Director Of Digital, Bedford Advertising
As head of digital strategy for Bedford Advertising, Petrawski is tasked with growing the digital division of the company as well as maximizing the digital impact of its clients. Petrawski earned his master’s in marketing at the Jindal School, which, he said, helped him grow in confidence and decision making. “They gave me the tools to succeed in the marketing roles I’ve had throughout my career,” he said. “This is very beneficial because I work with a multitude of clients across various industries. Understanding the role of marketing in business helps me focus our client’s efforts on activities that maximize the value for their dollar.”
What do you enjoy about your current position/profession?
I enjoy a lot of autonomy in my role. I also enjoy working with various businesses – from car dealerships to bowling alleys to consumer-packaged goods. I’m able to put new theories into practice across the various industries and I enjoy watching our clients succeed.
What is a professional highlight of your career, either where you currently work or in the past?
I’m most proud of winning Best in Show in 2018 for the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Public Service Advertising Competition for my team’s work on Genesis Women’s Shelter. I’m also proud to have won an ADDY award (American Advertising Award) for our Genesis Women’s Shelter campaign and was named one of DFW’s 32 Under 32 in advertising by Ad2Dallas, which is an affiliate of American Advertising Federation for advertising professionals who are 32 years old or younger. The DFW Ad2 chapter is the largest award-winning AAF Ad2 chapter in the nation.
What characteristics do you look for when hiring people into your workplace?
I simply look for three things:1) Do they get it? Meaning, do they truly understand the role, the culture, the systems, the pace and how the job comes together? 2) Do they want it? Meaning, do they genuinely like doing the job? 3) Do they have the capacity to do it? In other words, do they have the skill, knowledge, emotional intelligence, etc., to do the job?
Did a UT Dallas professor inspire you? Who was that and how was that person inspirational?
“Inspire” isn’t the right word but I had two professors who challenged the way I thought about marketing: Dr. Howard Dover and Dr. Ram Rao. These were not easy classes but I got the most out of them.
What advice do you have for college students hoping to succeed professionally?
Don’t scoff at the small jobs or simple tasks. Each job is important. I would say the most valuable thing I learned in my career was during my first job doing data entry on Excel for eight hours a day. Yes, it was boring but I made the most of it. I strove to be better and faster, so I learned many advanced Excel functions that I use today in digital marketing. I was promoted twice in two years before I switched companies. Your supervisors will reward quality and reliability. They DO notice.
What makes an effective leader?
An effective leader has a crystal-clear vision of the future and can effectively communicate that vision to others. They have the ability to influence others to work toward the same end.
