Art Armani is a proud Penn State Brandywine alumnus who is conquering the world of digital marketing one venture at a time.
Armani attended Penn State Brandywine when it was called Penn State Lima and graduated with a degree in liberal arts. Armani is now a senior product manager at a digital marketing company in King of Prussia, called Hibu, which works with small businesses to help them compete in the digital world.
During Armani’s time at Penn State, he was editor of The Lion’s Eye during the 1992-1993 school year and was an active member of the AV Club.
Armani nostalgically reflects on his experience writing for The Lion’s Eye recalling,
“There were about five or so of us on the staff. We would spend a lot of time in a trailer that used to be on campus near the tennis courts. In that trailer were video games, a pinball machine, ping pong table and the fabulous Apple IIc computer that served as the Lion’s Eye staff computer… My favorite (issue) was the April Fools Paper … Every article was satire or a hoax of some sort.”
In the late 1990s, Armani was an editor for StateCollege.com and stayed in State College until he moved to New York City in 2004 to advance his career. Armani interned for TVT Records which promoted Pit Bull, Lil John, and Nine Inch Nails and was then referred to work for a viral marketing advertising agency in Lower Manhattan. Armani worked with Sony, BMG and Warner Brothers; he recalls his most exciting adventure as having the opportunity to work on two Weezer album releases.
When asked what advice he would give to college students aspiring to work in digital marketing, Armani says,
“Get as much experience as you can, work for free if you have to … Experience is paramount, your degree doesn’t mean anything if you can’t follow through with the job that faces you. Be personable. Be a collaborator. Share knowledge. Be versatile. Don’t be afraid to take chances.”
Armani stumbled into the world of marketing and advertising on accident by just trying something new.
Fast forward fifteen years and Armani still finds digital marketing to be challenging, rewarding and is constantly inspired by the endless opportunities it provides.