Marketing Management is a progressive domain among professionals that focuses on the practical application of marketing theories and the management of a firm’s marketing resources and activities for the purpose of creating a demand for the firm’s offerings (be it a service or a product) for selling the same to targeted customers who are pre-identified systematically. The domain of “marketing management” as it is known now, was coined in the early 1930s by the American Marketing Association presidential address.
This symbolizes the move from a production focus to the marketing focus, among industries and thus created a revolution within management thinkers. While marketing management as a discipline of research and application has seen waves of changes in key strategic inclination and focus, the core has somewhat remained unchanged. So while the basic theories such as the 4 Cs of marketing remain unchanged, there has been significant changes in the way these theories are used by different experts while applying the same.
So what draws most of the professionals to this domain which has grown in popularity in leaps and bounds, especially in recent times? One of the major attraction factors is that marketing as a domain is very intuitive in nature and thus easy to comprehend. The technicalities are somewhat lesser than many other super-hyped fields like Finance or Information Technology. A lot depends on the quick thinking of the marketer and the flow of solid business logic. Understanding and having a good business acumen is an added and a must have competency. The careers and jobs are promising yet offer dynamic changes to every professional, suitable to satisfy a broad variety of needs. Not everyone is cut-out for every job. Understanding job requirements as a fit with one’s personality type is a must for the sustained growth of every professional. It offers choices for career shifts industry wise and role wise, must for every professional, if one faces a mid-career crisis.
Last, and most excitingly, it offers a track to reach the coveted “CEO” position in the organization. Most top executives have a background in marketing, if not all. So what roles do traditional marketing roles get you into? Jobs in marketing can vary a lot. However, besides traditional paths in sales and marketing, there are many other roles in marketing, a list of which is prepared below:
1. Market Research institutions ( e.g. like jobs in AC Nielson, IMRB )
2. Business Development in Information Technology and Services companies (like jobs in IBM, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Amazon).
3. Consumer goods manufacturing institutions in marketing, sales, branding, strategy (higher in the organization) like jobs in Unilever, Procter & Gamble or in jobs in the FMCG sector.
4. Consumer durables manufacturing companies in marketing, sales, branding, strategy (higher in the organization) like jobs in Sony, Apple, Toshiba.
5. Retail chain management (both marketing, sales and supply chain functions are sometimes merged) like jobs in Wallmart, K-Mart, Reliance Fresh.
6. Product management and even in development in research labs (like jobs in 3M).
7. Need recognition of markets yet to be created (like jobs in MR divisions in MNCs like Tata Group, 3M).
8. Social sector and NGOs. Even social marketing is a major concern in current fast paced societies.
9. Affiliate marketing professional: Create your own chain of hierarchy and get the benefits of the sales from it. E.G. MyLikes, Amazon Affiliates.
10. Internet marketing service professional: You may start marketing websites as a SEO expert.
Hope this helps all those budding marketers who are striving for creating their own niche as a marketing professional in this hugely competitive industry.
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