Career Research Report on Marketing Roles in the Retail Industry

This career research report delves into the marketing profession within the retail sector, examining the role's importance and its impact on company success. The report begins with an introduction outlining the research's objectives and the significance of the chosen career path. It then provides a comprehensive analysis of the retail sector, highlighting the influence of technology and other general trends on marketing practices. Secondary research explores the effects of trends like technology and the Internet of Things, alongside the essential skills for marketing professionals, such as communication and time management. Primary research, including an interview with a retail CEO, offers insights into current trends, vital skills, and expertise areas. The report evaluates the effectiveness of marketing roles and their suitability within the retail sector, considering the author's personal skills and career aspirations. Finally, the conclusion summarizes key findings, emphasizing the critical role of marketing in achieving sales goals and customer retention. The report references various academic sources and includes an appendix with a job advertisement, providing a well-rounded perspective on the topic.

Career Research Report
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION.................................................................................................3
Background of retail sector..........................................................................................................3
SECONDARY RESEARCH...........................................................................................................3
Impacts of general trends on marketing profession in retail sector.............................................3
Skills and knowledge required for better performing marketing functions in retail sector.........4
PRIMARY RESEARCH.................................................................................................................5
EVALUATION................................................................................................................................6
Effectiveness of marketing role and its suitability in retail sector...............................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
APPENDICES.................................................................................................................................9
Job advertisement.........................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
A process and an activity to gather information or research about market trends related to
selected career path is known as career research (Hirschi, 2018). This study is based on career
research in which I have selected marketing in retail sector. I selected this profession and sector
because of effective current market trends. This study will also discuss some skills that are
required for performing marketing roles in an effective manner in retail sector. Some skills that I
will discuss in this study include: innovation, communication, time management and
technological. Further, I will identify some current trends with both primary and secondary
research along with their impacts on marketing profession in retail sector.
ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION
Background of retail sector
Retail sector is playing a central role in the UK as it contributes in improving economy if
the country by providing employment opportunities to people. Now companies in this sector are
facing fierce competition as all are striving hard for being in the competition. Growth and
adoption of digital technology has caused a fundamental shift in the way consumers shop as well
as interact with retailers (Current trend and Problems of Food Waste in the UK Retail Sector,
2018). It has made consumers more empowered today than ever before. But it is also found that
now, retailers are facing some problems regarding maintaining customers' loyalty, maintaining
data and making use of right technology.
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Impacts of general trends on marketing profession in retail sector
Technology: Technology is the main current trend and factor that is affecting retail
sector as well as marketing profession to the great extent. From articles it is found that nowadays
in this digital era, people are spending their lot of time in social media and internet. Also, there
are several companies that are performing functions with technologies to the great extent. It is
increasing competition, making their work easier (Ramanathan and et.al., 2017). As per this
current trends, marketers are required of having skills of accessing internet and using data and
maintain them online. Gathering data from social media platforms, online and others becoming
important.
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Internet of things: It is the current trend related to advanced technology and retail sector
is making use of this trend to the great extent. It is also found from secondary research that retail
sectors of the UK are using sensors for monitoring customers satisfaction, tracking assets and
food safety (Naidoo and Gasparatos, 2018). So, it can affect marketing profession as according
to this, marketer will require to have vast knowledge about using this for measuring effectiveness
and customers satisfaction.
Skills and knowledge required for better performing marketing functions in retail sector
It is identified that marketing is one of the effective department of an organization. In
retail sector, marketing plays a vital role as it helps company in accomplishing goals of
increasing sales. For better performance, some skills and knowledge areas have been identified
that include:
Interpersonal communication: Marketing manager and assistant requires having an
effective interpersonal communication skill. Communication is vital and main key that makes
them successful. The reason behind it is, marketing department need to interact with different
behaviors, needs and cultures of people while marketing research. So, they need to have an
ability to talk in a manner by which customers get attracted towards buying products and
services.
Time management: Time management is other main skill that marketing assistant and
staff of marketing department should have. The reason behind it is, marketing assistant have to
play several roles and functions as it starts with marketing research and ends with attraction and
retention of customers (Mrasi, Mason and Jere, 2018). So, if all functions are not being managed
on time then it may lead to frustration and depression. It is also important for making customers
feel valued.
Knowledge areas
Content creation: Creating an effective content is an expertise area that is essential for
marketing in retail sector. In the UK, retailers are facing fierce competition and for them it is
becoming difficult to being in the competition. One of the main area on which they are focusing
is social media marketing and for that creating effective content is vital. So, marketer should
expertise in this area.
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PRIMARY RESEARCH
Name of contact: Ken Murphy
Company: Tesco
Job title: CEO
Mode of contact: E-mail
Question: According to you what is the main current trend related to retail sector, affect
marketing profession?
Answer: Manager of retail sector, said in this context that according to them augmented
reality, artificial intelligence are main key trend. Augmented reality and artificial intelligence has
digitally transformed retail industry. It is an effective interactive tool that coaxes a user in order
to respond with some physical activity. With this current trends, marketer are making users able
to have AR based app in their smartphones and making better buying decision because this
technology create 3D/CGI items (Harrison, Burnard and Paul, 2018). So, overall it can be said
that this current trends is helping in creating brand image and marketer will require adopting this
trend and performing functions accordingly.
