Skills for the Next Gen Marketer
In a recent AdvertisingAge article entitled, "What's Required of the Next Generation of Marketers," Maureen Morrison identifies several skills that can help aspiring brand technicians stand out from the rest of the pack.
"Tomorrow's marketers will have to be well-rounded multi-disciplinarians who understand not only creative, but also digital marketing, social media and new technologies -- and how those all complement one another -- as well as how to back up a plan with data and analytics."
Following, are what Maureen lists as the top skills required for Next Generation marketers:
Agility
Learners who have the ability to adapt quickly and handle the twists and turns which face marketers on a daily basis.
Digital Understanding
A fundamemtal awareness and keen understanding of what's happening in the digital arena including the always popular world of social media.
Integrated-Marketing Capabilities (My favorite for obvious reasons.)
Consumers are bombarded with information from various angles oftentimes left to deal with cluttered and competing messages. Integrated marketing communications bridge this gap by applying an important element of orchestration to the marketing mix.
Industry Specific Knowledge
Some industries involve a steep learning curve that can only be conquered through experience and first hand knowledge.
These are fantastic recommendations and very relevant skills needed for next generation marketing. However, I believe that we can also add the following:
Cultural Awareness
Audiences are more diverse than ever before. Growing populations such as the Latino market are comprised of cultural nuances that oftentimes determine the success or failure of a communications effort.
Investing in yourself should be an ongoing process.
Your thoughts and comments are welcome.
