Brock Brawner (B.A. 2016) Copywriter, HyattWard Advertising
Brock Brawner (B.A. 2016)
Copywriter, HyattWard Advertising
Brock Brawner gets paid to write, and he writes a lot. As a copywriter at HyattWard, an award-winning advertising agency in Redlands, Brock regularly juggles ten different writing projects simultaneously. He writes ad copy for businesses and non-profits, as well as researches, curates and produces content for his clients’ social media platforms.
And that’s not all. Brock collaborates with HyattWard’s creative director, graphic designer, project director, and CEO. And he pitches original story ideas for the agency’s blog and monthly email newsletter. One of his latest blog posts tackled the recent phenomenon of consumer brands adopting social activist stances.
Brock first joined HyattWard in 2014 as an intern while he was still a student in CSUSB’s English major (Creative Writing track). Not too long into his internship, he was challenged to write his first ever radio script. At the time, he was lucky enough to be enrolled in both screenwriting and playwriting. As it turns out, HyattWard and their client loved Brock’s script. Soon after, while playing pool with some friends, Brock heard his ad on Pandora!
From the outset, Brock’s English major helped him succeed at HyattWard, and it continues to help him five years later. “Everything I do every day I learned at Cal State San Bernardino,” Brock says. Specifically, he credits the creative writing program with teaching him how to receive constructive criticism, to set aside his ego, and to know his audience. It was through his creative writing workshops that he got to work with fellow writers who challenged and improved his style and craft.
Brock emphasizes that these are indispensable skills for a professional writer, and cultivating these skills has allowed Brock to succeed in his career. Brock’s advice for those interested in writing for a living? “If you want to be a writer, you have to write.” He stresses that professional opportunities for writers exist across all industries: Anything you’ve read, about any industry, was written by someone. And that means “there is a lot of opportunity out there” for a writer.
Brock encourages recent graduates not to discount social media platforms as viable avenues to initiate new writing projects. Also, he sees short-term, freelancing positions as opportunities to build one’s writing portfolio and to become a stronger and more flexible writer. As he says, “Your skill set will improve, and it will allow you to adapt to different industries.”
Finally, Brock recommends that you remain open to challenging yourself. Don’t ignore that freelance opportunity because you know nothing about, say, the healthcare industry. Take the risk. In fact, you might surprise yourself with how much you do know. Remember Brock’s first radio script as an intern . . . and things seem to have worked out well for him since.