Memo/Dr. Dubinsky/September 30, 2002/page 2
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 30, 2002
To: Dr. Jim Dubinsky
From: Student
Subject: Interview Report: A comparison between writing in technical and marketing fields.
In an effort to learn more about different types of job-related writing, I interviewed two professionals in the fields of marketing and technical communications. Tim East, Assistant Athletic Director, Marketing and Promotions for Virginia Tech Athletics, discussed writing in a marketing context, and Eryn Perry, Proposal Manager/Technical Editor for Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) explained technical writing. The topics covered included purpose of writing, target audience and audience expectations, types of writing, research, and the challenges of job-related writing. These topics facilitated a comparison and contrast of the two fields.
INTERVIEW RESULTS
Purpose of Writing
The goals of writing in marketing and technical communications differ significantly. Marketing focuses on advertising, yet technical writing presents detailed information regarding research or studies in a scientific field.
· Marketing: Tim East uses writing to promote a product—Virginia Tech athletics. He writes and produces documents/presentations to encourage the sale of tickets and related merchandise.
· Technical: Eryn Perry uses writing to provide in-depth analyses of technical studies. In addition, she writes grant proposals to fund the Institute’s research.
Target Audience/ Audience Expectations
Audience varies for both marketing and technical writing, yet both fields require a writer to choose an appropriate tone and presentation for each group that he or she addresses. In addition, writers in both professions must perform to readers’ standards and expectations.
· Marketing: Tim East’s writing targets several different groups, and he must write differently for each. For example, Virginia Tech students require a more informal approach, while paying customers (alumni, community members, etc.) respond to more formal presentations/ writing. Promotional writing requires enthusiasm, and readers expect optimism, yet Mr. East explained that it also requires a conservative approach because the readers/consumers will not be motivated by exaggerated claims.
· Technical: The majority of Eryn Perry’s audience is transportation professionals: government agencies, transportation engineers, etc. Because of this fact, her documents contain technical language and details that would not be accessible to a layman. Her readers insist on precision, proper formatting, and clarity of writing and contentBoth marketing and technical writers use multiple formats to present information. However, promotional writing tends to require more creativity in relation to content, while technical writing requires greater precision in document format and style.
Types of Writing
· Marketing: Tim East writes copy for advertisements in print, radio, and television. He also creates fund-raising brochures, scripts for presentations, public address announcements, and schedules/scripts for athletic events. He also writes and produces multimedia presentations for videotape and video scoreboards at athletic facilities.
· Technical: Eryn Perry writes/edits transportation-related technical reports and papers, government and private sector grants and proposals, and annual reports. In addition, she formats and edits technical presentations.
Research
Both fields use research to help in their writing; however, they utilizes it differently. Marketing research aids a writer in creating new ideas for promotional materials, and technical research enables a technical writer to understand his or her topic in order to present it effectively.
· Marketing: Mr. East researches new ways of promoting Virginia Tech sports. He subscribes to a weekly sports marketing journal, attends conferences, and communicates with others in his field through online list serves and newsletters.
· Technical: Ms. Perry may need to research a scientist’s past performance or information about new equipment. In addition, when writing or editing a particularly technical document, she uses outside research to learn the proper terminology and gain a basic understanding of the subject.
Challenges
Writing in both marketing and technical fields presents a variety of challenges.
· Marketing: Tim East’s biggest writing challenge is creativity. He must invent new advertising campaigns and materials seasonally for multiple sports.
· Technical: Timing and balance are the most problematic aspects of writing for Eryn Perry. She deals with over sixty researchers, and of those, she has a project/proposal/report with three to four at a time.
CONCLUSION
These interviews illustrated a range of options available for professional writers. While written content and style vary according to a field’s requirements, there are several basic characteristics that both marketing and technical writing share, as seen in the preceding interviews. Both fields require a writer to address specific audiences with situation-specific language, format, and tone. The major differences in writing between the two fields are creativity and flexibility in terms of presentation methods. Marketing requires a constant flow of new ideas and a writer may have more choices of style, content, and format. Technical writers are more limited in their formatting and content because of institutional, business, or government requirements, and their writing requires a greater attention to facts, precision, and consistency. However, they must also be creative in order to present information in the most concise and understandable way possible. While each field emphasizes different writing methods and skills, both demonstrate the importance of effective communication in the professional world.