Question 1. According to you what are main key skills that are vital for career growth for
marketer in in retail sector?
Answer
Confident public speaker: Marketer in retail sector should have an ability or skill to talk
confidently in public. It is important for making marketing campaign successful and marketing
campaign can help companies in making customers aware about effectiveness. It is found that
marketers have an effective communication skills and they can talk to people individually but
when it comes to talk in people and campaigns, they they become frustrated. So, public speaking
is the main skill (de Vass, Shee and Miah, 2020).
Innovation: Manager also said that according to them innovation is other main skill that
marketer should posses. For making retail sector able to take competitive advantages. Customers
in this sector prefer innovative products that can satisfy their needs. So, for
Question 2 : According to you what is the main expertise area for marketing in retail sector that
can help in career growth?
Answer
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Managing public relation: Manager of retail sector in this regard said, for performing
marketing functions in an effective manner and helping out retail sector in growth, having an
ability to maintain public relation is important. There are several; retailers in the UK that are
striving hard and are providing valuable products. But only those retailers are successful that
have an improved relations with their customers. So, an ability to manage relation and making
customers feel valued is the main expertise area.
EVALUATION
Effectiveness of marketing role and its suitability in retail sector
In regard to reason of selecting this profession, I can say that Marketing is my interested
area. When I was in university, I analyzed some skills and found myself pleasure when I interact
and talk to people. Then my tutors told me that as per my skills and abilities, I should go in
marketing profession. I also loved to know about current market trends as what is going on in the
market. When I analyses my skills and suitability with profession, then I got to know that it will
be the best suitable with marketing profession. That time I selected this profession. Also I
wanted to go and work with retail sector because retail sector is one of among all that is
contributing in improving economy and also striving hard for being in the competition. I love to
take risks and challenges (Pantano, Priporas and Dennis, 2018). so, for knowing my potential and
abilities I selected this sector and marketing profession. I think that by performing roles and all
functions as a marketing assistant in retail sector I can know my calibers and can help retail
sector in meeting their goals.
From analysis I found that I have an effective communication, research and development
and others skills. I also believe that all these skills can help me out in performing marketing
functions with effectiveness. These skills can make me able in the future in becoming marketing
manager and perfect in this profession and in retail sector. I also believe that marketing is the
main key of success of any industry because it is the one who gather information about market
trends, customers and provide all data to other functional department. Other departments also
perform functions on the basis of data so, I believe that marketing is the one that is associated
with all other functional department and can help in satisfying customers needs. Also, I
researched about retail sector and found that it is playing a vital role in sustainability and
satisfying customers (Mohanty and Mohanty, 2018). So, by showing and making use of my skills
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and working as a marketing assistant in this sector I can take advantages of several external
opportunities.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized from the above study that marketing plays a vital role as it helps
companies in meeting their goals of increasing sales and retaining customers. It has discussed
some current trends such as technology and globalization and their impacts on performance of
marketing in retail sector. Further, this study has discussed some skills that are required for
performing marketing functions in an effective manner by which they can help retailers in
accomplishing their goals. It has shown effectiveness of marketing assistant and their roles in
retail sector as how they can make their companies able to retain customers and take competitive
advantages.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
de Vass, T., Shee, H. and Miah, S.J., 2020. Iot in supply chain management: a narrative on retail
sector sustainability. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications. pp.1-
20.
Harrison, C., Burnard, K. and Paul, S., 2018. Entrepreneurial leadership in a developing
economy: a skill-based analysis. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development.
Hirschi, A., 2018. The fourth industrial revolution: Issues and implications for career research
and practice. The career development quarterly. 66(3). pp.192-204.
Mohanty, A. and Mohanty, S., 2018. The impact of communication and group dynamics on
teamwork effectiveness: The case of service sector organisations. Academy of Strategic
Management Journal. 17(4). pp.1-14.
Mrasi, A.P., Mason, R.B. and Jere, A., 2018. Critical skills and knowledge to succeed in the
township liquor retail industry. Journal of Business and Retail Management
Research, 12(3).
Naidoo, M. and Gasparatos, A., 2018. Corporate environmental sustainability in the retail sector:
Drivers, strategies and performance measurement. Journal of Cleaner Production. 203.
pp.125-142.
Pantano, E., Priporas, C.V. and Dennis, C., 2018. A new approach to retailing for successful
competition in the new smart scenario. International Journal of Retail & Distribution
Management.
Ramanathan, U. and et.al., 2017. Impact of customer loyalty and service operations on customer
behaviour and firm performance: empirical evidence from UK retail sector. Production
Planning & Control. 28(6-8). pp.478-488.
Online
Current trend and Problems of Food Waste in the UK Retail Sector. 2018. Online Available
thorough. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718518300022>
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APPENDICES
Job advertisement
Career Opportunity
A leading real estate company requires services of career oriented and self motivated
professional for the following role:
Marketing executive
Ideal candidate profile
Age: 22-40
Experience of 1-2 years in similar field
Knowledge in written and oral communication
Attractive personality with with PR skills
Good relationship management
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Computer literacy
Time management
Successful candidates can look forward to:
Attractive salary
Medical insurance
Target bonus
Travel allowance
Career development opportunity
Please share your CV to [e-mail]
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