to the advertising arena. In a business setting, we oftentimes focus on the color of our skin instead of focusing on the advantage of having a different cultural experience that can bring great benefit to our careers. I'd also advise anyone to seek out a mentor in his or her field who can advise them on their career path.
Recently on Black Voices we featured an article that discussed Jesse Jackson's belief that Soledad O'Brien's is not "black enough." What is your opinion on the relationship between Latinos of African descent and the African American community?
The African Diaspora is so diverse, that it ought to take a pretty strong line of reasoning to disenfranchise someone of his or her "blackness." Some aspects of culture are relational, in the sense that people's association with a community can derive from their exposure to that environment. Some Latinos of African descent live in African American communities where they experience the African American culture first-hand, making their association with the culture very genuine.
Who are some of your heroes in the world of business, past and present?
Chris Gardner always comes to mind as someone who truly exemplifies adversity turned into triumph. His story certainly poses as a great motivator to keep me focused whenever I hit roadblocks.
Lauren Lake is a multi-faceted and exemplary woman, who's created her own empire in many different industries. She is a lawyer, HGTV show host, career coach, and one mean motivational speaker!
Can you recommend some hot Web sites that our audience might not know about?
Well for starters, I invite you to visit all of Apartment Therapy's sites, which each have a focused topic on the home:
TheKitchn.com - On Cooking
Re-Nest.com - On Green Living
Ohdeedoh.com - Interior Designing for Kids' Spaces
Unplggd.com - Design with a focus on Technology
And if you're interested in exploring the world of media, www.AdvertisingAge.com is a great resource for current information on the industry.
Would you share your favorite piece of inspiring business advice with the Black Voices audience?
Treat your career as a business. Plan it out carefully, have a fallback plan, take risks, and keep exploring new ways to achieve success. If it helps, draft a business plan for your career. It will help keep you focused on your goal.