Why You Should Get a Job in Marketing

Why You Should Get a Job in Marketing The movie you want to see this weekend? That’s the result of a marketing push. The celebrity â€Å"scandal† on TMZ? Marketing and spin. (Any mention is a good mention, right?) The products you buy, the company names you recognize†¦those are all the results of the hard work of marketers. Marketing is more important now than ever, with so many different forces competing for our attention, in-person and digitally. Marketers can be found in virtually every industry, working to make sure their brands are getting exposure.What Do Marketers Do?Marketers are â€Å"people† people, but they’re also data people. They take information about customers (demographics, spending power, needs and wants) and apply that to products and services to make them appealing to the potential customer base. Marketing professionals analyze the market’s demand for their company’s product or service, and turn that analysis into plans and strategies to promote directly to people. They process information about the industry, and come up with plans to make a brand more visible or appealing to those most likely to buy or use it.What Skills Do Marketers Have?Marketing professionals need to have a solid base of communication and problem solving skills, which are the two main components of most marketing jobs. But those aren’t the only ones- marketers are very professionally well-rounded. Here are some of the most important skills you’d need in a marketing career.Great CommunicationMarketers do lots of communicating every day, so it’s important to be able to speak clearly and personably with a variety of people. They need to be able to communicate strategies, plans, and results to people at all levels in their company. They need to be able to communicate with potential customers to sell a brand. They also need to be able to be storytellers, making it clear how strategy will turn into results.CreativityMarketing professionals need to be able to see the big picture, and make plans to achieve those bigger goals. That means often thinking outside of what’s been done before, and reaching out in new and innovative ways to build a brand.Problem SolvingWhat is marketing, if not finding ongoing solutions to the â€Å"problem† of selling a brand or product? Marketers need to be flexible to adapt to changes in the market, or react quickly to feedback from users.Time ManagementDeadlines are a fact of life for marketers. Plans often have concrete schedules that need to be met. For example, if a new product is launching in May, the marketers have to be working months ahead of schedule to plan, make connections, and set up events, outreach, advertising, etc. well ahead of that date. Marketers also need to be able to respond quickly. If there’s a trend to be capitalized on right now, waiting a month could be far too late.A Love for PeopleBeing a people person really helps in this career path, because itâ €™s all about making connections and getting people on board. Being outgoing isn’t a prerequisite for the job, but it definitely helps.Public SpeakingMarketing is often about presenting: plans, strategies, products, ideas, results, successes, areas for improvement, and- last but not least- yourself. Marketers are often speaking in public, whether it’s in meetings or interacting with the public in general. If you’re not great at public speaking, don’t despair- this is a skill you can work on all the time, whether it’s taking classes in public speaking, or making more of an effort to move out of your comfort zone while in groups.Attention to DetailMarketers need to know the ins and outs of what they’re selling, and to whom they’re selling it. Gaps in knowledge, or cutting corners can mean serious missed opportunities, or worse, bad word of mouth for their brand.A Command of Social MediaSocial media especially has become a massive pa rt of marketing over the past ten years, and that won’t be slowing anytime soon. It’s crucial to know what the big social media trends are, as well as being tech-savvy in general, so that you’re using every possible tool to build your brand.Analytical ThinkingMarketers rely heavily on information, whether it’s scientific research, informal polls, or any kind of data, really. A good marketer needs to be able to take raw data (about users, product feedback, market trends, etc.) and transform it into action that will benefit their product.What Are the Marketing Career Paths?One of the best things about a career in marketing is how versatile it is- and how versatile it makes you. Let’s look at some of the potential career paths you’ll find in marketing.Brand ManagementBrand management means you’re responsible for the public image and response to a particular product. This is one of the most common marketing careers, and probably the one y ou think of first when you think â€Å"marketing.† A brand manager is responsible for monitoring how a product performs in the marketplace, analyzing data around the market and customers, and strategizing how to both maintain the brand and improve it.Example jobs: Marketing Manager, Brand Manager, Product Development ManagerThe Pay: This field has a median income of $124,850, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Education: Brand management marketing professionals typically have a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field.The Outlook: This field is definitely growing, as the market gets ever more crowded with products and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will grow by at least 9% by 2024.Market ResearchIf you’ve always had a passion for stats and figures rather than salesmanship, this could be a great marketing career path for you. Market researchers take in all the data and information they can, and come up with a coherent picture of what the market truly looks like for their industry. They then come up with strategies about how to capitalize on that information, make a better product, and reach out to those customers.Example jobs: Market Research Analyst, Market AnalystThe Pay: This field has a median income of $62,150, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Education: Market researchers typically have a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, math, statistics, or a related field. Market research analysts at all levels should have strong math and analytical skills. Advanced market analysis positions may require a Master’s degree.The Outlook: We live in a data-driven society, and people who can wrangle that data effectively will be in very high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will grow by 19% by 2024, much faster than average job growth.AdvertisingOne of the most traditional marketing areas (think Mad Men), advertising is heavy on strategy, messaging, and planning. In advertising, you come up with plans for selling a product or service, then oversee that plan from its embryonic concept stages to execution. Advertising marketing jobs typically mean working with a squad of creative/artistic, business development, and sales teams to make sure the plan will work best for the product.Example jobs: Advertising Managers, Advertising Sales Director, Account Executives, Account Planners, Media Director, Media Coordinator, Media BuyersThe Pay: Along with marketing managers, advertising managers have a median income of $124,850, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Education: Advertising professionals typically have a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field. Backgrounds in sales or graphic design can be helpful in this field as well.The Outlook: Demand will be growing for people who can plan and execute advertising campaigns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field wil l grow by at least 9% by 2024.Public RelationsFor better or worse, public relations professionals are the public face of a product, brand, company, etc. It can’t hurt to have nerves of steel and the ability to stay calm under pressure, because PR professionals are often the first line of defense when there’s any news- good or bad- buzzing around in public. Public relations people specialize in spinning public perceptions of a brand, and troubleshooting when things aren’t so great. (We’ve all seen PR peeps in action for politicians, celebrities, and companies that are in the news for one reason or another.) Public relations professionals are always there with a cohesive statement that supports their brand. Strong communication skills are absolutely essential for public relations jobs, because you speak for the brand.Example jobs: Account Coordinator, Media Coordinator, Public Relations Coordinator, Public Relations Consultant, Public Relations Assistant/As sociate, Public Relations SpecialistThe Pay: Public relations professionals make a median salary of $56,770 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.The Education: Advertising professionals typically have a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, English, journalism, or a related field.The Outlook: As long as there are brands and public entities, there will be public relations people needed to support them. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will grow by at least 6% by 2024.Marketing is a great field because it has tons of opportunities right now, and is an area where you can really grow. It’s also flexible, meaning you can apply those skills in almost any industry. Whether you prefer being the one who analyzes data or the one who’s out there throwing (figurative) elbows to get attention for your brand, there’s a place in the marketing world for you.

