Find your role in the marketing mix

Friday, March 5, 2021
Marketing is one of the most diverse sectors to work in – from the employers, the styles and processes, and the role, there’s a wide variety to choose from. Marketing roles tend to either sit in-house where people work for a single brand, or in an agency where teams cover a range of clients.

Agency life is often very busy, with multiple deadlines and the need to juggle various big campaigns. However, the fast pace is exhilarating and ensures people can work on something new every day. In-house work means there’s more time to dedicate to one business, and there’s often more influence and scope over strategy and campaigns.

However, in-house employees can sometimes be limited on resource, as these kinds of teams are rarely as varied as agencies, apart from in the instances of larger organisations. Below is the life cycle of a marketing campaign and where certain employees fit into that cycle. In marketing, many campaigns have a life cycle, with different people within the agency working towards a particular goal in order to get their stage of the cycle completed.

1. Briefing and planning

Media planning is the first major step in any marketing cycle that usually falls to an outside agency. In this stage, a marketing manager on the client side will usually brief the agency on the campaign objectives, and the most appropriate media platforms to advertise the company or client’s brand and products are decided upon by the agency. A media planner then determines how the brand's message can reach the right audience to generate the desired outcome, all while staying within budget. The media planning stage will usually include research on market trends, initiatives, strategies for the following year and a target audience to communicate to.

2. Creative Development

The role of creative director is the pinnacle for many art directors and copywriters working in marketing. This individual takes on big projects and campaigns when they are in their infancy and works to create the initial messaging. Most creative work is required to go through the creative director before being passed over to the client, too. After that, the campaign goes through various stages of research and development.

The brand's tone of voice and all copy for the campaign is created by a copywriter. It’s their job to take a selection of products, services, value propositions and ideas and turn them into concise, thoughtful copy that engages and inspires. Copywriters have varied days: they may work on a lengthy research report one day and the next could be thinking up straplines for a new brand. Work may include writing emails, blogs, brochures, website copy, ebooks and white papers. Copywriters are also responsible for creating and upholding a company’s tone of voice. A great copywriter has the ability to think creatively, understand an audience and not take criticism to heart.

After this, the campaign's visuals are considered through designers and video producers. Designers and art directors are a staple part of a marketing team. Their creative ability to visualise concepts and produce attractive material can make or break a brand. Often working in tandem with copywriters, art directors take the lead on big campaign projects, working to convey high-level messages. Designers can expect to work on projects like creating logos, forming brand identity, shaping advertising & marketing material and producing exhibition stands.


Another important role is the video producer. With video an increasingly important part of any marketing campaign, many teams now employ their own video producers. They’re expected to create everything from social-media-friendly clips through to recordings of events and conferences. As how-to and personalised videos become more effective ways to reach an audience, people with animation or special-effects skills are in high demand.
 
3. Campaign launch

The next step is to launch the product or campaign. An account manager oversees the process of managing client expectations and handling feedback. A great account manager helps the creative team produce exactly what their client is expecting. And likewise, they know how to manage their client, from brand requirements to budget. Client teams act as the bridge between creatives and clients, and have an important role in deciding on strategy and implementing it. There’s plenty of scope for career growth in client services: many people will begin as an account executive and work their way up to account manager, before reaching the level of account director.

4. Growth (sales increasing)

At this stage, the social media manager, digital marketer and account planner will monitor the effectiveness of the campaign and adjust accordingly with consumer response in order to increase sales. As social media is a vital part of a marketing strategy, this role is growing in importance. A dedicated social-media manager is essential. The role includes optimising profiles, engaging with influencers, planning strategies across channels and communicating with customers and prospects. A good social media manager can transform engagement and appearance on all online platforms.

Digital marketers are experts when it comes to a brand's online presence. They live and breathe data and analytics and have an innate desire to test everything. Their responsibilities include managing all online channels: SEO, PPC, mobile marketing, affiliate marketing, email, and sometimes social media. Digital marketers can provide useful insights for the team, letting writers know which copy works best and designers know where web users click the most.

Marketing is a rich, rewarding area to work in, combining high-level strategy with creativity, and producing collateral that millions of people will see every day. If high-pressure environments and busy days appeal, as well as fantastic job satisfaction from successful campaigns, it might be worth considering agency work for the chance to work on huge brands, and the ability to develop a career in a fast-growing sector.

Original Article @ https://jobs.theguardian.com/article/find-your-role-in-the-marketing-mix/?s=44