The future of Marketing and how should students prepare themselves for it

The future of marketing is good and bright - especially for students since it is continuously evolving and adapting to cultures, locations, economies, trends and sales of products and services. The problem that most students face today is on narrowing down to choose a specialization. They also want promising careers with fantastic packages to start with. The Marketing Industry like other industries too is facing the consequences of global recession but there is plenty of scope since innovation is constantly bringing new dimensions of doing business within Advertising or Market Research for that matter. Back in my days, in early 2000 it was a selection with hardly any choices – Science, Commerce, IT and Arts. Within Commerce it would boil down to Logistics, Finance, Economics or Marketing. At this stage, most parents are confused as to which specialization would benefit their child the most within Commerce. Throughout this decade it has always been considered that Marketing is mainly for students who cannot deal with complex things and it acts as an escape route for those who wish to have a more relaxed student life. Of course these things are not generic - as curriculum and specialization offerings differ from country to country, state to state, etc. It is very critical for the student and the parent/guardian to sit and chalk out the various options as soon as they are eligible for high-school also known as +2.

'Unfortunately Marketing has been looked upon as an escape route in education'

Ideally, a student must have the best of both worlds and opt for Science (Phy, bio, chem, mechanical, IT) or Arts (History, Literature, Mass Media) in their undergraduate studies and then do something even more creative (or which they have always longed for) during their post-graduate studies. But these things depend on the student solely and under no circumstance should they be forced to pursue something they do not like. The scenario in India is usually to please the parents, maintain a family occupation, join a family business of elders, or they are coaxed by friends to join a similar course which does not have any scope of mutual interest. Students must have at least a year or even 6 months of full-time work experience before they opt for a post-graduate course so that they can relate to things more practically when pursuing the same.

'Having work experience does matter'

Marketing as a subject or specialization has often been misunderstood by parents, employers, students and the world in general as something to do with sophisticated salesmanship. While that maybe a small aspect in the bigger picture – it has more to do with creativity, data, exploration, observation, planning, strategy and research where the latter is the most promising. Careers in marketing are promising and range from market research analysts, senior analysts, marketing engineers, copywriters, outdoor advertising specialists, digital marketing, social media marketers, media planners, account planners, account managers, client servicing, creative artists, post-production, marketing managers (client), creative designers, etc.  There is immense opportunity for Marketing when it comes to Post-Graduate studies. These are available in the forms of a degree, diploma or even certificate courses all over the world. It is surprising to see the success rate of certificate courses in Asia. At the same time, India is burgeoning with opportunities for marketers today and in the years to come - despite the population issue, depressing economy and rising corruption. Students must explore the internet, visit education expos, watch and read testimonials of students and in some cases ask their favourite companies to give them a list of recommended colleges, institutions or universities for the same.

Careers in marketing are promising and offer a wide range of occupation choices

Unfortunately the entire teaching scenario is very rigid and bureaucratic in India as lecturers now have to undergo various tests which inhibit them from expanding their career in education and they instead opt to work for corporate or private firms. The aim of the govt. is to have high-quality teaching carried across the country but there are far too many issues with this to discuss here and may need a separate blog. Another problem is that lecturers are forced to teach from books by authors who may have never even visited India in the first place and yet students have to learn (by-heart) various outdated concepts and theories. Employers fall for this trap too as they look for students who have scored high marks in marketing or its electives instead of checking how much they scored in individual presentations, practicals or live projects.

How should students pursuing Marketing prepare themselves?

Students need to prepare themselves by reading. Yes, READING. They need to read business based newspapers, magazines or even books written by prominent practicing managers. Secondly, watch marketing or advertising related videos on Youtube or TED or similar channels. Students should look up campaigns, awarded advertisements or campaigns, trace the development of the campaign and the agency responsible for it. They could start by looking up their favourite brands or companies and then follow the steps I mentioned above. Students need to watch MOVIES - yes, in my previous blog I've mentioned some of the movies or documentaries a marketer must see. Finally, students must learn to OBSERVE their surroundings, when they are travelling by bus, on the train, on a bike or driving. Insights only come from observation and then can be developed into an idea from there. Students opting for Market Research or Media Planning must be fairly good in Maths, not crazy scientific stuff - but simple arithmetic and basic statistics. On the other hand, students who wish to opt for Advertising or Digital must be creative by making a dummy portfolio with their own artwork, their own website, or instead maybe a few examples of copy for an existing brand or print advert or have a list of fresh ideas for existing brands. Students pursuing Marketing should also be connected on SOCIAL MEDIA platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. They must also read and start writing their own BLOGs to become better in expressing themselves on various issues. Finally, in order to be recognized as a professional in any industry - an online identity is required and students must spend some time creating their LinkedIn profile.

Practical knowledge triumphs over theoretical knowledge 

As discussed in one of my blogs earlier this year, practical knowledge triumphs over theoretical knowledge and the same applies to post-graduate marketing studies. Today employers are looking out for candidates who can join them right away with hardly any time spent on training. I at this point too, must engage in a bit of marketing and it’s the truth - Northpoint Centre of Learning aims at achieving this for employers and giving the benefit of instant placements for the students with packages starting from 6 lacs p.a. Check their website, read the testimonials or ask people in the marketing industry and I am sure you will agree with me on the same.

Immediate placements from 6 Lakhs p.a

The Northpoint Centre of Learning offers the most unique course in India that offers a certificate in Marketing Research partnered with Nielsen. The course is 11 months (full-time) in duration out of which the students must engage in a 45 days Internship with Nielsen, a 2-week sales stint and work with a client company for 60 days. It also has over 100 faculty from Nielsen who are practicing managers imparting actual knowledge to students. Students who successfully complete the course are instantly placed with Nielsen starting with a handsome package.

Best education offered for Advertising within India

Northpoint also offers its flagship program – Advertising Management that is packaged in a unique way which no other college in India offers. The 11-month program has three different specializations – Advertising, Media or Digital. The program caters to the requirements of the industry as Northpoint has 16 Industry partners such as Lowe Lintas, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and Aegis Media to name a few. The course requires students to only refer textbooks to look up classical theories or get different perspectives and are only taught by practicing managers throughout with the inclusion of a 40-days sales stint, 2 week rural stint and 100 day internship with a leading agency. Each specialization only focuses on that aspect of the business helping the student be more focused and be a specialist in whichever line he/she chooses.

For any more queries, feel free to comment or question me.

Quresh Moochhala is a resident professor at Northpoint Centre of Learning - Khandala, India. He lectures in Marketing Research, Advertising, Communications and Business Management.