Katie Kelly is a current MBA Digital Brand Communications student and is set to graduate in August 2026. Her passion for digital marketing was sparked during her undergraduate studies at Clemson University, where she minored in brand communications. “The Digital Brand Communications MBA seemed like the perfect continuation of the brand communication classes from undergrad, making it the ideal route into digital marketing,” she explained. She was drawn to the program because of the well-rounded curriculum and strong professional network in the Greenville area.
During her time in the program, Katie Kelly has been able to apply concepts from her Digital Content Strategy and Advanced Marketing classes to her full-time Digital Marketing Specialist role at Carolina Auto Auction. In her position, she manages the social media channels, implemented a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, and creates strategies for email, paid media, and advertising. “The Digital Content Strategy class helped me hone into the messaging I wanted to convey and develop a more thought-out social media strategy instead of relying on guesswork,” describes Kelly.
Advanced Marketing helped Katie understand the entire lifecycle of a business. During a residency weekend, Kelly and her classmates created and launched a business from scratch by conducting in-depth market research, identifying a target audience, defining product offerings, and developing a cohesive marketing strategy. Kelly reflected on past residency weekends, saying, “I love the cohort format and residency weekends because, during those 72 hours, you enjoy meaningful face-to-face interactions with your classmates, learn a lot about each other, and form great friendships.” She has been able to apply all these skills to her continuous learning of the digital marketing field.
Even with her busy schedule, Katie still finds time to pursue her passions for live music and photography. Katie works for two music publications where she has the opportunity to attend and photograph concerts, aligning her two passions. “I loved live music since I was 13 and later found my passion for photography because I love capturing physical memories,” explains Kelly. With determination and curiosity, Kelly connected with a concert photographer who mentored her to achieve her goals and pursue concert photography.
Katie Kelly aspires to advance within the digital marketing space and ultimately become a strategic marketing executive, with her MBA education to advance in leadership roles. Katie is eager to broaden her horizons and embrace new opportunities the world has to offer. She advises students to “never stop learning; no skill is out of reach as long as you put in the time and effort to learn it thoroughly.”
As Katie Kelly finishes her MBA, she looks forward to continuing her growth and exploring new opportunities within the digital marketing landscape. With her creativity, determination, and love for marketing, there is no limit to where her education can lead her.
