Marketing

Marketing is concerned with improving the public perception of an organisation, product, or service. Marketing seeks to increase brand awareness – to develop a relationship between the public and the product in question. A satisfied customer is more likely to show brand loyalty – the Holy Grail of profitability for companies.

Education

Marketing courses teach students the practical knowledge and skills to design, implement, and manage marketing plans. Third-level courses are available at Levels 6, 7, and 8. Marketing is also a core subject on general business courses.

Students on degree courses will cover subjects such as:

• Theories & Strategies
• Consumer Psychology
• Organisational Behaviour
• Research Methods
• Accounting
• Communication Studies

In addition, industry-specific courses are available in areas such as Retail Management (DIT), Food (UCC), and Tourism (DIT/Waterford IT).

Furthermore, PLC courses give students a good understanding of the basic principles. Typical subjects in a one-year Level 5 certificate include Behavioural Studies,  Statistics and Customer Service.

The Work

Every company or organisation has an interest in publicising its activities, products, or services. As a results, graduates can find work in a huge variety of business sectors. Many big companies have marketing departments. There are also a number of dedicated agencies in Ireland. Other organisations – from charities to government agencies to sporting bodies – also employ marketers.

Many graduates start off in related areas such as telemarketing, sales, or public relations, before moving to a dedicated marketer position. Some large companies employ graduates and provide on-the-job graduate training programmes. As careers progress, marketers may move into senior management positions within companies and organisations.

Research plays a key role in marketing. Researchers test new products or ideas using focus groups as well as surveys. They collect and analyse the data before launching a new product. Marketing executives might then organise the product launch as well as work on its advertising and promotional campaign.

Ideally, you will need an outgoing personality. This is because conducting presentations and communicating with the public are key elements of the job.

Did you know?

According to Laura Egendorf’s book Advertising, the average American child watches 40,000 television commercials in a year – that’s over 100 a day!