How to become a Marketing Officer

Duties & Tasks of a Marketing Officer

Marketing officers:

• 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.

Tasks

• Researches potential demand and market characteristics for new goods and services and collects and analyses data and other statistical information.
• Advises on all elements of marketing such as product mix, pricing, advertising and sales promotion, selling, and distribution channels.
• Supports business growth and development through the preparation and execution of market objectives, policies and programs.
• Commissions and undertakes market research to identify market opportunities for new and existing goods and services.

Working conditions for a Marketing Officer

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.

Employment Opportunities for a Marketing Officer

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.

Specializations

Advertising Manager

An 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

A 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

An 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

A 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

A 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

A 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

A 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.

Marketing Officer

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.

• 

  Average age

  35

• 

  Future Growth

  N/A

• 

  Gender Share

  62% female

• 

  Average full-time

  42 hours

• 

  Weekly Pay

  N/A

• 

  Skill level rating

  Very high skill

• 

  Unemployment

  Lower unemployment

• 

  Full-Time Share

  76%

• 

  Employment Size

  71,700

• 

  Employment by state

  ACT: 0.9%
  NSW: 41.7%
  NT: 0.3%
  QLD: 15.0%
  SA: 4.3%
  TAS: 0.8%
  VIC: 30.3%
  WA: 6.8%
  
• 

  Age brackets

  15-19: 0.6%
  20-24: 8.7%
  25-34: 39.7%
  35-44: 28.6%
  45-54: 14.9%
  55-59: 3.6%
  60-64: 2.2%
  65 and Over: 1.8%
  
• 

  Education level

  Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 11.4%
  Bachelor degree: 48.4%
  Certificate III/IV: 5.9%
  Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 17.7%
  Year 10 and below: 2.1%
  Year 11: 1.4%
  Year 12: 13.1%