In today's world, it is difficult to imagine even a medium-sized company without a marketing department or at least one or two specialists in this field. Market realities do not allow to do without an integrated approach to the process of creating a product or service and their further distribution. In the variety of brands and brands, it is very difficult to find a place for your product on the shelf in the store. Without knowledge and practical skills in this area, it will be very difficult to continue your activities.
Market activities
Marketing is any activity of a company or firm with the aim of creating products and its further marketing. The main tasks can be considered the collection and analysis of the necessary information to draw up a portrait of the target audience, the search for USP, the study of commitment and expectations of potential buyers. In addition, marketing helps to understand what place the company occupies among other companies in the industry.
Marketing activity begins with product development and ends only aftera person purchased a product or service, tried it and was able to form an opinion. If the final product does not meet the expectations of buyers in some way, the task of specialists is to understand the cause and find ways to eliminate it.
To answer the question of what the marketing department does, you need to decide on its functions. The tasks that specialists solve can be both tactical and strategic, the correct formulation of which can affect the achievement or failure to achieve the goals. Any marketing activity should have a result that can be estimated in units of measurement (company profit, quantity of goods sold, percentage increase in buyers, etc.).
Working principles
To organize a competent functioning process, several rules must be observed.
First, the structure of the marketing department should be simple. It is necessary to remove all unnecessary links from it that affect the speed of finding the necessary solutions.
Secondly, each employee should be responsible for a limited number of functions. It is categorically impossible for a large number of people to be responsible for the same area of work. This will complicate and prolong the process of solving the tasks.
Third, all employees must be flexible and adaptable. In a rapidly changing market environment, the key to success will be the ability to find new ways to solve problems faster than a competitor can.
Specific organization of workThe marketing department also depends on the type of company's activity, production volumes, number of employees, the presence of subsidiaries and branches, industry focus, the presence of competitors and their number, remoteness from end consumers and sales points.
Structural device
The number of specialists working in one marketing department can be different. It depends on the size of the company and the goals set. As mentioned above, each marketer should focus on their area of market activity. Someone will explore competitors, someone will draw up a portrait of the buyer, someone will look for new ways and ways to sell finished products.
Many modern firms sell their products not only offline, that is, through physical stores, but also online. The ways in which services are promoted through these channels differ considerably, so it makes sense to entrust these tasks to different specialists. In addition, marketers are required who are responsible for ongoing projects and SEO promotion of the company itself on the Internet.
The marketing department also includes logistics, designers, content editors, copywriters, photographers, videographers. It is often required to supplement the existing team with more promoters and employees for one-time projects. Each of these specialists has a number of their own unique tasks, which ultimately form a full-scale marketing activity. In most cases, departments have either a boss or a general manager who controls the work process and directs it in the right direction.
Department functionsmarketing
To achieve all the goals set, the company needs a clear tactic and strategy. Responsible for this type of work is a marketing manager, or marketer. Positive dynamics depends on his professional efforts. This could be an increase in sales or awareness, conquering new target groups, entering a new market segment, or the success of a promotion to launch a new product or service.
The responsibilities of marketers, or marketing managers, include the following activities:
- Analysis of the market situation and future trends.
- Analysis of the behavior of potential buyers and consumers.
- Determining the target market.
- Identification of competitive advantages.
- Programming for the implementation of benefits in the company's activities.
- Developing a strategy and tactics for promoting goods.
- Tactical management of the company's product range.
- Increase customer loy alty.
- Analysis, control and calculation of the results of ongoing work.
Research market needs and trends
A marketing manager should start with a complete analysis of the market: from its trend and competitors to the expectations of buyers and intermediaries (for a B2B company). Often specialized analytical and statistical agencies are involved for higher quality research. SMBs with limited budgets generally do not need this.
PoAt the end of marketing research, the specialist draws up relevant reports and draws conclusions regarding a particular strategy for the development and promotion of the product. If he receives third-party data, then he will still have to adapt the information received, taking into account the goals and objectives.
After a full and thorough study of market niches and segments, assessing the attractiveness of each segment and the potential viability of the company in the selected category, the marketer can determine the prospects for business development and the direction in which to move.
