ADD ADVICE TO FAVMarketing manager
Marketing managers work in house for large organisations or for marketing companies.
What marketing managers do
- plan, direct and control business and marketing efforts for their products; in large companies, marketing managers have responsibility for a particular category of goods, or a single brand; in retail, the term ’merchandiser’ is sometimes used
- are concerned with research and development, packaging, manufacturing, sales and distribution, advertising, promotion, business analysis and forecasting
- aim to achieve market share, sales and/or margin targets
- use past sales figures and market research to identify the need for a particular product
- monitor competitors’ sales strategies and prices
- suggest ways in which products may be adapted or developed, and work with suppliers to create new products, within the parameters of the target market and the price customers are likely to be prepared to pay.
Key skills
- commercial awareness
- product knowledge
- communication skills and diplomacy
- numeracy, especially in statistics and trend analysis
- decision-making
- negotiating and persuasive skills
- ability to prioritise and multitask.
Training to be a marketing manager
A degree in marketing may be helpful, but is not essential. It is usual to begin as a marketing assistant or trainee brand manager.
Training is mainly in house. Many trainees take the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s qualifications.
Salaries
Salaries vary, ranging from £15,000 to £35,000 on average. Experienced managers who reach their targets can earn over £40,000, and senior marketing directors are often very highly paid.
