Aspiring marketers will know that in business, a skilled marketing team can be the difference between making a good idea a great one. MBA Jobs in marketing are a popular choice and many MBA programs now offer marketing specializations for business school graduates hungry to take a bite out of the industry.
According to a recent pay & compensation survey by Robert Walters - the world-leading recruitment consultancy - six in ten employees in the marketing industry are expecting a payrise this year. A staggering 72 per cent of female marketers received a payrise in 2012. Throughout 2013, permanent marketing salaries have risen by 3.4 per cent, and those plying their trade in London received an increase of up to 4.4 per cent, according to the same study.
Marketing Magazine reported this week that just 20 per cent of professionals in the industry received no pay rise. A senior marketing manager can expect a salary of £45,000, while those at the highest echelons of marketing companies can earn up to £77,000 - a 2.8 per cent increase on last year.
Grenoble Ecole De Management, which boasts an MBA program ranked 68th in the world according to the Economist's MBA Rankings, is one such European b-school that offers a marketing specialization. In today's jobs market, if you are interested in launching a career in the marketing industry you may look for a competetive edge.
An MBA program can give you an advantage over your peers and help you sharpen your skills. Many marketers are turning to b-schools in search of an MBA even after studying BAs and MScs in the discipline.
But is an MBA really essential to achieve a truly successful marketing career?
BusinessBecause spoke to two recent MBA graduates from the University of Bath School of Management and Grenoble who are hoping to further their marketing careers. German Cancino has over 12 years experience in marketing and strategy and has worked for Tecno Fast ATCO and Adportas Media Group in Chile, South America, as a marketing director and executive.
Since graduating from the Bath MBA program in 2010, he landed a job with SONDA as their Regional Marketing Director, and has since become a freelance marketing consultant based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He thinks that his MBA was "essential" for an executive career in marketing. "After my MSc in Marketing, I thought an MBA would give me a deeper understanding of business and would help me with my career progression," he said.
"After studying all my degrees, which are related to business and marketing (BAHons, PGC, PGD, MSc), an MBA was crucial in providing a holistic view of business."
German thinks that marketing is a popular choice among MBAs because it involves strategic thinking. "Marketing is the strategic way to decode the behavior of a market that is constantly changing," he said. "It is more than advertising and sales. I was attracted because it is crucial for the strategy of a company, and I love strategy.
"It is such a dynamic function and it encompasses a lot of the areas covered during the MBA. To succeed in the marketing industry, you need flexibility, must be able to manage the unforeseen events and, of course, strategic thinking."
Valentina Botera Marin worked with Microsoft for over seven years in Colombia, and in 2010 left her home to study an MBA at Grenoble in France. She says that the skills you learn on an MBA program are "key" to performing in the marketing world. "I think marketing is highly linked to any company or organization's strategy, from brand positioning to attracting new customers," she said.
"An MBA program helps you to understand businesses holistically, from internal divisions in a company to their connection to economic growth and world challenges; and this knowledge is key to better perform in the marketing field."
Valentina was attracted to the marketing industry to better understand customer needs. Since graduating from Grenoble this summer, she has created her own digital marketing startup in Latin America. She hopes to launch later this year and thinks business leaders need marketing skills, regardless of their field.
"I think a good manager and leader needs to show great marketing skills: being clear communicators, creative to reach their growth goals, and to bring the right products and services to the market to satisfy community needs," she added. "MBAs need creativity and must be updated about fast-changing trends to succeed in marketing.
"They need business acumen and sensibility to understand market insights and consumer needs, to expand their businesses."
Marketing remains a dynamic and flexible industry with fast-changing trends. It will no doubt keep you on your toes, and to launch a career in the industry, an MBA might not be essential, but it will help propel you the top of the career ladder.
While an MBA will even provide you with the skills to startup your own company, and while many get by with an education in pure marketing, studying at b-school provides you with a holistic view of business. And that, according to these successful marketing MBAs, is the key to success on this career path.
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