Marketing includes Sales, Brand Management and specializations such as Market Research & Advertising. Sales responsibilities include achieving sales targets, mobilizing resources such as advertising budgets and executing special schemes and promotion drives. Marketing responsibilities include new product development, pricing, market research and sales forecasting. Brand Management is a progressive field where you are responsible for successful management of brands.
Designations like Product Manager, Brand Manager, Market Research Analyst, Territory Manager and Marketing Manager are all careers for people opting for the Marketing stream in MBA studies. Marketing has traditionally remained a very strong specialization option for students because of the elements of strategy, warfare and creativity in this field. Also whatever be the state of the market—bullish or recessionary—marketing people are never out of, or in search of, a job.
Product Management or Brand Management, depending upon whether the product is a manufactured product or a consumer packaged good require MBAs to control and co-ordinate and take responsibility for the growth and profit viability of a product. Promotional opportunities are very much there and a successful Product/Brand Manager might go up the corporate ladder to Category Manager, to even the Vice-President of Marketing or Marketing Director.
Service Marketing is a relatively new segment of the Marketing pie, and is being increasingly seen a separate category because the service side of all organizations are becoming important to retain customers. This is thus a parallel track to Product Marketing in many cases, and the main functions in service sectors like hotels and education. In the service sector, because of the relative importance of this function of marketing, the designation might be Marketing Manager, a person who oversees customer relationship, satisfaction and loyalty.
To help in all marketing tasks, is the very important function of the Market Research Manager. It is the market researcher who compiles and collated all data regarding customer demography, tastes, segmentation and database marketing operations. This job is extremely statistical in nature and requires specialists with a yen for numbers.
In the advertising world, the Account Manager rules. She performs many of the functions of the Product Manager, but on the agency side, handling company accounts and campaigns logistics.
Marketing is the discipline that is the most famous amongst Management Graduates. People with good communication skills, leadership qualities and who are raring to go places generally find it extremely interesting. The career in Marketing has the maximum to offer in terms of responsibility, challenge, innovation and growth. Thus, marketing can be your bread-n-butter if you are willing to take the plunge!
Aspirants for a career in Sales and Marketing should possess creativity and resource mobilization skills, apart from good communication and interpersonal skills without which it’s a waste of time to choose this line. They also display high energy levels and enthusiasm. Companies that typically recruit these live wires are in the business of selling the following categories of goods.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCG) are products that have a short shelf life and are instantly consumed. The front runners in this category are companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, Marico, Cadbury, Nestle, Dabur, Pepsi, Godrej Soaps, Reckitt Coleman, Gillette, and Smith Kline - Glaxo.
Consumer Non-Durables
(CND) are products that are in between FMCG and durable goods such as paints and lubricants: Some of the most popular companies are Asian Paints, Madura Coats, Castrol, Seagram, UB Group.
Consumer Durables
(CD) are goods that are durable such as a TV set or a Washing Machine. Companies that are popular recruiters from this category are Blowplast, Modi Xerox, BPL US West, Philips, Godrej & Boyce, Titan Industries, Godrej, GE, Whirlpool, Hero Honda Motors, and LG…so on.
Advertising and Market Research
Leo Burnett, LOWE India (erstwhile Lintas), J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather, Indian Market Research Bureau, ORG - MARG, Gallup.
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