Advertising and Marketers
Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers work in offices close to those of top managers. Working under pressure is unavoidable when schedules change and problems arise, but deadlines and goals must still be met.
Substantial travel may be involved. For example, attendance at meetings sponsored by associations or industries often is mandatory. Sales managers travel to national, regional, and local offices and to the offices of various dealers and distributors. Advertising and promotions managers may travel to meet with clients or representatives of communications media. At times, public relations managers travel to meet with special-interest groups or government officials. Job transfers between headquarters and regional offices are common, particularly among sales managers.
Long hours, including evenings and weekends are common. In 2006, about two-thirds of advertising, marketing, and public relations managers worked more than 40 hours a week.
For marketing, sales, and promotions management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. Courses in business law, management, economics, accounting, finance, mathematics, and statistics are advantageous. Additionally, the completion of an internship while the candidate is in school is highly recommended. In highly technical industries, such as computer and electronics manufacturing, a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science, combined with a master’s degree in business administration, is preferred.
For advertising management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s degree in advertising or journalism. A course of study should include, for example, marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods and technology, and visual arts, and art history and photography.
For public relations management positions, some employers prefer a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public relations or journalism. The applicant’s curriculum should include courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, political science, and creative and technical writing.
Most advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management positions are filled by promoting experienced staff or related professional personnel. For example, many managers are former sales representatives, purchasing agents, buyers, or product, advertising, promotions, or public relations specialists. In small firms, where the number of positions is limited, advancement to a management position usually comes slowly. In large firms, promotion may occur more quickly.
Familiarity with word-processing and database applications is important for most positions. Computer skills are vital because marketing, product promotion, and advertising on the Internet are increasingly common. Also, the ability to communicate in a foreign language may open up employment opportunities in many rapidly growing areas around the country, especially cities with large Spanish-speaking populations.
Persons interested in becoming advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers should be mature, creative, highly motivated, resistant to stress, flexible, and decisive. The ability to communicate persuasively, both orally and in writing, with other managers, staff, and the public is vital. These managers also need tact, good judgment, and exceptional ability to establish and maintain effective personal relationships with supervisory and professional staff members and client firms.
Some associations offer certification programs for these managers. Certification—an indication of competence and achievement—is particularly important in a competitive job market. While relatively few advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers currently are certified, the number of managers who seek certification is expected to grow. Today, there are numerous management certification programs based on education and job performance. In addition, The Public Relations Society of America offers a certification program for public relations practitioners based on years of experience and performance on an examination.
Although experience, ability, and leadership are emphasized for promotion, advancement can be accelerated by participation in management training programs conducted by larger firms. Many firms also provide their employees with continuing education opportunities—either in-house or at local colleges and universities—and encourage employee participation in seminars and conferences, often held by professional societies. In collaboration with colleges and universities, numerous marketing and related associations sponsor national or local management training programs. Course subjects include brand and product management, international marketing, sales management evaluation, telemarketing and direct sales, interactive marketing, promotion, marketing communication, market research, organizational communication, and data-processing systems procedures and management. Many firms pay all or part of the cost for employees who successfully complete courses.
Because of the importance and high visibility of their jobs, advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers often are prime candidates for advancement to the highest ranks. Well-trained, experienced, and successful managers may be promoted to higher positions in their own or another firm; some become top executives. Managers with extensive experience and sufficient capital may open their own businesses.
Ashford University
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BA in Marketing
One of the best things about Ashford University's
Organizational Management program is the ability to customize your degree to fit your professional and educational goals. Students with a background and/or interest in Marketing can transfer up to 12 credits of Marketing coursework into their Organizational Management concentration, resulting in a dynamic degree comprised of complementing areas.
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Ellis University
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MBA in Marketing
In the Marketing specialization, students study the essentials of developing marketing plans, managing product development and marketing communications, and identifying new marketing opportunities provided by the Internet.
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BS in Marketing
Marketing affects every phase of business-from new idea generation for goods and services through commercialization and sales. A degree in marketing offers career opportunities in fields such as advertising, customer relationship management, brand management, marketing research and retailing. The marketing major within the B.S. in Business Administration degree program prepares students for Marketing careers in or advancement within the marketing profession.
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University of Phoenix
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Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing
Marketing managers need creative, analytical and leadership abilities to manage the marketing function of the business enterprise. The Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing program addresses how to identify customer needs, how to communicate information about products and services to customers and potential customers, where to market and how to price products and services, and how to respond to growing demands to markets in different countries and cultures.
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Graduate Marketing Certificate
The Graduate Marketing Certificate Program has been developed in response to the important role played by marketing managers within an organization, particularly as organizations diversify to capitalize upon Internet opportunities to expand their markets. This program is designed for students who are new to the field of marketing and want to learn about the fundamentals of marketing and for those who already work within a marketing department, but seek to broaden their knowledge of the marketing concepts and how to apply them.
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Master of Business Administration/Marketing
Master of Business Administration program with specialization in
Marketing (MBA/MKT) program is designed to meet the needs of a broad
but unique population the working adult manager or supervisor
who could benefit from a graduate business education. Because the
tools of the marketing science are applicable to the problems of
the public sector as well as the private sector, students whose
career interests involve not-for-profit enterprise are also encouraged
to seek admission.
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University of Phoenix
Ashford University - 