Melanie has been in graphic design and marketing for 20 years in a variety of areas including custom publishing, regional publications and print ad design. As owner of Plumwood Marketing and Consulting she works with clients across the United States managing brand image, creating brand identity, ad campaigns, effective social media and more.

In 2020, Melanie began shifting her emphasis from practice to research and teaching. Currently she is a doctoral candidate in Marketing and Analysis at Louisiana Tech University. Melanie's research interests iinclude branding, emotions, and identity.