MG410 Career Research Report: Marketing Manager, Skills and Trends

This report, prepared for the MG410 module, offers a comprehensive analysis of the marketing manager profession within the retail sector, focusing on the UK market. It examines key trends such as globalization, technological advancements, and the increasing complexity of consumer decision-making, detailing their impact on the role. The report identifies essential skills, including adaptability, communication, creativity, analytical abilities, and planning skills. It also highlights the necessary knowledge and expertise in sales, marketing, and understanding consumer behavior. Through primary and secondary research, including a job advertisement and an interview, the report evaluates the candidate's suitability for the role, referencing Marks and Spencer. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of these skills and knowledge for success in the marketing field.

CW1 – CAREER RESEARCH
REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................3
2. ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION.............................................................................................3
2 A) General trends that are impacting on chosen profession/industry......................................3
2 B) Skills, knowledge and experienced required.......................................................................4
Five Personal skills.....................................................................................................................4
Two areas of knowledge and expertise ......................................................................................5
3. EVALUATION............................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
APPENDIX- JOB ADVERTISEMENT IN MARKS AND SPENCER ........................................7
PRIMARY RESEARCH- INTERVIEW ........................................................................................9

1. INTRODUCTION
Marketing manager plays an significant role in promoting products and services of
company so that it can enjoy high market share and profitability. In another words, marketing
manager performed different functions related to attracting maximum customer's in the
organization. So, the main aim of the report is to understand the key trends that impact marketing
manager profession and what are necessary skills required by marketing manager to complete its
task. Therefore, the report has covered crucial information related to trends impact profession
and skills required by marketing professional through making use of primary and secondary
method.
2. ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION
2 A) General trends that are impacting on chosen profession/industry
There are numerous changes or trends in external environment that are impacting on
profession of marketing manager in retail sector. Marketing manager needs to considered all
these trends while completing its respective task in order to get higher success in future
professional career. The relevant information related to impact of globalization, technology and
complexity of consumer decision-making on marketing manager professional in retail sector is
gathered from both primary and secondary sources (McDaniel and Gates, 2018). Such as:
Globalisation: It is process through which countries across worldwide are becoming strongly
interconnected with each others by increase in overall exchange of trade and culture. Now-a-
days, many countries has started exporting and importing products and services to different
countries in order to earn higher profitability. From secondary research, it has been find that this
trends has directly impacted on marketing profession as manager has to formulate effective
strategies related to promotion of products in international marketing. Moreover, it has lead
challenges for marketing manager to identified strategies that could be fruitful in attracting
diverse range of customer's (Hanlon, 2018). The primary research has helped in interpreting that
globalisation lead in increasing competition level in retail sectors, thereby manager needs to find
the way it can create differentiate positioning of firm. So, all overall it can be stated that
globalization has influences on modern marketing profession.
Technologies: There are various updatation or development in technologies that impact on
marketing professional. Such as innovation in technology has forced marketing manager to make

use of digital platform in order to attract and retained maximum number of customer's within
organization. Innovative technologies has contributed in making the work of marketing manager
much easier as it is able to retained information of customer's, find alternative method to fulfil
their needs. Moreover, through primary research it has been identified that marketing manager
by use of technologies are able to provide more personalized experienced to customer's. Thereby
it can be stated that innovative technologies has lead in decreasing overall cost and time of
company to attract millions of customer's for benefits of organization.
Complexity in consumers decision-making: It can be stated that consumers are most important
individual for any organization as they are the one that make purchase of products and services
to satisfied their respective wants. Due to varieties of alternative options provided by different
companies in retail sector, consumers have more choice to select product or services of specific
company (Eckhardt and et.al., 2019.). The view has also supported by primary research, this
trend has also impacted on marketing manager profession as it devote time, efforts and energy in
order to understand consumer decision-making process and identified alternative method about
the way they are motivated to be part of organization.
So, these two are basic trends that has impacted on marketing profession or helped in
effectively promoting of products and services to range of customer's.
2 B) Skills, knowledge and experienced required
Marketing manager in order to complete its respective task must have sufficient skills,
knowledge and capabilities to induce customer's in the firm so that more revenue can be enjoyed
by organization. Therefore, the key skills, knowledge and experienced that will be required by
marketing manager can be stated as follows:
Five Personal skills
Personal skills are refers to hard and soft skills that are present in individuals that helps it
in completing the task in the best possible manner. From both secondary and primary research, it
has been identified that there are various personal skills required by marketing manager which
can be illustrated as:
Adaptability skills: The marketing manager needs to have adaptability skills so that it can easily
adapt to recent circumstances and trends thereby lead in growth and success of organisation
(Kumar, 2018). Primary research, helps in understanding that marketing manager by easily

