INMA Elevate Scholar: Tori Smith of The Wall Street Journal

By Paula Felps

INMA

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

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In December 2023, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their fourth annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

News media marketing wasn’t Tori Smith’s original career choice, but she has made a home for herself within the industry as one to watch.
News media marketing wasn’t Tori Smith’s original career choice, but she has made a home for herself within the industry as one to watch.

Although news media marketing wasn’t Tori Smith’s original career choice, it has turned out to be the right one. The Cornell University graduate initially ventured into the field of medicine, but her passion for understanding and influencing human behaviour triggered a career shift that led her into the marketing world.

Starting as an assistant business manager in marketing at Macy’s, she made her mark with innovative strategies, including her campaign for National Petite’s Day, which drew more than $400,000 in revenue.

Embracing marketing but changing industries, she joined The Wall Street Journal in 2021, and as a content and project manager, Tori began executing dynamic, integrated media campaigns that significantly increased brand awareness.

Her strategy for The Wall Street Journal’s flagship event, The Future of Everything Festival, resulted in approximately 3.2 million impressions and around 1.8 thousand clicks. Tori also coordinated a targeted digital ad campaign featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama, which garnered a remarkable 1.6 million impressions.

And while many view Tori as one to watch, she thrives in an environment of cooperation and collaboration.

“My role as a marketing manager is directly influenced by the content and programming that is thoughtfully produced by the newsroom,” Tori said.

She enjoys collaborating with the newsroom to create relevant, pointed, and informed marketing campaigns across all formats — print ads, content emails, digital ads, and social posts. And everything she does, she said, is done with her own set of goals in mind: “to build a high-caliber audience, drive subscriptions, and continue to produce high-quality events that are on par with the WSJ brand.”

As an Elevate Scholarship recipient, Tori is eager to broaden her business skills to better prepare her for the evolving media landscape. Her goals include enhancing her proficiency in advertising and business strategy, understanding programmatic advertising and ad targeting, and learning to establish an audience while adhering to ethical advertising practices.

“I aspire to further develop a holistic understanding of the news media and how I can optimise it through marketing,” she said. “I want to develop skills that are essential to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities in today’s dynamic media landscape.”

About Paula Felps

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