Synopsis

What is Marketing ?

“Marketing consists of individual and organisational activities that facilitate and expedite satisfying exchange relationships in a dynamic environment through the creation, distribution, promotion and pricing of goods, services and ideas”. An understanding of marketing is important for success in all business fields and occupations. Rapid technological innovations continue to change human needs and provide goods and services to consumers at an affordable price. Marketers are instrumental in achieving such tasks. Here are brief descriptions of some important marketing jobs.

Advertising

Advertising is an important business activity that requires skill in planning, fact gathering, and creativity. Typical jobs in advertising agencies include the following positions. Copy writers help find the concepts behind the written words and visual images of advertisements. They dig for facts, read avidly, and borrow ideas. They talk to customers, suppliers, and anybody who might give them clues about how to attract the target audience's attention and interest.

Art directors translate copywriters' ideas into dramatic visuals called "layouts". Agency artists develop print layouts, package designs, television layouts, corporate logotypes, trademarks and symbols. They specify style and arrange all the details of the ad so that it can be reproduced by engravers and printers. A superior art director or copy chief becomes the agency's creative director and oversees its advertising.

Account executives are liaisons between clients and agencies. They must know a great deal about marketing and its various components. They explain client plans and objectives to agency creative teams and supervise the development of the total advertising plan. Their main task is to keep the client happy with the agency. Because "account work" involves many personal relationships, account executives are usually personable, diplomatic, and sincere.

Brand and Product Management

Brand and product managers plan, direct and control business and marketing efforts for their products. They are concerned with research and development, packaging, manufacturing, sales and distribution, advertising, promotion, market research, and business analysis and forecasting. Product management is one of the best training grounds for future CEOs.

Industrial Marketing

People interested in industrial marketing careers can go into sales, product design, marketing research, or one of several other positions. Most people start in sales and spend time in training and making calls with senior salespeople. If they stay in sales, they may advance to district, regional, and higher sales positions. Or they may go into product management and work closely with customers, suppliers, manufacturing and sales engineering.

Marketing Research

Marketing researchers interact with their managers to define problems and identify the information needed to resolve them. They design research projects, prepare questionnaires and samples, analyse data, prepare reports and present their findings and recommendations to management. They need an understanding of statistics, consumer behaviour, psychology and sociology.

Public Relations

Most organisations have public relations persons to anticipate public problems, handle complaints, deal with the media, and build the corporate image. People interested in public relations should be able to speak and write clearly and persuasively. The challenges in this job are highly varied and people-oriented.

Retailing Management

Retailing provides people with an early opportunity to take on marketing responsibilities. The major routes to top management in retailing are merchandise management and store management. In merchandise management, a person moves from buyer trainee to assistant buyer to buyer to merchandise division manager. In store management, the person moves from management trainee to assistant department manager to store (branch) manager. Buyers are prima rily concerned with merchandise selection and promotion; department managers are concerned with sales force management and display.

Sales and Sales Management

Sales and sales management opportunities exist in a variety of profit and non-profit organisations and in product and service organisations, including financial, insurance, consulting, and government organisations. Individuals must carefully match their backgrounds, interests, technical skills and academic training with available sales jobs. Career paths lead from salesperson to district, regional and higher levels of sales management and in many cases, the top management of a firm.

Special focus — Non-profit sector

Business careers don't have to involve high-stress management, financial finagling or marketing a product you don't like. If you'd rather not flog Cheetos; if you're looking for something that's a little more meaningful, then the field of non-profit may be just for you. Non-profit organizations along with other non-business functions such as governments account for over 20% of the economic activity in the United States. This is a large sector with opportunities you shouldn't overlook. One of the most interesting aspects of non-profit careers is the experience you will gain early on. The non-profit career can require the individual to perform all functions found in other marketing careers. The opportunity to make "traditional" marketing decisions at an early age intrigue and draw many individuals to the non-profit field. Non-profit is your chance to make a difference. A real chance to contribute to society and grow while your at it.

Profile of Facilitators

Romel Ahmed (Chair)

Romel is a Business Development Manager for Global Media Corporation. Previously, he worked for UNICEF in Bangladesh. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Nahida Karim

Nahida is working in marketing for Bulvinos Chemicals. She graduated from Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London, and completed teacher training at the University of Wales, Cardiff.