Where to start…
I found most of the information that this post is based off of in a few online articles on Marketing. I will provide the links to each of them, along with the most note-worthy points. This post will aim to answer the following questions: What does an individual do in a marketing role? What are some misconceptions about marketing?
What does an individual do in a marketing role?
The most direct answer to this is taken from What Is Marketing? by Caroline Forsey [https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-marketing]. In this article she provides us with the “4 P’s of Marketing,” this concept was originally created by E Jerome McCarthy in the 1960’s. The four P’s include: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
So, what does this mean? Well, this means that marketing roles entail more than most people initially recognize. It means that marketers do more than advertising (one common misconception). It means that on a very base level they do the following:
Marketers determine if a product is likely to be successful or not through utilizing market research on consumers.
Marketers determine the price of a company’s products. They compare prices of other products and do research on what consumers are willing to pay.
Marketers determine where is best to sell their product. Whether its in stores or online. (Again there seems to be a lot of research involved).
Marketers promote products through many methods. Anything from advertisements to promotions to public relations.
Oh boy, that is definitely more than I had realized…
What are some misconceptions about Marketing?
Marketing is mainly advertising.
Marketing is for creatives.
Marketing is not math intensive.
Marketing is mainly branding.
There are a lot more out there too. Let me take a closer look at some of these…
Marketing is mainly advertising.
Let’s just be blunt and say that this is very wrong. Advertising is actually a very small step in marketing. Don’t get me wrong, advertising is an important step, but it’s not everything. Before a marketing team even approaches advertising there is a TON of research that has to be done. Market studies, consumer reports, customer/consumer surveys. The list goes on. That is just what comes before advertisement. After you run advertisements much of the process revolves around analytics. You have to determine things like: Is this an effective advertisement? Is our target audience captured? Does it trigger consumers to purchase the product? Are we using the right medium?
Marketing is for creatives.
Sort of… but probably not what you think when you hear the word “creatives.” What does that word trigger in your thoughts? “Artist” is what comes to mind for me. However, typical “art” is often not very vital to marketing. Yes, there are some specialists who may design visual art, but that a very small piece. In fact the problem isn’t the term, just our common interpretation of it. Marketing often involves creativity in terms of optimization. In a marketing role you have to care about what the response is. The success of marketing is all in the response and results. That’s where the difference lies. If you are an artist who doesn’t take well to criticism, or who creates art for themselves, then this may not be the right path for you. However, if you’re an artists who likes challenges, someone who enjoys creating something to cater a specific response or spark certain action, this might be the role for you. The short response would be: If you are creative in terms of optimization, go for it.
Marketing is not math intensive.
Wrong. So, incredibly, wrong. A lot of the research involved in marketing is hugely math intensive. This isn’t to say that you can’t be in marketing if you aren’t great at math. It’s just snap to reality. If your field relies heavily on research, you will likely be reliant on statistics. Think about it. Even the art in marketing must have every response analyzed. If you aren’t great at math, but you’re comfortable with it, don’t let this scare you. There are lots of marketing roles that are less math intensive. However, if you are scared of working with numbers, or you don’t want an analytical job, maybe look to a different field.
Marketing is mainly branding.
Again, no. Branding is just a piece. Image isn’t everything to marketing. It is a vital piece of marketing, but that doesn’t mean that you are likely to end up doing branding in a marketing role. Branding is about appealing to an audience of consumers, and in order to do that you have to know those consumers really, really well. Branding also involves a lot of optimization, and is only a step in the process.
Review:
Marketing is a lot more than just appearances. It is one of the most research heavy fields out there. Yet, it’s a very exciting role to be in. If you’re in marketing you can evidently recognize your impact at any point in your company’s process. In addition to this, there is kind of something for everybody in a role like this. From content creators to analyzers.
What does marketing mean to you? Is it what you expected? Do you agree with or disagree with my take on it? Let me know what you think in the comments!