The Marketing Industry: Jobs, Skills and Job Outlook

Marketing is the set of activities that a company or organization carries out in order to satisfy the needs and wants of customers and markets.

The initial aim of marketing is to seek to understand the needs and preferences of customers and clients (the primary focus of all marketing efforts) by performing activities such as market research and analysis.

Subsequently, marketing specialists work to build value around a company, brand or product/service, defining an overall marketing strategy designed to generate a positive relationship between company and consumer and influence the behaviour of prospective consumers. This process, known as strategic marketing, may have a quantitative goal, such as increased sales, or a qualitative one, such as an enhanced company or brand image.

The next step is operational marketing, which involves the implementation of the marketing strategy using the four classic marketing mix levers, Product, Price, Place and Promotion (sometimes known as the 4 Ps’).

Marketing managers have a wide range of operational responsibilities, including marketing analysis, client segmentation, packaging, brand management, pricing policies and distribution channel management, as well as all of the activities carried out to promote, advertise and raise consumer awareness of a company, brand or product/service.

This last aspect of marketing is closely related to corporate and brand communication (so much so, in fact, that the two areas are often referred to jointly as “marketing and communication”), which essentially comprises all of the activities - including advertising, public relations and promotional events - through which a company or brand presents itself to the market.

Usually, candidates for positions in the Marketing industry are required to hold university qualifications, such as a degree in Economics or Communication - ideally with some kind of specialisation in marketing management.

Practically all types of companies - including B2B, B2C and non-profit organizations - have a marketing department of some kind.

As a result, job openings in the Marketing industry can be found in a large number of different companies, operating in various sectors and in all geographical areas - from large multinationals with numerous well-known brands in their portfolio, through to small and medium-sized businesses.

There are also a large number of marketing and communication agencies that specialize in providing companies and organizations with marketing services designed to fit their specific requirements, including market research, media planning, direct marketing, and online advertising.

Companies hiring in the Marketing sector:

Marketing and Communication professionals are always very much in-demand, meaning employment prospects for marketing sector roles such as Marketing Manager, Marketing Analyst and Brand Manager are good.

Globalization and the digital revolution have had a major impact on marketing strategies and practices. The emergence of web 2.0 technologies in particular have changed the way companies interact with their clients (as well as how consumers interact with with each other), paving the way for a shift towards an increasingly multi-channel and multi-device marketing model focused on end-user participation and engagement.

As a result of these changes, the marketing industry is looking especially to the internet, mobile phone technology and big data analytics to help it respond to the challenges presented by the current competitive environment.

Certain jobs - particularly those connected with traditional forms of communication - are rapidly disappearing, while at the same time a number of new roles related to the digital sector have emerged.

Job openings in marketing are in fact increasingly targeted at web marketing professionals, such as Digital Marketing Managers, Social Media Managers, E-commerce Managers, SEO/SEM Specialists, Digital PR experts and Community Managers, as the world of customer and consumer communications shifts towards a digital model.

In addition to a sound knowledge of economics, management and communications - essentially the bedrock of a career in marketing - companies are generally looking for the following skills:

Data analysis abilities

The foundation of a successful marketing campaign is a knowledge and understanding of the target market or audience that a company wants to reach. The ability to analyse large amounts of raw data from a wide range of sources, including market research, consumer preference surveys, web analytics and CRM databases and identify significant information and trends that can be used to create an effective data-driven marketing strategy is therefore crucial.

Digital skills

Digital and web marketing skills are becoming an increasingly valuable asset for aspiring marketing sector professionals, with social media and web-focused roles such as Digital Strategist, Community Manager, Web Content Manager all enjoying excellent career prospects.

Digital marketing is now a necessity for all types of business and companies are keen to recruit marketing personnel with online advertising expertise and a knowledge of social media who can help them reach an online target audience.

Ability to handle change

In addition to technical expertise, an essential soft skill for anybody interested in a career in marketing is the ability to adapt to change, quickly identify new opportunities and adjust strategy accordingly.

In a sector subject to constant change, marketing professionals need mental flexibility to move with the times and stay ahead of the curve, coupled with a willingness to learn the latest technologies and tools that will help their company or client reach their target customers.

Marketing - Job Descriptions

Interested in finding out more about Marketing jobs?

Take a look at the job descriptions we’ve prepared: