This advisory board member bleeds black and gold. Michelle Tucker is a Boilermaker through and through, and in this interview shares some great advice, including the ever important: “Learn the words to ‘Hail, Purdue!’” Keep reading to hear about the giant leaps Tucker has taken in her career.
What is your favorite Purdue memory?
It’s tough to narrow down to just one favorite memory — there are so many! But one that stands out for sure is when I joined a group of friends for Midnight Madness at Mackey Arena in October 1993 (For those that don’t know, Midnight Madness is a celebration of the beginning of NCAA basketball season. At the stroke of midnight, the team gets started on their very first scrimmage and practice of the year). The team was made up of so many incredibly talented players, including Glenn Robinson, Cuonzo Martin, Brandon Brantley, and even my hometown pal, Cornelius McNary. Everyone knows Mackey is electric on any game day. But Mackey was an absolute sensory blitz that night — everyone just knew that team was poised for greatness, and we were bonkers with Boilermaker spirit. It was an unforgettable night to start an unforgettable season — the team won the Big 10 Championship and made it to the Elite 8 that year. I’m practically giddy now just writing about it. Boiler Up!
What is your top piece of advice for current Lamb School students?
Seek to truly understand your classwork. Your grades are important because they are a reflection of the work you put in to become an expert at your subject matter. Also remember that soft skills are very important to those that are hiring you. We’re looking for leaders who can collaborate with others, manage time well, as well as be good listeners and proactive problem solvers.
Also, if you haven’t already, learn the words to “Hail, Purdue!”
What impact do you hope to make as a member of the advisory board?
It’s truly such an honor to be in service to Purdue in this capacity. I hope to leave my mark as an advisory board member by using my real-world experience to help shape future curriculum. My goal is to create unique programs that prepare students to get hired and then excel at the best agencies in the world, while also attracting the best and brightest prospective students to the Lamb School.
Could you talk a little about your current role and how you got there?
Currently, I’m an SVP, Creative Director at Edelman, a global marketing communications agency. I lead a team of talented copywriters and art directors to come up with ideas that have a meaningful impact on the relationship between brands and consumers. On any given day, I might be working on pre-production for a photo shoot, storytelling for a video/TV script, creating a rewarding experiential event, launching a new brand campaign, or even developing a creative strategy, visual language, and tone for a new product or service. Every day is a new adventure!
It’s that sense of adventure that fueled me when I started my career. I networked with alums I knew from Purdue and asked them to introduce me to people who might be open to chatting with me about their jobs in advertising. Eventually, I met a woman who knew of a position as a Creative Assistant/Proofreader for an ad agency called Kobs & Draft. That job helped me open doors to become a copywriter. On top of my own job responsibilities, I asked the creative directors for additional work on pro bono projects, and to cover for the junior copywriters when they were on vacation. I offered to stay late to help other teams with ideas. Eventually, I was promoted to junior copywriter, and then to copywriter. I worked at different agencies, such as Frankel, FCB, and Havas to gain experiences across different brands. After a number of years, I was promoted to associate creative director. And for the last 10 years, I’ve served in the role of creative director.
It’s been a rewarding career (so far!), and I owe it all to boatloads of hard work, resilience, tenacity, curiosity, embracing the unknown, and a little bit of luck along the way.
How has your career changed as technology and advertising practices evolved?
I think one of the most fascinating changes came with the dawn of social media because it totally changed the way brands interact with consumers. Brands were communicating to their audiences via one-way messages distributed by TV, print, or websites that acted more like brochure-ware. Social media forced brands to engage in dialogue with consumers, but they had to do it on terms that were set by consumers. As a result, brands have become much smarter, relatable, and transparent because they are learning from valuable customer feedback and actionable data. It’s been a trip to see that transformation throughout my career, and it keeps me motivated because technology keeps our world in a constant state of flux.
Do you have a mantra or a saying that you live by?
I have a few mantras, but the one that seems come up most is “Keep the ABCs in mind: Always Be Curious.” That mantra has reminded me to be a student of the world, constantly learning from the wonders, cultures, and people of this beautiful home we call earth.
Any final thoughts?
Until just a few years ago, only 3% of Creative Directors were women. That number is broaching 29%, but we need that number to be 50%! What it really means is that we need to increase diversity overall in the ad industry. After all, it’s diverse thinking that makes ideas better! So, I am proud to represent female creative directors, and one of my passions is to champion diverse talent in the industry. In addition to being an active part of the Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at Edelman, I am an Adjunct Professor in the Schools of Continuing & Professional Studies and the School of Communications at Loyola University Chicago.