A recent informal poll on LinkedIn asked the question, 'What do you think about Marketing Education?' And 84% of respondents agreed 'Marketing courses are valuable'.
It prompted me to think about what it is about marketing courses that make them valuable, and do they need to be accredited qualifications or not? So, I decided to survey our students and share some initial findings below. Marketers indeed need skills, irrespective of how they acquire them, whether that’s through online learning, apprenticeships, degrees, or professional qualifications, whilst also working. Nevertheless, I never cease to be amazed at how many people I meet who work in companies with no marketing function and no marketing plan. By default, this means they have no allocated marketing budget to identify and exploit new and existing opportunities in our ever-changing markets. And some who do have sales and/or marketing departments still have these departments working in opposition to each other rather than as allies. Having digital does not necessarily mean you have a robust marketing plan As Dr Dave Chaffey says through his Smart Insights, ‘Digital is what supports Marketing Strategy’. As a marketing consultant, the first question a client may ask is, ‘Can you help our sales team get more sales?’ My answer is, what do you want them to sell and to whom? i.e., where is the plan? All too often, there isn’t one. Marketers need the skills to analyse, plan and deliver a good strategy. The respondents to nesma’s survey have studied marketing or digital marketing qualifications with us and are in full-time work – 90% said they need a professional qualification for their CV and 80% do it to gain new skills. It appears the skills our students value the most are strategic planning and gaining customer insights, followed by metrics. “I apply the knowledge gained in every decision I make. Both planning and behind the scenes”. Interestingly, 70% of these students are funded by their employer. What is most important to me is that 90% said getting a qualification gave them confidence both at work and in life, and 77% took pride in their achievements. A third of the respondents said they got a pay rise, with the average pay rise being around 11%, although some were much higher. Enhanced roles and promotions at work, new jobs and successful career changes were all cited as critical outcomes. Many found the knowledge and support of their tutors and peer group invaluable, and many have stayed networked and made friends postqualifying
