Choosing a Marketing Major

Marketing touches upon almost every aspect of our daily lives. Careers include marketing products and services to consumers and businesses (B2B marketing) and advocating for social or political causes. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as, “ the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

Here are just a few of the areas that can lead to exciting careers in marketing.

Advertising and Promotions — Would you like to be the creative force behind the Super Bowl TV commercials? How about managing the public and media's perception of a company or its products and services? Or, does creating a national campaign to roll out a new product interest you? Whether it's a John Deer tractor or Gap blue jeans, the job of an advertising professional is to get people excited about a product or service and purchase it. With social media, advertising and promotions includes exciting new channels beyond print and broadcast media.

Product Management — Would developing and launching a new product or improving existing products excite you? Product managers are responsible for the development, distribution, and pricing of products which include assessing the competition and researching future trends. They also develop promotional campaigns and track sales and profits for major product categories. Since product management professionals manage and strengthen brands, they are vital to a company's success. Think how much fun the iPhone launch was for the product development team!

Public Relations — Would helping an individual or organization by creating an image and message and then effectively communicating it to the desired audience interest you? All types of organizations, both profit and non-profit, employ public relations specialists. These specialists can advise organizations as diverse as the CEO of Toyota on how to effectively respond to product complaints to marketing the value and image of the American Red Cross for their efforts to help disaster victims.

Sales — Would you like to earn a salary that is based on your efforts and success? Many sales salaries have a base salary and a commission which can be limitless. Sales involve providing information, locating potential customers, presenting the value of your product and service to that potential client to solve their problems or achieve their goals and closing the sale. Sales and marketing techniques are used by professionals in non-profit organizations to raise funds for universities, charities and political and religious groups.

Research — Are you curious about what spurs someone to buy a product, use a service or notice a marketing promotion? Market research professionals are experts in consumer and business buyer behavior, using research tools such as statistical analysis packages, surveys, focus groups, and product testing. With ever-improving data coming from sources such as retail scanners and the internet, this field is booming with career opportunities.

Retailing — Do you want to influence one of the most dynamic sectors of the world's economy? Store management, buying, merchandising, and integrated marketing through the web and social media channels are just some of the sectors that need highly qualified marketing professionals. If you are people-oriented and enjoy an exciting, service-oriented, entrepreneurial profession, then check out a career in retailing.

Other Marketing Career Opportunities

Pricing - Marketing professionals are also responsible for pricing products and services. This includes profit and margin analysis, customer perceptions, and buying behaviors associated with price.

Distribution and Supply Chain Management -- Marketing is also responsible for distributing the company's products through wholesalers, retailers, catalogs, social media networks, and through E-commerce. Distribution also includes how products are inventoried, packaged, transported, warehoused and presented on retailers' shelves or on the web. New services to customers and even entirely new companies such as Amazon.com can be created by with innovative ways to distribute products and improve service and support to customers.

Marketing and Information Technology — Marketing professionals must develop and use data from their consumer, business or government customers to identify their highest potential customers as well as prove the value of the products and services they sell. They must also prove the return on the costs of marketing campaigns and other investments to management and company owners. Understanding how to collect, manage and apply this information is a critical component of many marketing jobs. In addition, new delivery technologies such as smart phones, new social media channels and web tools, plus global positioning systems (GPS) are changing the way marketing professionals collect information and reach their customers.

Entertainment, Sports, Health Care, Education, Manufacturing, Government — Marketing jobs are available in virtually every sector of the global economy. One of the biggest U.S. sectors is the entertainment sector (movies, music, theme parks, travel and leisure). For example the Disney Corporation frequently recruits for interns through Wright State's Career Service.

Colleges, universities, charter schools all vie for undergraduate and graduate students and depend on marketers to achieve their enrollment goals. And hospitals reach consumers and potential employees through marketing their unique services and value.

The Potential is Unlimited — This overview is just a small sampling of the career paths available to marketing majors. Additional resources such as the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook and the American Marketing Association Job Board and the AMA's on line “Ask the Expert” for professionals and students are excellent resources for exploring opportunities and regional salary data for careers in marketing.