Marketing is…
Convo one
‘What do you do?’
'Hayley: “I’m a Chartered Marketer.”
‘Oh.’
[Their inquisitive face transforms into a blank, vacant stare.]
Convo two
‘What do you do?’
Hayley: “I’m a Marketing Consultant.”
‘Good for you, doing it on your own!’
[They smile then tilt their head.]
Convo three
‘What do you do?’
Hayley: “I work in marketing.”
‘Oh no, I don’t know if I could sit at a computer all day.’
[They glance upwards and pause for thought.]
Three conversations had this year that led to me explaining what marketing is, with variations on a theme each time to suit the listener...
Nothing new though. I have met many people throughout my career that don’t see the power of effective marketing.
For example, a person I formerly worked with told me marketing is a form of brainwashing. Another confirmed the idea of marketing is too corporate for them to relate to. Someone else referred to it as “fluff”; that was a fun conversation given my dedication to the profession for over a decade.
(I also had a previous colleague tell me I wouldn’t be a very good marketer and that I don’t really understand what marketing is...)
Not everyone does understand what marketing is – and that is ok. The fact that smart-thinking people recognise its importance in business means marketers like me have a role to play.
Marketing is…
There are several definitions in that old Google when you search for “What is marketing?”
My definition: Marketing is effectively sharing what a business or person does and why their product or service is of value to meet the needs of their customer.
Marketing takes many strategic forms i.e. content marketing, partnership marketing, client advocacy, brand marketing, product marketing, to name but a few. (These aren’t to be confused with a marketing strategy.)
The marketing mix (the marketing tactics you adopt) aligns with the strategies you’re going to use and with what the business wants to achieve (a good marketing strategy helps here).
What elements of the marketing mix you decide on depends on your business and product/service, who your audience is and what their challenges are and what budget you have.
An organisation’s marketing focus can vary, from supporting a sales drive with a focused marketing campaign to hit a specific target, for example, launching a product to a specific audience, or raising the employer brand to support a recruitment campaign. It all depends on what the business wants to achieve and the marketing objectives that stem from this.
Yeah, but what do you do?
I am an experienced marketing generalist with a passion for inbound marketing strategy (creating effective content and experiences to attract the right audience who need a particular service/product to solve their challenges) and integrated marketing communication (adopting the right marketing strategies to ensure communication across appropriate channels integrate effectively to push a consistent message to one or more audiences). I believe this is a winning combination that creates impact and strengthens brand awareness.
I hold Chartered Marketer status that recognises marketers who have achieved the highest level in the profession. It is the mark of an up-to-date, experienced and qualified marketing professional, awarded by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) on a combination of experience and qualifications.
My career started in event planning and management, moved to e-communications, then led to digital marketing (or “marketing” as I see it in this digital age…) I have been exposed to different elements of marketing meaning I have developed experience across the board.
Some marketers specialise, be it paid media, copywriting, or customer research for example; there is no set route and experience of one area of marketing can lead to another. A previous team member of mine moved from email marketing to marketing data analysis based on her ability to analyse campaign results. Another transitioned from social media marketing to community management.
Is marketing brainwashing, though?
No, of course not.
A good marketer adopts an “audience first” approach and ensures the brand is aligned with every touchpoint. That isn’t brainwashing – it’s very smart and hard to do. There is an art in managing the business process, prioritising brand values and aligning marketing efforts accordingly. Some may debate whether Sales take this into account or if their approach is all tricks and techniques (sales funnelling is a result of good marketing I should add, and perhaps a topic for another blogpost...)
Marketing isn’t always corporate either. Charity marketing for example includes fundraising, community management, social media engagement and campaigning. Charities must really think outside the box to grab attention and raise awareness.
And as for ‘fluff’. Really?