Marketing Careers

There are so many perceptions and popular beliefs and opinions about marketing. When someone says “marketing”, one of the first things that come to mind is selling products and promotions. People are probably familiar with sales, advertising, media (TV, radio, billboard advertisements), but there are more sub-fields, jobs, and business functions under marketing.

As marketers, you have to look at different business components and factors. Following the 5Ps of marketing, Product, Price, Promotions, Place, and People you have to make sure all these elements come together to form one effective mix.

On the product side, you have to take into account product design and development, market demands and needs, manufacturing and logistics, and projections for demand and capacity to produce. You have to determine the correct price to cover all expenses, generate and maximize profit, and capacity of the market to purchase. The promotions mix is yet another component to factor in – which channels to tap, creative advertising of products, branding and positioning, budgeting of expenses, and others. You have to determine the correct place and venue to situate the product, manufacturing premises, stores, and distribution channels. Lastly, you have to manage people – yourself as a marketer, staff, and colleagues in the company handling other business functions, and your customers and clients.

With so many marketing components to look into, many companies have created several marketing positions to take care of specialized functions. Different companies also define some marketing positions differently than others. There is a myriad of positions like marketing manager, product manager, brand manager, sales manager, and so on. For professionals looking into a career in marketing, it is important to know what each position entails and which fits your background, capacities, and abilities.

The following a rundown of positions different companies usually put in place to address different marketing functions:

1. Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers don’t just give approvals on marketing materials and advertisements. They should be able to see the whole business from a marketing perspective. Strategic thinking is needed to create a marketing program, which can answer objectives, market characteristics, and product or service capabilities. He must be able to coordinate all marketing activities and provide direction for advertising materials. For professionals, they should be able to assess cost implications of product development and marketing activities, set budgets, identify research and development resource allocations, return-on-investment, demand, and profit projections.

2. Brand Manager

Across many companies, there are overlaps between their definitions of marketing and brand manager. To give a more specialized definition, a brand manager handles the company/product/service’s brand image and makes sure the company’s marketing efforts project the right image. As a brand manager, you have to work with the marketing, communications, and advertising teams to make sure all branding guidelines are followed. Aside from having pertinent marketing knowledge, you have to have your creative hat on to determine whether communication efforts make correct use of brand elements and whether all elements in marketing collaterals (from visuals to language to tone to story and messaging) will portray the right image in the consumers’ minds.

Other companies also have brand equity managers who form a bridge between brand and marketing managers as they look into the returns on investment and equity of branding and communication efforts.

3. Marketing Communications Manager/Officer

The promotions component of marketing mostly involves integrated marketing communications. For many companies, having a communications manager help align advertising, public and external relations, and other promotional efforts with marketing objectives. You also identify and study target market profile and behaviors to better reach and communicate with them amidst competitor efforts and other events happening in their daily lives. You have to strategize communication campaigns to lead and guide the target market through the consumer journey as they become aware of, consider, purchase, use, and talk about your company’s products and services.

4. Product Manager

Yes, being a product manager also falls under marketing. Product Managers review financial statements and performance data to measure productivity and above all, minimize costs and maximize profits. They also direct and coordinate different departments to ensure efficient and effective production, pricing, selling, and distribution. Furthermore, they monitor suppliers and quality of inputs and outputs. Marketing is such a broad field, with various roles and positions working to make sure all work and efforts are aligned and ultimately, to reach the company’s objectives. There are many roles to specialize in which need different competencies and abilities. For professionals looking to have a career in marketing, there are endless options to choose from and explore.