"When you have to present to people like Michael Jordan, you had better know what you're talking about," said department alumna Angela Rickard.

A recent cover from Jordan Brand Magazine

Rickard, a 1997 department graduate, may work in the field of research and marketing, but she still has to answer to her boss.

Rickard currently works as the marketing manager of Jordan Brand at Nike. Jordan Brand, having been in the works for years beforehand, became an official brand, although still a division of Nike, in 1997.

While Jordan himself makes many decisions regarding the brand, products, and magazine that carry his namesake, there are many people behind the scenes who are responsible for the brand.

Of the 10 people currently working in the Jordan's marketing department, Rickard handles many different tasks, each including a different form of media and communication.

With duties such as developing story ideas, arranging photo shoots, interviewing athletes and celebrities, writing for the magazine, and organizing people to implement all of her work, Rickard is extremely appreciative of the broad, diverse communications background that she obtained at Purdue.

"I think that it is so beneficial to have such a broad program. When I came to Jordan Brand, I really needed to be ready for anything."

Two major aspects of the brand that Rickard handles are the Web site and the magazine. Jordan Brand's Web site, www.jumpman23.com, features new products, as well as athletes and other articles.

Jordan Magazine is about 3 years old. While its basic purpose is to communicate news about the brand, there are many interesting interviews and sections devoted to things and people other than Nike and athletics.

Articles found in the magazine include stories about the Fundamental Grant Program and the College Program, which respectively sponsor deserving teachers and student athletes. Jordan, who is very involved in the brand and all of its branches, handpicks the colleges, athletes, and teachers himself.

Research is another aspect of the company in which Rickard works. She must come up with ideas of products, stories, and people that would be of interest to Jordan Brand's consumers.

The target audience for the products and magazine is the 16- to 22-year-old urban male, said Rickard.

Rickard said that her knowledge of research methods is particularly helpful to her now. "The more you know about your consumers, the better you are going to be at communicating with them."

Rickard transferred to Purdue her sophomore year because of the size and diversity of the Communication program. It is a decision that she has always been glad she made.

"It is good to have that background and practice from Purdue," said Rickard of her arsenal of communications skills that come in handy daily in her work.