In this episode of the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s (SSP’s) Early Career Development Podcast, hosts Meredith Adinolfi (Cell Press) and Sara Grimme (Digital Science) speak to Alexa Collela, Product Manager, Professional Services (Research Square), about the breadth of roles a marketer can take on within scholarly publishing. They discuss all things related to marketing, including the difference between marketing and sales roles, and how successful marketers are not only product promoters, but also communicators and subject matter experts for their audiences.

Alexa covers the basics from what a day in the life of a marketing manager could look like, how marketers convey the value of new business models such as open access, and some of her favorite career achievements. She offers advice on effective ways for marketers to communicate about their work, advice that she has used both in her own career and to bring about change in the scholarly publishing industry- including within SSP. Listeners will note an overall emphasis on marketing as essential for bridging the gap between the customer voice and the products and services that target it. Alexa demystifies marketing as more than sitting behind a computer screen writing Tweets — it’s about amplifying the importance of a piece of knowledge to the wider world.

Background on this podcast series

SSP’s Career Development Committee launched this podcast series in 2019 to offer advice and discussion on how early career publishing professionals can add to their skill sets, develop networks, and take advantage of new opportunities. The series presents interviews and insights from experienced professionals on how to navigate one’s career in a diverse and ever-changing landscape of scholarly communications. If you have any feedback for the hosts, creators, or for future episodes, please email info@sspnet.org