Marketing manager
Use your creativity to promote goods and services to potential customers.
Also known as: brand manager, account manager
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£577
Entry level
£1,250
Experienced
Monthly
£2,500
Entry level
£5,417
Experienced
Yearly
£30,000
Entry level
£65,000
Experienced
39,000
people are currently employed
High growth
2,100 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's 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.
Hours
Environment
Travel
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
The Chartered Institute of Marketing – discover how to get into a marketing career
Arts Marketing Association – membership body for the arts, culture and heritage sector
Institute of Data and Marketing – learn about qualifications, training and access more resources
Scotland's National Centre for Languages – hear from Dylan, a marketing manager
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Tourism Food and drink Financial services Creative
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- taking responsibility
- motivating others
- delegating
- time management
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- creative
- written communication
- verbal communication
- building relationships
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Administration and Information Technology
Business Management
English
Media
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
Qualifications and experience that show understanding of the industry and creative communication skills such as Skills for Work Creative Digital Media or Creative Industries.
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