What is a "Counterfeit Marketing Director" ?

Counterfeit Marketing Directors do Exist.

At a marketing conference in Chicago, a colleague stated what I have been saying for years.  The absolute worst thing for any business,  company of any size ( especially a start up or small company) is having someone with a title of Marketing Director or Marketing Manager that knows ABOSLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT MARKETING. Seems unlikely that this happens? Well, I will refrain from calling out several Miami based businesses that are lead by someone that is in this particular scenario.

The terms ‘Marketing Director’, ‘Marketing Manager’, ‘Brand Ambassador’, ’Public Relations Director’, ‘Advertising Director’, ‘Vice President of Marketing’, are completely over used and utilized in all the wrong ways by people that simply don’t know what they’re doing in this field. I don’t directly fault them; I give blame to the business owners or executives that do it to save a few bucks. Just because you can mobilize and organize people to perform tasks, or even fair well logistically- this has absolutely nothing to do with what a real Marketer should be doing. This title should be ‘Operations Manager’ or ‘General Manager’.

The reason why this is so significant is because having someone that isn’t knowledgeable on marketing means that the systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products will not happen or not happen properly. A good marketer can write and read a marketing plan. He/she can write and interpret R.O.I reports (Return on Investment), He/she has a good understanding of how social media works and gauge analytics.

If you don’t have someone that can do that and later translate some of the planning into advertising campaigns, well the climb is uphill and the fall will be steep. Yes, advertising and marketing is not the same thing. Advertising is a single component of the marketing process. It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans, with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far behind.

Friends, I’m all for employing people. We need to give people jobs, but we also have to place them in the right roles based on their talents and experience. Ready to put it to the test?

Yes, a degree in marketing is helpful. However, scholastic principals without a good knack for the business are the same as nothing. A marketing professional should be able to understand and execute all phases and components of Marketing. Those recently graduated should work alongside a seasoned professional that can be credited to developing a brands and writing plans. I know that more than anything else I have written close to 275 plans to date. I offer many services, but when everyone is sleeping I am writing plans or business plans for clients. It is the most difficult but it lends itself to the kind of ‘experience’ that I’m referring to in this blog. Not to mention that a really good marketer will be able to write your companies marketing plan all by him/her self. You put them to the test today. Ask them if they are familiar with these:

a.      ROI (Return on Investment)            

b.      Difference between Advertising & Marketing

c.       What are the basic marketing components?

d.      Where does your company rank in terms of Social Media visibility?

e.      Have you implemented goals to secure marketing partners?

f.      How far along are today's sales goals compared to last year?

g.      What is your client turnover rate?

h.      What is a Web site grade?

i.        What is Customer Acquisition Cost?

j.        What are conversions?

*Score:  If your “Marketing Professional” didn’t get at least 3 out of the 10… I consider that a sad state of affairs. Keeping this person in the Marketing Manager capacity is stunting your growth. There are many missed opportunities that sometimes are difficult to gain again.

If you are a business owner or a CEO, you owe it to yourself and the person to place them in their right capacity. You will get more out of them and they will get more out of their employment with your company.

Thanks for reading! Learn more at: www.WhillyBermudez.com