The practise of Marketing in Australia has always been a rewarding career path, however with the more recent onset of the digital revolution, social media and online disruption, it has evolved to become a very versatile, ever-changing and fulfilling career path. It’s not without its challenges, but certainly not without its benefits, too!
Are you considering marketing or beginning to start your journey into this amazing practice? It’s time to discuss how to craft your own Marketing career.
About The Current Industry
Selling products and services has become increasingly complex in a global and technologically-advanced world, creating more challenges for organisations in a competitive environment than ever before. For example, how does a clothing designer maintain their business when consumers can buy the latest fashion straight via eBay or Google? How do cinemas compete with streaming services? How do established industries get disrupted and organisations adapt to change? Marketing, of course!
Today’s world has a strong culture of consumerism, and with people becoming more informed and empowered, developing marketing campaigns which are effective, as well as making strategic decisions about where and how to spend advertising budget is becoming more demanding. Due to the digital age, almost everything from tangible to intellectual is a marketable product, meaning that every organisation requires a marketing strategy and a Marketing professional to run it. This includes service providers, government departments, eCommerce businesses and boutique start-ups with one entrepreneur at the helm. Even charities and individuals seeking employment are developing their own personal brand to sell to a recruiter.
It’s no longer simply a bonus to have a Marketing professional in the team- it’s an essential part of business strategy in order to reach success. An effective marketing strategy, powered by a strong marketing team can make a world of difference to an organisation, from their bottom line, to their reputation, their drive, their innovation and their overall offering. Organisations of all shapes and sizes are turning to marketers to capitalise on the numerous practices that Marketing encompasses, such as digital, social media, automation, content strategy, CX, content, copywriting, engagement, and so on.
About The Practice Of Marketing
Marketing activities support the majority of a business’ operation, from the conceptualisation of an initial idea, through to creation, research and finally to educating potential customers and supporting after-sale services. While there are a growing number of titles and roles which sit under the umbrella of Marketing, there are many commonalities that they all share between them.
All Marketers are focused on:
- purchase decisions in a segment
- the potential of products
- engaging audiences to encourage a Call to Action
Depending on the business’ requirements, some people in the Marketing industry work solely on short-term results, such as conducting an advertising or social media campaign, while some develop long-term and overarching strategies. Some spend their attention on maintaining public relations, while others respond to crises and avert potential disasters. Then there are cases where a Marketing professional will have to do all of these together, or coordinate a team doing them. It’s up to you, as an individual, to decide which direction you wish to pursue.
Where do Marketers Utilise Their Talents?
Essentially, Marketing is about satisfying what your customer wants at the right time, in the right location, which comes from a Marketer’s empathetic understanding of why people make certain choices and engage in different pieces of content. Then they must identify gaps and recommend new, innovative ways to reach potential customers.
At The Australian Marketing Institute (AMI), we define Marketing as the following: Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational objectives.
Ultimately, Marketing strives to create value in all forms for a range of people, including customers, shareholders and society as a whole. It achieves this by aligning what consumers want and what an organisation offers. Marketing undertakes activities to understand the needs, preferences and perceptions of their customers (a prerequisite to adding value), as well as ways of using that understanding to focus the value-creating and communicating activities of the firm into areas where they will be most effective.
In other words, Marketing professionals are employed today by thousands of different organisations across several industries, all looking for better and more innovate ways to cut through the clutter to reach their audiences in an engaging way that will take people from disinterested consumers, and convert them into loyal advocates.
What Kinds Of Fields Do Marketers Work In?
Marketing includes a range of functions and activities, which include the following. Which one excites you the most, and appeals to you as a potential career?
(1) Market Research
The statistics and the research behind customer and industry behaviours allow for a better understanding into the market itself. Market Researchers examine trends and data to arm a business with useful information on which to build more accurate and effective marketing plans. An insight into how people respond to a specific situation, as well as the stages of the marketing funnel is important in ensuring that the strategy is well informed to get the best results.
(2) Advertising
This is the role most commonly associated with Marketing. It involves attracting public attention to a product, service or business through alluring content and messaging on particular media, such as radio, TV, social media, etc. Advertising Marketers are highly creative and use their array of talents to provoke emotion and response in people. They utilise a range of methods, sounds and imagery to encourage customers to believe that they need this particular product for their personal benefit.
