Bridging Communication and Insight: Lessons from Maggie Jackson
Key Takeaways
• Communication is connection
Feedback is a gift
Data tells, insights sell
Curiosity creates opportunity
Confidence grows with action
We had the opportunity in a guest lecture to hear from one of our peers and classmates, Maggie Jackson, as she shared insights of hard-earned lessons from her own marketing journey. From internships at Fairlife and Circana to her hands-on experience with consumer insights and communication strategy, Maggie taught us the reality of learning and growing in today’s fast-moving marketing world.
Communication: The Foundation of Marketing Success
Maggie began with a theme that’s underrated and not thought about often—communication. She reminded us that success in business depends less on what you know, and more on how you share it. “Relationships, results, and alignment,” she said, are the outcomes of strong communication.
Maggie is a teacher’s assistant for BYU’s Management Communications course, sharing four communication skills: active listening, clear messaging, effective feedback, and adapting to your audience. Active listening, really listening, can prevent countless client misfires and strengthen collaboration. Many clients “don’t know what they want until they hear it,” meaning that marketers need to listen for meaning, not just words.
Maggie said that making small adjustments, like taking handwritten notes, helped sharpen her focus and retention. “When I stopped typing and started writing, I listened better and remembered more,” she said. This is a reminder that in a digital world, analog skills still matter.
The Gift of Feedback (Even When It Hurts)
If there was one topic Maggie spoke about with both humility and humor, it was feedback. She told us that early in her career, she dreaded hearing the words constructive criticism. But over time, she learned to treat feedback as a form of investment. It’s something given to build you up, not tear you down.
We loved her insight on how feedback shows that others see potential in us and want to help us grow into it.
Maggie also shared how important it is to ask questions. Even if it feels like we are being annoying or pestering our supervisors, taking curiosity can be our greatest strength. Being willing to ask questions and doing it often can strengthen relationships with our teams and improve our work flow.
Turning Data into Story: The Power of Consumer Insights
Maggie moved on to talk about consumer insights and how important they are to the marketing world. Consumer insights bridge data and storytelling, where data reveals what is happening, insights explain why it matters.
At her internship at Fairlife, their creative campaigns relied on metrics, and were powered by empathy and understanding. Their research allowed them to be more in tune with their consumers and understand pain points.
Consumer insights can reshape brand storytelling and listening to your audience can be the difference between a campaign that resonates and one that misses the mark.
Learning, Listening, and Leaving a Legacy
Maggie’s personal goals that she shared with us were great reminders of how we can try to be better each day:
Conquering imposter syndrome
Listening more deeply
Striving to do her best work in an era shaped by AI
Final Thoughts
Maggie’s insights remind us that marketing is about understanding. The blend of communication and curiosity she has reflects what the BYU Marketing Lab strives to cultivate: marketers who listen with intent, think with empathy, and create with purpose.