The Institute of Marketing defines marketing as "the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably."

What is Marketing?

When many people talk about strategy-- whether for start-up dot-com’s or larger organizations – they are usually describing marketing.  Questions like: 

"Who will buy our product?"  "How can we differentiate ourselves?"  "How will we sustain our business?"  "What do our customers really want?" "Where’s the money in this business?"  are typically answered by marketers.    

Marketing is a valuable discipline that helps define all businesses. Marketing affects every aspect of the product life cycle: what features are introduced, how the product is introduced to the market, and the transition innovation to maturity. 

Careers in Marketing

Career opportunities in marketing vary widely, and good sources of information are the Career Opportunity Center (COC), marketing professors, and second-year GSIA students.  Although Marketing can be used in many business roles, here are some examples of typical marketing careers.

• Product Management - Develop and manage a complete strategy for a specific product.

• Brand Management - Develop and manage a comprehensive strategy for a product line.

• Market Research - Design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a marketing situation.

• New Product Development - Development of original products and modifications through research.

• International Marketing - Managing cultural and socio-political variables present when developing and dealing with foreign markets.

• Sales Management - Recruiting, training, compensating, evaluating, and supervising the sales force.

• Services Marketing - Managing the unique properties and challenges of intangible goods.

Each year, GSIA students accept internships and full-time position marketing positions in many different types of organizations:

• Large Businesses - for example, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Sun Microsystems, SmithKline Beecham

• Startup Companies and Technology Incubators - for example, BodyMedia, iSpheres, iVentureLabs.com, Innovation Works

• Consulting Firms - for example, PRTM

Are you a Marketer?

Although most people realize that a successful marketer is creative and can communicate effectively we would like to add two other critical components:

Strategic Outlook – Although we are all optimistic when heading out into the business world, we must recognize that many businesses fail.  Changing market characteristics, new technologies, and increasing competition all make it difficult for businesses to survive.  To be successful, a business must have a real strategy.  Understanding how a firm's marketing function utilizes this strategy is essential.

Quantitative/Analytical Skills – At the root of all good marketing decisions, is Market Research.  Whether it be focus groups, surveys, or statistical analysis, a good marketer understands both the issues and can understand and manipulate the results.