(3) Digital Marketing
This is certainly the one that is undergoing the most expansion and growth today. Digital marketers focus specifically on attracting customers through internet media such as blogs, landing pages, social media, mobile marketing, smartphone apps, website advertising, SMS, and so on. Technology is certainly driving this role, especially with the introduction of automation, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and AI. This is definitely quite an interesting and ever-changing part of Marketing worth exploring.
(4) Direct Marketing
Slightly more traditional, but still an essential part of reaching a customer, this type of marketing involves telephone calling, email marketing, mail leaflets, brochures, printed materials, and so on. Direct marketing is mainly used to support direct selling efforts, however it is becoming more about brand awareness and prospecting too.
(5) Relationship Marketing
This involves building long-lasting relations with current customers though loyalty programs to keep the brand and organisation top of mind. Frequent Flyers, Fly Buys and store loyalty cards are all examples of sales promotions that make it easy for customers to use the supplier and encourage repeat interactions into the future.
(6) Public Relations
PR revolves around activities which establish and promote favourable relationships with the public, media, businesses and other organisations. PR specialists primarily communicate messages to present the public face of a person, a brand or an organisation, using influence, creativity, spontaneity and negotiation so that they maintain a positive reputation for their client.
(7) Events Marketing
This encompasses the organisation and coordination of meetings, incentives, conferences and events to educate people about the business, build brand awareness, sell products, gain more customers or nurture/reconnect with previous clients, through the offering of educational value. This is a highly popular speciality in Marketing and produces effective results.
(8) Sponsorships
These Marketers organise sponsors, which are partners or Key Opinion Leaders of a consistent ethos with an organisation to fund and communicate a message out to the public.
(9) Content Creation
Marketers in this area include copywriters, animators, videographers and any other creatives who create content to engage audiences in a more informative way. This has gained a lot of popularity today due to the value that it offers customers and the effective outcomes it achieves as a result.
Naturally, in the ever-evolving world of Marketing, this list will continue to grow and diversify, but the above should give you a basic understanding into what kinds of roles are out there that you can chose from.
What are the Career Prospects Available In The Australian Marketing Field?
Businesses employ Marketing professionals either individually or as an in-house team to specialise in the above roles for their organisation to achieve their specific corporate goals. The common titles given to Marketers are:
- Market Analyst
- Marketing Assistant
- Marketing Communications Coordinator
- Marketing Consultant, Officer or Representative
- Marketing Coordinator
- Marketing Manager
- Executive
- Director
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
- Marketing Strategist
- Marketing Planner
Obviously this list is not exhaustive, but gives a good summary of the types of positions available in the business world.
Our Australian Marketing Institute website explains that one of the key attributes of a successful marketer is a relentless curiosity about human behaviour and the way individual and community transactions take place in an organised society.
Increasingly, Marketing Specialists are valued as an essential part in driving organisational success from innovation to the strategic planning stage, through to managing stakeholder relationships, research, and from the supply chain to the customer. This means that it’s a highly coveted career path because engaging customers, and in fact all stake holders is crucial in today’s competitive environment.
Planning Your Marketing Career
If you wish to pursue the exciting field of Marketing as a career, it is always highly recommended to undertake tertiary Marketing qualifications at a University, Tafe or similar educational organisation. There are several different approaches to obtaining a degree in Marketing (or a related field like commerce or business), but despite which alternative you decide on, this qualification will provide you with a strong practical and theoretical introduction for you to build upon when you eventually enter the industry. Opportunities do still exist for people without Marketing qualifications, but most are now expected to be undertaking some form of training and ongoing professional development to bring them up to speed with the workings of Marketing as a practice.
Once you have graduated, you can look for a position as a Marketing graduate or intern in a business looking for entry-level marketers. You will be a far more appealing prospect for an employer if you already have some relevant experience, so perhaps consider volunteering or getting a casual role to build up some initial experience before completing your qualification. Of course, the next stage is a more involved marketing role, often known as a Marketing Assistant. These positions are perfect for gaining experience through a more senior Marketing mentor and will provide you with the opportunity to grow and learn in the field. After this, the sky is the limit, and you can begin to climb the corporate ladder and diversify into the niches of Marketing that interest you and play to your strengths.
Tech-savvy Marketing professionals are always in high demand, because the market is always trying to keep up with the scope and potential of the internet, blogs, social media, automation and email-based marketing.
LEE TONITTO BCOM MBA GAICD FAMI CPM
Chief Executive Officer | Australian Marketing Institute
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