Marketing manager

brand manager account manager
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Print and publishing, marketing and advertising
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Career outlook for marketing manager

UK Salary Ranges

Entry-level

£30,000

Experienced

£65,000


Currently employed in Scotland

39,400

Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.

What's it like?

Marketing managers come up with creative ways to promote a company's goods and services to customers.

You’d plan how to connect with people so they have a positive impression of the products, services or brand.

Your job would vary depending on the organisation you work for and the sector you work in. You could specialise in certain types of product or market, such as fashion, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) or financial services.

What you'll do in this job:

  • research and analyse market trends
  • identify target markets and how best to reach them
  • work out marketing strategies
  • plan campaigns and manage budgets
  • organise the production of posters and brochures
  • come up with social media strategies
  • attend trade shows, conferences and sales meetings
  • make sure that campaigns meet deadlines and budgets
  • check and report on the effectiveness of strategies and campaigns

You'd plan the marketing activity for a campaign. You’d think of new ways to get your message to the customers. 

If you have a bigger budget, you might work with other organisations. For example another advertising or design agency to help bring your ideas to life. You could also work with a market research company to find out more about customer satisfaction and expectations. This data will help you find ways to make your campaign more effective.

At the end of each campaign you would assess its success and report to marketing directors.

You might have a general role where you’re responsible for different aspects of marketing strategy. Your role could also focus on a specific area. You could specialise in :

  • brand marketing
  • content marketing
  • digital marketing
  • product marketing
  • email marketing
  • marketing research
  • marketing communications

You could lead a team of other managers and assistants who you’d motivate to make each marketing campaign a success. You could also lead in one area, for example as a brand manager, and report to another marketing manager.

Working conditions

Hours

You would usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Hours could be more irregular at busy times such as the run-up to a campaign launch. You may also need to attend trade fairs, exhibitions and networking events in the evening or at the weekend.

Environment

You would normally work in an office.

Travel

You may travel to meet clients and attend conferences and product launches.

UK employment status

Full-time

86%

Part-time

9%

Self employed

4%

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Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.

  • Building relationships
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication
  • Creative
  • Attention to detail
  • Developing a plan
  • Time management
  • Delegating
  • Motivating others
  • Taking responsibility

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Getting in

Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

Qualifications

You'll usually need at least three to five years’ experience as a marketing executive before you progress into management.

Employers generally prefer you to have either:

  • a Higher National Diploma (HND)
  • a degree in subjects such as advertising, business, communication, marketing and media
  • a professional marketing qualification

A professional marketing qualification could be:

  • a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Professional Diploma in Marketing
  • an Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) Diploma in Direct and Interactive Marketing

You can enter Higher National Certificate (HNC) or HND courses with both:

  • National 4 or 5 qualifications
  • 1 to 2 Highers or equivalent qualifications

To enter a degree, you'll likely need:

  • National 5 qualifications
  • a minimum of 3 Highers or a relevant HNC or HND

Useful subjects

  • English (required by most courses)
  • administrative subjects
  • ICT subjects
  • maths
  • social studies subjects such as media

Helpful to have

Qualifications and experience that show understanding of the industry and creative communication skills such as Skills for Work Creative Digital Media or Creative Industries.