Studying the target audience
The marketing manager must have the necessary knowledge to identify the desires and expectations of the end user. It is they who will ultimately help create a product that is in demand on the market, correctly determine its price and distribution methods.
This complex chain of processes begins with a detailed analysis of a potential buyer. Marketers conduct surveys, work with representative groups, collect research conducted before them. Based on this data, it is already possible to determine the needs and prejudices of the audience. The marketing manager must not only know all the positives that customers would like to find in the proposed product, but also all their concerns about it.
The main task of the product is to solve a specific problem of the buyer. At the same time, he must meet his expectations. There are also certain motivational factors behind the act of buying.incentives. The task of the marketer is to identify them, then the consumer will buy the product more often and more willingly. For example, a cellulite cream can be sold in terms of the fact that attractiveness and slimness will help women maintain relationships in the family or simply attract the attention of the opposite sex.
Audience sentiment can change due to various external reasons (appearance of cheaper competitive analogues, cooling of interest, and others), so a marketer should always monitor the behavior and attitude of buyers to a product in order to determine the moment when a product or service is needed modify.
Select target market
There are two ways to develop a product or service:
- Research the target audience and identify their expectations, on the basis of which the product is further created.
- Analyze the technical and resource capabilities of the company and create a product based on them, and then look for the audience that will be interested in the existing product.
A thorough market research allows marketers to identify the most promising group of buyers that will bring maximum profit and will be distinguished by loy alty. It also helps to determine the target market and the segment in which the company would be most profitable to be represented. Knowing consumer preferences helps to identify the weaknesses of competitors and the shortcomings of their products.
Creating a competitive advantage
Attractive appearance can be considered one of the keys to the success of the product. The task of marketers in this case isto give the product the necessary external characteristics and distinguish it from a number of similar products. In addition, you can create a unique selling proposition (USP) that will make the product even more attractive in the eyes of potential buyers.
The competitiveness of a product is considered one of its key characteristics. With the same functional set of two products, for example pots, the client will choose the one that he likes best or suits the price. For some categories of goods, the price is no longer a determining factor (essential goods, luxury products). In this case, everything depends only on the appearance and the availability of additional services that come with the product. Knowing the weaknesses of a competitor's products allows you to take a better position in the market.
Developing a long-term strategy
Without the participation of the marketing department at the enterprise, planning for the future is impossible. Firstly, its employees are familiar with all market trends and customer expectations. Secondly, they will quickly find a profitable segment for product placement. Thirdly, they will be able not only to develop a strategy aimed at emphasizing the strengths of the advertised product, but also take into account potential dangers, reduce the risk of losses and develop a marketing research and action plan that will help achieve their goals faster.
Company product management
The marketing manager always knows the product in every detail. He will be able to highlight the stronghand and hide is not the most attractive. In addition, a marketing manager will always be able to talk about the product and stimulate both the interest of the buyer and induce him to the final action.
Skillful product management is just as important as the development of a competent strategy and media plan for an advertising campaign. Without understanding consumer expectations for a particular product, it will be impossible to correctly determine the price, size, number of units in a package.
Customer Relationship Building
Because the marketing and advertising department is responsible for growing the customer base and establishing feedback with consumers, it is also their responsibility to develop and implement activities to attract more attention to the product, service or organization. Professionals must attract new ones, maintain relationships with existing ones and try to win back lost customers.
In the realities of the modern market, it is the expansion of the customer base and the establishment of relationships with them that becomes the key task of marketers. This is primarily due to the simplification of other processes thanks to the Internet. In addition, it has been proven that loyal customers can provide more stable income in the long run.
Control and analysis
Typically, the CMO sets short and long term goals for the entire team. In the future, he also has to control the process of achieving them. He will need to develop "corrective measures"if any of the tasks set cannot be successfully implemented. The management and control of resources is also included in the list of his direct duties.
From idea to sale
The marketer himself is both a manager and a coordinator, and often an executor. The future fate of not only one taken product, but the entire organization as a whole depends on his knowledge and actions. When answering the question of what the marketing department does, it is important to remember its multifunctionality. He not only manages existing products and services and conducts research, but also develops and implements new ones, helping the company move forward, increasing its customer base and annual turnover. Therefore, the presence of a competent marketer is important for maintaining the life of the company in the long term.
