Prompt #1: Asking Questions and Breaking Assumption

By Brendan K.

Many people have preconceived ideas about how the Marketing world is run. This post is about what people believe a job in marketing is like and what the people in the field are like. Here are some examples.

·      Marketing success is just numbers, Sales teams bring in revenue.

·      Marketing is just shapes and colors.

·      Marketing is the spending department.

·      Everybody else can do your job.

All of these are false and I know that so I’m here to put the nail in the coffin of these stereotypical thoughts about people in marketing.

First, marketing does involve a lot of numbers, but the challenge comes to interpreting that data a making a conclusion on what to do with it. Almost everyone could read a graph and some pie charts, but you need to be able to make decisions and carry out the activities necessary.

Second, when referring to shapes and colors we are of course talking about logos. Logos are very important when it comes to marketing, but that isn’t even half of it. Marketers are taught to use specific strategies when it comes to using logos. You cannot just place a logo on a screen and assume everyone will buy your product. That is a marketer’s job to make the logo stand out and cause you to remember their brand.

Third, marketing involves a lot of spending. The returns on these expenditures are less visible than buying thousands of dollars on new computers for the company. It’s is better to look at the spending as an investment instead. When marketing is done right the investment will generate business and lead to a positive return.

Fourth, not everyone can do the job of a marketer. Sure, everyone can probably think of a good idea for a commercial, but that doesn’t make you as experienced as a marketer. The issue with marketing is that it is all opinionated and there is no right answer. This can also be a perk because you are able to critique your peers and formulate a great idea with many different opinions.

Marketing is a job for people who are good at group work, critical thinking, and creative problem solving.  I hope that you changed some opinions on marketers or at least have a new respect for them and their careers.

Sources:

Alpha Graphics. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.  

Daniels, Stephen. "Marketing Preconceptions We've All Heard." Marketing Preconceptions We've All Heard. 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.