What’s it all about then?

As Marketing Manager, your job is to plan and deliver the best ways to promote your company’s products for highest return. 

You’ll use all of your expertise and creativity to make sure that your company’s new products are launched successfully and sales of current products are maintained and grown.

The job involves everything you might expect, including market research and co-ordinating all marketing and promotional activities for your range of products.

If you’re a creative and organised sort of person, then this could be the job for you.

What might I be doing?

The exact duties of your job will depend on the size of your company and the sector you’re working in but the following will be common to most marketing managers’ jobs:

• Conducting market research and identifying possible promotional strategies and new market niches for your products
• Developing and delivering the marketing strategy on time and within budget
• Leading and motivating a team of marketing executives and assistants
• Liaising with colleagues, customers and contractors to ensure that all work proceeds effectively and smoothly
• Measuring and evaluating the success of campaigns and presenting results to senior company management
• Continually developing new strategies for products and ensuring that these meet overall company objectives

What will be expected of me?

This is a demanding and complex role and you’ll need to be extremely well-organised and creative. You’ll understand buyer behaviour and have a nose for unmet consumer needs as well as being a people person and good manager well used to communicating with all sorts of colleagues, customers and outside contractors.

Your insight, command of English, influencing, prioritisation and budget control skills will be exceptional as you’ll have to draw up promotional briefs, write material for journals and online outlets, commission external support and also proof read and sign off on the work of others.
As a manager, you’ll be expected to be able to motivate your team to achieve optimal results for your company.

For the role of marketing manager you will spend your time working to a variety of deadlines so you need to be someone who can handle and manage pressurised situations.

You’ll also need to be confident enough to sell new and often novel ideas to senior company management.

What can I expect?

Many marketing managers’ roles are office based and although core hours are usually 9am to 5pm you should expect to spend a lot of time working outside these hours and travelling to meet with customers, PR agencies and the like.

As you near a deadline, your hours may increase dramatically and evening and weekend work is to be expected.

As marketing manager, you have high profile role with a great deal of responsibility for company performance so you will be constantly in the spotlight. You’ll need to be able to cope with pressure as you work to make your strategy for a product succeed – but when this happens you’ll find the job extremely rewarding.

What about the pay?

Salaries can be extremely variable in line with different sectors and individual company requirements but an experienced marketing manager with proven successful campaigns behind them will not be earning less than £35,000 with an average slightly higher than this.

Although only given as a guideline, with promotion or greater responsibility this figure is likely increase to a lot more than £50,000 a year, whilst marketing directors typically earn in excess of £75,000.

What qualifications do I need to get in?

You’ll probably have gained a degree in subjects such as marketing, public relations, business, economics or similar to have started in marketing as a graduate trainee and you will usually need at least three to five years’ experience as a marketing executive before you progress to the role of marketing manager. 

You should also bear in mind that for jobs at management level, employers are likely to be more interested in your track record, experience and industry knowledge than your formal qualifications.
Courses that offer placements are particularly useful and, if you have been placed in a warehouse environment in your placement year, then this will give you a head start in the job.

What about further training?

You’ll need to have good marketing knowledge and management skills when you start work as a marketing manager, but there are a variety of extra qualifications that you could consider taking on a part time basis and these include: 

There are also a range of courses available from professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, for example the Diploma in Marketing Communications which is available on a distance learning basis.

You might also want to consider membership of a professional body, which will mean you’re always up to date with latest news and events, as well as demonstrating your commitment to your role.

Finally, a commitment to continuing professional development and membership of CIM could give you the opportunity to apply for Chartered Marketer status. This demonstrates that you are an experienced and qualified marketing professional.

Anything else I might need to know?

Yes, although the role of marketing manager involves a great deal of pressure and hard work, it is extremely fulfilling.

As digital media expands and consumers become harder to reach through traditional media, the role of marketing has become ever more important. When you add this to the growth potential and relative job security of food manufacturing, you can see there are a load of fantastic career opportunities for someone thinking of a job as a marketing specialist.