What is a Marketing Manager?
Marketing management is an organizational field that focuses on the practical implementation of marketing orientation, theories and practices within organizations and businesses and over the allocation of a company’s marketing resources to the different marketing functions. Marketing management therefore is also known as strategic marketing management. It pertains to the strategic planning, organizing, executing and controlling of marketing activities and the allocation of scarce corporate resources to promote and sell merchandise, services and ideas. There is also a need to address the issues of valuation, pricing, risk and accountability that are crucial in the effective management and the allocation of resources.
The marketing manager must possess expertise in various approaches, methods, materials and products used in marketing. He must be able to understand and analyze the changing customer needs and interests and be able to translate them into concrete marketing strategies. A strong command on finance, accounting and statistics is also very important. A marketing manager must be an excellent team player and he must have sound managerial and leadership skills to deal with issues and challenges facing the marketing department.
In today’s competitive world, there is a constant search for effective and efficient marketing managers to bring out brand awareness, launch new products and services and create brand loyalty among customers. A marketing manager should be capable of developing and managing a brand image that will resonate with consumers. A brand manager should be highly skilled in creative branding, strategy and image development. He should be capable of conceptualizing and implementing strategies that will build consumer trust and confidence in the brand. He should be adept at identifying the target audience and creating and developing campaigns that will resonate with these target consumers. The marketing manager should be able to monitor and measure the effectiveness of these marketing campaigns.
Social media marketing is one of the most effective strategies to boost the business and increase visibility and traffic. A good marketing manager should make sure that social media strategies are developed according to the type of business and brand being served. For example, an entrepreneur launching a food franchise should consider using Twitter, YouTube and Facebook as part of their marketing campaign. For fashion brands, the ideal strategy would be making sure that the various social media outlets cater to their target demographic.
Digital marketing strategies explain the three main areas to consider when planning a digital marketing strategy. First, a strategy should explain what the product or service will provide and why the customer should buy it. Next, a plan should describe how the product or service can be delivered – from website to bagging the customer’s attention and then delivering it. Lastly, the digital marketing manager should explain the potential pitfalls as well as the means to avoid them, such as the importance of social media. The digital marketing manager should be a skilled communicator who is capable of explaining the product or service in simple, understandable terms that appeal to all generations.
All three components of what is a marketing manager would help create comprehensive campaigns and deliverables. However, the creation of comprehensive marketing strategies requires knowledge, skill and experience in the area. Marketing managers are required to be innovative and continuously develop their skills to come up with the most comprehensive marketing strategies. These skills and abilities can be acquired by attending marketing conferences and training sessions, reading marketing research and journals and by immersing oneself in other fields that touch upon this field.