Learn About Edwin Land, Inventor of the Polaroid Camera

Learn About Edwin Land, Inventor of the Polaroid Camera Before the rise of smartphones with digital cameras  and photo-sharing sites like Instagram,  Edwin Land’s Polaroid camera was the closest thing the world had to instant photography. The Launch of Instant Photography Edwin Land (May 7, 1909–March 1, 1991) was an American inventor, physicist, and avid photograph collector who co-founded the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1937. He is known for inventing a one-step process for developing and printing photographs that revolutionized photography. The Harvard-educated scientist got his groundbreaking idea in 1943 when his young daughter asked why the family camera couldn’t produce a picture immediately. Land returned to his lab inspired by her question and came up with his answer: the Polaroid Instant camera that allowed a photographer to remove a developing print with an image that was ready in about 60 seconds. The first Polaroid camera, the Land Camera, was sold to the public in November 1948. It was an immediate (or should we say instant) hit, providing both novelty and instant gratification. While the resolution of the photos didn’t quite match that of traditional photographs, professional photographers adopted it as a tool for taking test photos as they set up their shots. In the 1960s, Edwin Land’s instant cameras got a more streamlined look when he collaborated with industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss on The Automatic 100 Land Camera and also on the Polaroid Swinger, a black and white model that was designed and priced at under $20 to appeal to average consumers. An intense, passionate researcher who amassed more than 500 patents while at Polaroid, Land’s work was not limited to the camera. Over the years, he became an expert on light polarization technology, which had applications for sunglasses.  He worked on night-vision goggles for the military during World War II and developed a stereoscopic viewing system called the Vectograph that could help detect enemies whether or not they were wearing camouflage. He also participated in the development of the U-2 spy plane. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and the W.O. Baker Award of the Security Affairs Support Association in 1988. Polaroid’s Patents Are Challenged On October 11, 1985, the Polaroid Corporation won a five-year patent infringement battle against Kodak Corporation, one of the country’s largest patent lawsuits involving photography. The U.S. District Court of Massachusetts found that Polaroid’s patents were valid and infringed. As a result, Kodak was forced to pull out of the instant camera market. In a good faith effort, the company began offering compensation to their customers who owned their cameras but wouldn’t be able to purchase a suitable film for them. New Technology Threatens Polaroid With the rise of digital photography at the start of the 21st century, the fate of the Polaroid camera seemed grim. In 2008, the company announced it would stop making its patented film. However, the Polaroid instant camera remains viable thanks to Florian Kaps, Andrà © Bosman, and Marwan Saba, the founders of The Impossible Project, which raised funds to help create monochromatic and color film for use with Polaroid instant cameras. Land’s Death On March 1, 1991, at the age of 81, Edwin Land died from an undisclosed illness. He had been ill for a couple of years, spending his last few weeks at an undisclosed hospital in his hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Information about the actual cause of his death was never readily available per his family’s wishes, but his gravesite and tombstone can be found in Cambridge at the Mount Auburn Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark and the resting place of many historically significant citizens of the Boston area.