changing its plan as per external environment can contribute company in retaining maximum
market share in retail sector.
Effective communication and networking abilities: Another key skills which needs to be
present in marketing manager to enhance sales volume of company or add new customer's in the
organization is communication and networking abilities. Manager must have capabilities to
easily communicate all crucial information of organisation and its products to customer's so that
they can take right decision. The respondent has also stated that manager must have networking
abilities in order to influences large number of people in the enterprise.
Creativity and writing skills: The secondary research helps in understanding that marketing
professional needs to have creative and innovative writing skills as it will helps in identifying
creative ideas to attract customer's. Furthermore, writing skills will contribute in making content
that can easily induce people in the firm so that it can enjoy profitability.
Analytical skills: It is fourth crucial skills which has to be present in marketing manager in order
to accomplish its respective task in the firm. Analytical skills will helps manager in
understanding and analysis existing taste and preferences of individual thereby finding better
strategies to meet them for expansion of firm (Morgan, Feng and Whitler, 2018). Interviewer
has also stated that analytical skills will contribute manager in decided effective strategies to
influences customer's.
Planning skills: The last and foremost skills which necessary for marketing manager of
company is planning as it will help in deciding particular course of action or strategies that could
be used to inform and retained customer's. The manager through planning skills is able to decide
specific role performed by different staff and the way customer's needs will be satisfied for
achievement of company objectives.
Two areas of knowledge and expertise
Marketing manager of company needs to have knowledge as well as expertise in two
crucial areas such as sales and marketing and recent trends, preferences and wants of customer's.
So that it can easily complete its task and attract maximum number of individual in the firm for
longer time frame. So, the two areas in which marketing manager needs to have knowledge can
be stated as:
Sales and marketing: The manager must have knowledge and expertise in marketing and sales
in order to promote products or services to diverse individual living in the society (Deepak and

Jeyakumar, 2019). Furthermore, the respondents has stated it should have knowledge of
marketing strategy, sales techniques and the way product needs to be demonstrated and
information should be delivered. Therefore, knowledge and expertise in marketing and sales will
lead company in gaining maximum outcome.
Recent customer's wants: The second key areas in which manager must have knowledge and
expertise is that., understanding of recent wants, needs or problem faced by customer's.
Marketing manager that are expertise in identifying needs of customer's can easily find
alternative method to fulfil them.
3. EVALUATION
It can be stated that there is vacancy of marketing manager in Marks and Spencer in retail
industry of United Kingdom. I am interested to apply for the same, as I have good
communication, analytical and adaptability skills which will helps me in competing the
respective task in the best possible manner (Marketing Manager, 2021). Moreover, I personal
think this professional as interesting because it helps me in communicating with diverse range of
people so that they can influenced towards the organisation.
The choice of marketing manager in Marks and Spencer is related to my choice of
industry as well as profession as it operate in retail sector of UK. At the same time, I like to make
use of digital marketing to connect with range of people, analysis data and plan better strategies
that helps in gaining better outcome for enterprise. As per my perspective, it can be stated that
the job opportunities of marketing manager needs to be considered by other individuals as there
are many companies that wants an manager that can manage and retained maximum customer's
in the firm.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be stated that marketing manager profession is very good as
each and every company required manager to promote its products, brand image to customer's so
that it can generate revenue. Moreover, it can be illustrated that changes in trends and market
conditions impact on profession as well as industry, so they need to be considered for betterment
of organization. At last, it can be summarized that marketing manager of company needs to have
diverse range of skills, knowledge and capabilities for contributing in expansion of enterprise in
retail sector of UK.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Deepak, R .K. A. and Jeyakumar, S., 2019. Marketing management. Educreation Publishing.
Eckhardt, G. M and et.al., 2019. Marketing in the sharing economy. Journal of Marketing, 83(5).
pp.5-27.
Hanlon, A., 2018. Digital marketing: Strategic planning & integration. Sage.
Kumar, V., 2018. Transformative marketing: The next 20 years.
McDaniel Jr, C. and Gates, R., 2018. Marketing research. John Wiley & Sons.
Morgan, N. A., Feng, H. and Whitler, K. A., 2018. Marketing capabilities in international
marketing. Journal of International Marketing, 26(1). pp.61-95.
Online
Marketing Manager, 2021, [Online]. Available Through: <https://www.google.com/search?
ei=igJPYLucBJ2N4-EP18ue-
Aw&q=vacany+of+marketing+manager+in+marks+and+Spencer+in+UK&oq=vacany
+of+marketing+manager+in+marks+and+Spencer+in+UK&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6E
A>.
APPENDIX- JOB ADVERTISEMENT IN MARKS AND SPENCER

PRIMARY RESEARCH- INTERVIEW
1. What are the impact of key trend on marketing professional or retail industry of United
Kingdom?
2. Impact of globalization, technology and complexity in consumers decision-making on
marketing profession?
3. What are the key skills, knowledge and capabilities required by marketing manager to
complete its respective task?