After a college internship, Becky Jones, a Somerset native and graduate of Somerset Community College (SCC), knew she wanted to pursue a career in television advertising. Now, 15 years later, Jones is consistently recognized for her work and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing and Research for Viamedia, the leading independent cable advertising representation firm in the United States, earlier this year.Jones chose to start her college experience at SCC because it was close to home and she could transfer her basic classes easily to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where she earned a bachelor’s degree.
“As a Pulaski county native, starting my college career at SCC was a no-brainer for me,” said Jones. “I knew I didn’t want to make college a career. I wanted to obtain my degree in four years, which can be difficult to do. SCC allowed me to focus on my basic core classes over my first two years so that when I moved on to EKU I could focus only on my specialty classes. This was very helpful for me. It kept my college education streamlined and efficient.”
While at EKU, Jones majored in public relations. Unsure of exactly what type of career she wanted, she accepted internships in the areas of marketing, public relations and advertising. Ultimately, her advertising internship led to her current career.
After graduation, Jones began her career in research at Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI), which was later acquired by AT&T. At AT&T Media Services, she played a key role in the strategy and development of Viamedia’s sales support infrastructure that today supports over 300 sales individuals.
Now as a Senior VP at Viamedia, Jones oversees corporate communications, marketing and research. She leads a marketing team that assists the sales efforts across the company. Her team’s primary research responsibilities include market analysis, geographic targeting, demographic profiling, behavioral purchasing patterns and training sales teams to assist advertising clients with their response rates by utilizing Viamedia’s extensive research catalog. Jones also oversees Viamedia’s social media platforms and overall marketing and public relations efforts for the company.
“I do not like to be bored,” said Jones. “In my time at Viamedia, I can assure you that hasn’t happened. The constant evolution and changes that occur in the industry bring new challenges on a daily basis. But most of all, I love my career because my team gets to use research to help people market their businesses to their customers. There is a direct correlation between the success of our customers and the success of our company. As long as we are helping businesses in each local communities we operate in more profitable, we are doing our jobs well.”
Jones has received national recognition for her impact in the cable industry. In 2014, she was the recipient of a Top Ops Award and named the industry’s “Cable Marketer of the Year” by Cablefax. Also in 2014, she received a Faxie Award for the company's Affiliate and Partnership Marketing. She has also been recognized as one of the cable and telecommunications industry’s ’40 Under 40’ by Multichannel News; recognized in Cablefax's Sales Executive of the Year Awards program for multiple years; and has been named as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Cable”.
In terms of advice for others interested in advertising or marketing careers, Jones said internships can make all the difference.
“Had I not done the advertising internship that I did as a senior in college, I wouldn't be at Viamedia now,” said Jones. “Take any opportunity you can to learn and meet people because you never know what it could lead to. My internship led to a full time job a year after I graduated. Invest in your personal success.”
Jones now lives in Lexington with her husband Scott and their two boys, Silas and Sawyer.