Intellectual Property Questions

Your Name
Instructor Name
Course Number
Date
Marketing Career Strategic Guide
Summary
In any modern business organization, marketing is essential because it helps to connect the customers with the business. It involves the promotion and selling of products and services. Moorman & Rust (2016) argue that marketing should not be viewed as a function. Rather, it should be perceived as a set of values and processes. In agreement with this assertion, the American Marketing Association defines marketing as a set of institutions and processes that involve creating, exchanging, and delivering offerings that create value for customers, partners, and the society at large (Benedict_University).
For a successful career in marketing, some of the core skills required include, but not limited to, communication skills, interpersonal skills, critical analysis, negotiation skills, and the ability to tell a story. Employers are also seeking people who are skilled in public speaking, analytic thinking, creativity, and stress management (Doyle). Public speaking is vital in marketing because the career requires regular pitching of ideas. Analytical thinking is vital because marketing involves research-based analysis (Amado, Cortez, and Rita).
Based on the interviews (see Appendix A) college students seeking to pursue a career in marketing must go beyond the course materials received from professors or lecturers. Extensive reading opens the mind to new ideas and perspectives. Psychology, for instance, helps marketers to understand the functioning of a human brain and how they make decisions (Wells). Sociology, on the other hand, helps marketers to understand societal dynamics involving human interaction and behavioral patterns (Cluley and Nixon). With an understanding of consumer habits, marketers can consistently evolve to meet demands.
Further, the interviews suggest that current college students should make an effort to acquire an out-of-class experience that helps students experience real-life situations. All the interviewees agreed that there is a need for students to be offered or to obtain internship programs in every year of their studies. However, it is also the student's responsibility to seek these positions in their communities. Exposure to the corporate world helps to build confidence and self-esteem (Anjum). Another aspect in which the interviewees agreed on is the impact of technology in marketing. Marketing is a rapidly changing profession because it relies on technology.
It is important, therefore, for college students to begin interacting with marketing tools as early as possible. Currently, there are many trends in the marketing segment such as personalized ads, video content, application of AR and VR as well as a computerized analysis of big data. These trends are shaping the future of marketing and, therefore, should be given priority by aspiring marketers. Of equal importance is the analysis of changes in the communication sector, both in mainstream and social media. Thus, keeping a keen eye on changes in communication technology will help in planning future marketing techniques.
Lastly, marketing, like any other line of work, has a series of challenges. Cyber-bullying and negative responses on social media can lead to stress and depression. One way of overcoming this challenge is through self-awareness and stress management. Aspiring marketers should anticipate these challenges and prepare on how to navigate social media both as professionals and for leisure. Interviewees agreed that like any other profession, marketing can be difficult and tiresome. College students have an opportunity to identify key areas in which they thrive to minimize pressure once employed.
Key Take-Aways
Interpersonal Skills – Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to communicate effectively with other people. It is vital in marketing because marketing involves communicating with clients, employers, and teams.
Communication Skills – Communication skills refer to the ability to effectively convey feelings or ideas while remaining professional.
Negotiation skills – Marketing involves convincing consumers to buy a product or service. Therefore, there is always a need to negotiate with customers to reach an agreement favorable to both the business and the client.
Relationship between psychology and marketing – Marketing is the process of promoting and selling services and products. The line of work required an understanding of society and its dynamics to deduce consumer behavior. Psychology is the study of the human mind. Understanding humans help marketers predict and react to consumer behavior.
Relationship sociology and marketing – Further, sociology refers to the study of people as a society, including interactions, patterns, and connections. It is key in marketing because marketing seeks to understand society and provide information on how to better navigate or appeal to consuming habits.
Big data – Big data refers to extremely large data sets that reveal trends, patterns, and connections related to human behavior. Marketing makes use of big data to understand consumer behavior.
Data-driven marketing – It involves marketers gleaning trends and insight through computerized analysis of market data (and big data). Such insights and trends are then transformed into actionable decisions and plans.
Marketing Analytics – Involves gathering of information from all marketing channels and analyzing it. The analysis results in a consolidated marketing view that can inform marketers on possible future decisions.
Contemporary and digital marketing tools – The media plays an important role in marketing. Mainstream media forms part of contemporary marketing tools, which include posters, magazines, newspapers, and face-to-face marketing, among others. On the other hand, digital marketing tools include all the equipment and software required to run on the internet.
References
Amado, Alexandra, et al. "Research trends on Big Data in Marketing: A text mining and topic modeling based literature analysis." European Research on Management and Business Economics (2018): 1-7. /science/article/pii/S2444883417300268.
Anjum, Sadia. "Impact of internship programs on professional and personal development of business students: a case study from Pakistan." Future Business Journal (2020). https://fbj.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43093-019-0007-3.
Benedict_University. The Importance of Marketing to Business Success. 2020. https://online.ben.edu/programs/mba/resources/importance-of-marketing-to-business-success. April 2020.
Cluley, Robert, and Elizabeth Nixon. "What is an advert? A sociological perspective on marketing media." Journal of Marketing Theory (2019).
Doyle, Alison. Important Marketing Skills That Employers Value. 31 May 2019. /marketing-skills-list-2062431. April 2020.
Moorman, Christine, and Roland T Rust. "The Role of Marketing." 16 February 2020. Search Results. /files/Documents/Faculty/TheRoleOfMarketing.pdf. April 2020.
Wells, Victoria K. "Behavioural psychology, marketing, and consumer behavior: a literature review and future research agenda." Journal of Marketing Management (2014): 1119-1158. /doi/abs/10.1080/0267257X.2014.929161.
Appendix A
Interview 1
Mr Conrad J. Smith
Marketing Analyst
Elsol Solar Energy Systems Ltd.
[email protected]
Bachelors Degree in International Marketing (Birmingham City University)
What core skill sets, knowledge, or experiences do you feel will best prepare a current college student interested in pursuing work in your field?
In marketing, first, you need to develop your interpersonal skills. Marketing involves meeting strangers and convincing them to buy the service or product you are selling. Further, you must ensure that this relationship is retained so that the customer can come back again. Therefore, you must understand how to interact with people, when to use facts and when to appeal to their emotions. To supplement this, you need quality and oral and written skills. Marketing involves the packaging of information for a specific market. Such information should be organized and effective. In marketing, the intention is to convince a customer to buy from you. Therefore, you also need to have good negotiation skills.
If you were in a position to design a college program from the ground up specifically to prepare students to enter your field, what would you ensure was included (specific training, course content, experiences, etc.)?
First, I would increase the number of practical exercises that enable students to interact with the corporate world in each year of the study. In my time in college, we did a lot of class sessions involving a lot of theories and minimum practical. I, therefore, think my program would involve more practical and less theory.
Probe: What competitive advantage does real-life practical offer over theory?
I am of the idea that while college prepares you for the line of work or career you are interested in, you can only better your skills by applying what you have learned immediately. Students can learn more in real-world situations than what they can learn in class as theory. Further, practical enhance confidence and self-esteem.
Are there specific experiences, training, content you wish you received in college that you think could have helped further your career?

I think I should have done more practical in college. In my first year into full permanent employment, I struggled to settle. It was a completely new environment compared to the classroom. Some of my mates struggled too. When I talked to them, I realized that they were facing the same problem. We knew too little of the actual corporate world. With more practical exercises, I think we could not have struggled that much to settle and give our careers a robust beginning. However, with experience, everything turned out fine.
What problems, frustrations, or concerns do you see with recent college graduates entering your field these days?
I would say most of them are unnecessarily in a hurry. They want to earn the...