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As long as an institution is selling a product, then they will need to have someone or a team involved in placing the product in the market and raising the brand level. And the ever increasing level of competition among businesses in all sectors gives more credence to the place of a marketing professional in the heart of a business. Marketing is a profession that requires more hands on competence to execute than many other vocations usually do.
As far as education requirements go, all that you will usually need is a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree. Armed with that and the basic skills in marketing, you can secure an entry level position in industries ranging from banks and radio stations, to toy stores and automobile factories. In a nutshell, there are numerous options when it comes to jobs in marketing. It is important that you understand all the different possible roles in marketing so you can make an informed decision on which path is best for you.
All effective marketing must invariably begin with research. You must understand your target audience in order to efficiently market commodities to them. This phase, known as market research involves acquiring data by using surveys, conducting interviews, reviewing market statistics and organizing focus groups. The nature of market research for marketing requires both gathering and analyzing of data and thus requires those that are quantitative thinkers. Possible job titles in this marketing area are a market analyst and a market research director.
The next phase in marketing is creating a recognizable brand. Jobs in marketing that handle this responsibility will usually go under the title of Brand Manager. The position requires a creative mindset; someone who can see one idea in several different ways and is able to create new and exciting ways of branding a product in line with market response and demands. To be a brand manager, you must be self driven and possess a keen sense of communication and communication tools.
The brand has to be established, and this is where advertising comes in to play. The advertising marketing professional focuses on the end user. He or she will base their decisions on what best motivates the business' target market to buy. Advertising marketing jobs also must identify which channels of communication are most effective on reaching the potential customer, whether it is through television, posters, billboards, radio, newspaper classifieds, online social networking, mobile phone channels such as SMS broadcasts, etc. The advertising jobs are best for someone who enjoys working with many people. They also require a great deal of organizational skills.
Another possible job in marketing is that of a promotions executive. While advertising gets the brand noticed, one of the best ways to actually get it purchased is to promote it. The promotions role works closely with the advertising function and is in many cases merged into one job description. The promotions executive combines the work done in advertising with other incentives such as sweepstakes, special discounts, coupons or gifts with each purchase. This job is well suited for a creative person that is able to connect with consumers.
Then there is the public relations job. Public relations marketing jobs are responsible for not only supporting the brand but also defending it. The goal is to associate the brand with good as opposed to bad in the court of public opinion. For you to be in public relations, the ability to think on your feet is indispensable, as it comes in handy when you have to field impromptu questions from members of the press and have to provide a coherent and non-contradictory response.
With such a wide area of job alternatives available, each marketing professional can find a niche that will best work for them depending on their strengths, skills and experience.
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