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Marketing Officer

Also known as Marketing Coordinator and Marketer.

Marketing officers promote a company's or client's products or services. This can involve marketing existing products, developing new products to cater for consumer demand, or developing markets for new products or services.

Marketing involves working with, and gaining the cooperation of, people in specialist areas such as technical experts, production managers, accountants and advertising agents.

Marketing officers may have to work in the evenings or on weekends, and may be required to travel for business.

TASKS

Marketing officers may perform the following tasks:

identify and analyse an organisation's strengths and weaknesses, and respond to opportunities and threats in the marketing environment
set goals for market share and growth
develop and implement appropriate strategies by selecting, segmenting and targeting markets, and promoting products and services to those markets
make decisions regarding products, such as choosing labels or packaging
work on developing new products
determine an approach to pricing and set prices for products and services
manage distribution channels such as shops and wholesalers
make decisions regarding the distribution of products (such as taking orders, warehousing, stock control and transport), manage store image or undertake direct marketing
develop plans for advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and sales management
undertake marketing audits to monitor sales performance

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

able to analyse and interpret information
creativity
very good communication skills
good organisational skills
able to work independently or as part of a team

Very Good Outlook for this career!

Interest Area

SPECIALISATIONS

Advertising Manager - develops a company's advertising strategy, liaises with advertising agencies to create the company product or image, prepares budgets and develops promotional and sales support materials. In larger organisations, an advertising manager is responsible for a team of specialist staff.

Brand/Product Manager - markets a company's major brand and products. They determine the pricing of products, and maintain and direct the product's image in the market. They decide which new products meet market trends and which need to be phased out.

Electronic Commerce Manager - coordinates and develops the marketing activities of a company over the internet, email and other electronic media, including online promotion, sales and communication.

Marketing Manager - coordinates the marketing activities of all areas of the company that are involved in delivering a product or service to a customer. In larger organisations, the marketing manager may bring together a number of marketing functions or campaigns to create a corporate marketing plan.

Marketing Service Manager - provides sales support by fielding enquiries, taking orders and providing phone advice to customers. They also assist with exhibitions, prepare documentation for brochures and sales kits, and commission market research.

Sales Manager - plans and coordinates the activities of a sales team, controls product distribution, monitors budget achievement, trains and motivates personnel, and prepares forecasts.

Social Media Manager - markets an organisation's product or service via various social media platforms. This may involve researching customer behaviour on social media to develop a marketing strategy.

Other specialist areas include marketing communications, direct marketing and telemarketing. Entire departments serve these functions in larger organisations.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

To become a marketing officer you usually have to complete a VOC qualification in marketing. As subjects and prerequisites can vary between institutions, you should contact your chosen institution for further information.

Entry to this occupation may be improved if you have a degree in business, communications or commerce with a major in marketing. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your HSC/ACT Year 12. Prerequisite subjects, or assumed knowledge, in one or more of English and mathematics are normally required. Most universities in Australia offer these degrees.

Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements or offer external study. Contact Open Universities Australia or the universities you are interested in for more information as requirements may change.

Additional Information

Students and graduates of marketing degrees may be eligible for membership of the Australian Marketing Institute or the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Marketing officers may be employed by companies that manufacture or distribute consumer or industrial goods, or companies that provide private business services. They may also work in advertising, promotions, insurance and banking organisations. Increasingly, marketing officers are employed by government departments and enterprises.

Graduates can enter large organisations or manufacturing companies as management trainees. With experience, the career path typically leads from support roles to positions of product, brand and general management. Marketing officers often progress to top management roles later in their careers.

Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is a growing area within marketing, so an understanding of this area is important. Skills in e-commerce may be advantageous when seeking employment.

People without specific qualifications may be able to enter marketing through retail, commercial sales, marketing services or by working as assistants to product or marketing managers.