Texas Tech University

CoMC Alumnus Demonstrates Evolution Of Digital Marketing

College of Media & Communication

One graduate from the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication is making a difference in the world of marketing by working with a company that lets its employees work when they want, where they want. 

Mat Threadgill, the vice president of Client Services at Standing Dog Interactive, graduated from CoMC with a bachelor's in advertising in 2000. He described the Dallas-based company, which has been running for 10 years and currently has over 70 employees, as the perfect example of how marketing has evolved over the years. 

"Standing Dog has a very flexible work environment. You can work where you want, when you want, as long as you're getting your job done," Threadgill said. "It takes a lot of responsibility, but it also makes business more efficient." 

Threadgill explained that in addition to being a full service digital strategies marketing firm that specializes in search engine optimization, paid online media, search media, social media content marketing and analytics and tracking, Standing Dog strives to help its employees find a balance between work life and home life.

"Our CEO has put his money where his mouth is in terms of principles," Threadgill said. "We want people to have a good work-life balance. When people have the time to do more of the stuff they want, it makes them better employees and they work harder in return."

After graduating from Texas Tech, Threadgill said that he tried out several different areas of marketing, including working for a branding, marketing and advertising agency, and starting a small marketing firm with a partner. He then found his current job at Standing Dog two years ago.

"At Standing Dog, I am responsible for the overall marketing strategies for our clients and for making sure that what we're doing from a digital marketing standpoint positively impacts the business," Threadgill said. "We are the single point of contact for the client, and my job is to know their business really well and to make sure that what we're doing on the digital side has a positive impact."

Threadgill also has experience in recruiting, and he said that when looking for someone to hire, he generally looks for three things: a willingness to learn, a willingness to work hard, and the ability to problem solve.

"A good résumé that shows a lot of experience is key," Threadgill said. "You can get good grades in all of your classes, but in my opinion, real world experience is just as important. I think it's important to work and to have internships, because they show the seriousness of a student."

As a CoMC graduate, Threadgill said that the education he received at the college gave him a great foundation in terms of knowing how to learn. He added that he was also inspired by the professors who taught him how to think creatively and how to problem solve, because those are attributes he uses is his day-to-day life. 

"I think Texas Tech offers a very good, well-rounded degree that focuses more on learning how to learn, than just learning facts," Threadgill said. "That's important in the world of marketing, because whatever we learn today will change a year from now."