Marketing management - getting started
11-OCT-07
Do you love finding out what makes people tick? Are you charismatic and energetic? Can you sell ice to an Eskimo? And do you love to see a project through to fruition? Then, marketing management may be your calling.
Offering an exciting mix of communications, sales, economics and product development, marketing gets to grips with what consumers want and finds ways to get it to them.
With South Africa’s economy on the rise, opportunities for great marketers exist in all areas of local commerce and industry. You could look at working in export marketing, product development or even become a marketing strategist for a large conglomerate – the options are endless!
Quinton Meiring, Career Guidance Counsellor from INTEC College gives Skills Portal the inside scoop on marketing management day–to-day:
AM I SUITED TO A CAREER IN MARKETING MANAGEMENT?
If you score more Ys than Ns, you could have what it takes to be a successful marketing manager!
Do I enjoy analysing and interpreting information?Y/N Do I have strong organisational skills?
DO I NEED ANY SKILLS WHEN APPLYING TO STUDY MARKETING MANAGEMENT?
You should have excellent communication skills and be able to manage you own time effectively. Strong writing skills are also a huge advantage. Marketing involves working with, and gaining the cooperation of, people in specialist areas such as technical experts, production managers, accountants and advertising agents. So having great people skills is a huge advantage!
WHAT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR ME?
Marketing offers a vast scope of vocational opportunities. You could get involved in export marketing such as wine or fruit exports – both hugely successful overseas. Or work in product development to create new aspirational brands or FMCG goods. Perhaps market research is more your thing, which focuses on finding out what consumers want and analysing trends in the market place. You could even become a marketing strategist and develop new and innovative ways to reach target markets.
WHAT WILL MY TYPICAL DAY BE LIKE ON THE JOB AS A MARKETING MANAGER?
• You will be responsible for identifying an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses and responding to opportunities and threats in the marketing environment• You will set goals for the market share to grow
• You will develop and implement appropriate strategies by targeting markets and promoting products and services to that market
• You may make decisions regarding products such as choosing labels or packaging
• You may work on developing new products
• You may work on pricing
• You may manage distribution channels such as shops and wholesalers
• You may make decisions regarding the distribution of products
• You will develop advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and sales management or strategise around these activities
• You will undertake marketing audits to monitor sales performance.
WHERE CAN I STUDY MARKETING MANAGEMENT?
INTEC College is one of the recommended SA institutions where you can study marketing management. You can choose to study for a Certificate, Higher Certificate or Diploma dependent on the level of skill you wish to achieve.
These courses will cover areas such as:-
• Communication• Management
• Economics
• Principles of Business Law
• Financial Accounting
• Marketing Management
• Statistics
• Market research
• Marketing communications.
INTEC’s distance-learning courses will allow you to study while you work, giving you the option of gaining some in-house practical training at the same time if you wish!
Each course should take approximately one year to complete.
WHO TO CONTACT:
INTEC College 0800 012 311 or
www.intec.edu.za
