Have you ever wondered why one manufacturer’s products are in great demand, while another’s, no worse in quality, continue to lie on the shelves? It’s all about marketing policy, or rather, its proper organization. The key role in this is played by the marketing director. Experts from the digital agency 360 MEDIA tell us what competencies and skills this specialist should have, what is included in his responsibilities, what personal qualities help him in his work.
What is this position?
Marketing director is a top employee of the company who manages marketing processes. In business, he is often called CMO ( from the English Chief Marketing Officer – “chief marketing manager” ).
To work and achieve goals, he uses marketing tools, human and material resources. The QMO may be specific database by industry subordinate to one or several divisions of the company, which accumulate specialists responsible for promoting goods or services in different directions.
His main task is to coordinate the actions of all employees. He, like an orchestra conductor, ensures the harmony and technicality of the performance of the entire ensemble.
Marketing Director’s Tasks
The list of job competencies of the QMO depends on the volume and specifics of the company’s commercial activities. The basic tasks of this specialist are considered to be:
- creation of a close-knit proactive team, coordination of the work of the marketing department and cooperation with other divisions of the company, motivation of specialists, leveling of conflict situations in the team;
- analysis of the productivity of marketing processes, development of promotion strategies, creation of a marketing business plan, search for and integration of effective tools, monitoring the achievement of set goals;
- organizing monitoring of target audiences, auditing consumer demand and competitors’ activities, assessing economic market trends, preparing and monitoring consumer loyalty programs;
Competencies and personal characteristics
The Marketing Director is a specialist whose professionalism directly affects the success of the company. Therefore, he must:
- have experience in organizing and managing people;
- have a good marketing plan – a roadmap for your business development understanding of marketing, economics, business management, psychology, law, advertising;
- have the skills to conduct research, analysis, and market audit;
- have excellent knowledge of the company’s products;
- stay informed about competitors’ offers;
- demonstrate expertise in defining the target consumer group;
- be able to plan marketing and manage the company’s budget;
- work technically with office programs and CRM systems;
- be proficient in foreign languages;
- have a relevant higher education.
How to Become a Marketing Director
A business owner will not hire a university graduate or a marketing course graduate my blog for the CMO position, since this is a top position in the company, and the level of responsibility is too high.
All great specialists, before becoming a marketing director, started from scratch and did routine work, gradually climbing the professional ladder. Each step is the accumulation of experience, insight, expertise, connections.
A novice specialist should strive to implement complex projects, analyze the results obtained, take into account mistakes. And continue to learn: structure knowledge, share experience, adopt the practices of colleagues, master new approaches. After all, marketing strategies do not stand still!
Pros and cons of working as a QMO
The main advantages of the SMO position are considered to be:
- high salary,
- demand,
- status,
- opportunity for self-realization.
Flaws:
- irregular working hours,
- frequent travel,
- increased level of responsibility,
- stressful situations.
A modern marketing director is not a conservative conformist boss. This is a strategic leader of the company with a flexible mind and balanced decisions. The CMO is a positive person who maintains the most transparent communication with the team, knows how to find common ground with each employee and achieve effective results for the entire department.