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Marketing Management: What it is and How to Make a Management Focused on Results - Ini Patrick Notes
Marketing Management What it is and How to Make a Management Focused on Results

Marketing Management: What it is and How to Make a Management Focused on Results

Marketing management ensures that every action has a strategy behind it. Planning, objectives, indicators, processes, and methodologies come into play to organize the area and bring more results to the business. Now, you will better understand what it is and how to do marketing management.

A lot of people think that marketing is promoting a product, advertising, or having a Facebook page. If it were just that, it would be very simple, wouldn’t it? 

However, this is a complex and comprehensive business area, which needs good management to function.

That is why marketing management is essential for companies that want to succeed in business. One-off actions may bring some results, but they are not sustained for long.

For marketing to really bring sustainable results, it is necessary to have research, planning, strategy, measurement and processes that organize all these activities.

Marketing management does that. It is this area that coordinates the activities and the people involved to help the company achieve the future it wants.

In this article, we will talk about everything you need to succeed in this management.

What is Marketing Management?

What is Marketing Management

Marketing management are the activities of managing processes, people and marketing strategies in order to generate value for the market and meet organizational goals and objectives.

Philip Kotler, in his Marketing Management book, says that marketing management is the art and science of choosing target markets, satisfying their needs, and building a profitable relationship with them, through analysis, planning, implementation, and control.

These processes, incidentally, are part of any type of management in the routine of a business, be it business, financial, people management, etc. 

The difference is that here they are applied to marketing, which covers a multitude of activities aimed at the market.

When we talk about marketing, we immediately think about advertising and product promotion, but the area covers much more than that. 

Within marketing, there are also market research activities, pricing, product design, distribution strategies, press relations, and many others.

With so many activities in one area, how do you put all this in order? It is the marketing management – usually led by the marketing manager – that organizes and aligns all these activities and the people involved so that they have the best performance in the market and help the company achieve its goals .

What Does A Marketing Manager Do?

Marketing management does not necessarily need a department or a manager. In small companies, with lean teams, it is common that there is no exclusive business area for marketing.

However, the existence of a specific sector and a manager to lead it is a sign that the company realizes the importance of marketing. The marketing manager brings a professional view of marketing, understands the science of the market and knows how to outline effective strategies.

More than that: he knows how to manage a team and align processes to achieve the results the company wants.

Therefore, the marketing manager is the one who is dedicated exclusively to putting the area on track. For this, he performs activities like these in his day to day:

  • analyzes market data;
  • segment and choose target markets;
  • defines goals and objectives;
  • manages the marketing budget;
  • negotiates with suppliers;
  • aligns the entire team involved;
  • develops management processes;
  • interacts with other business areas;
  • leads campaign development;
  • monitors the progress of projects;
  • monitors campaign performance.

Therefore, realize that the manager’s role is much more focused on management activities than on hands-on marketing. Even so, he needs to have knowledge and experience in all areas to lead the team and know if it is being effective.

What Is Marketing Management For?

Marketing usually enters companies naturally. As soon as operations start, the company realizes the importance of promoting products to attract customers and set a price that is attractive to the market, for example.

Understanding the importance of marketing is already an important step. But this perception does not necessarily bring the results that the company expects. 

Marketing actions are often isolated – the company creates a Facebook page and business cards and thinks this is marketing.

Only there is no strategy behind it. These actions don’t have a plan, they don’t have a target audience, they don’t have goals. Therefore, the chances of not producing results and even damaging the brand are great.

Therefore, the primary role of marketing management is to structure the activities of the area so that they fulfill their function, which is to contribute to the achievement of organizational objectives in the short, medium and long term.

In this way, activities gain a purpose, are based on studies, guided by strategies and organized in processes – and all of this is essential for marketing to work.

With this organization, marketing is able to strengthen the relationship with the market . The company starts to be guided by it, that is, it analyzes the demands and needs of its target audiences to guide its strategies and generate value for them.

In this way, the company becomes more competitive. With an eye on what is happening out there – not only in its target audiences, but also in competitors -, marketing outlines strategies to grow, strengthen the brand, create differentiation and conquer its position.

In increasingly competitive scenarios, marketing management makes all the difference.

What are the Benefits of Doing Marketing Management?

Now that you understand what marketing management is for, let’s better understand the benefits that this set of activities brings to the business:

Know The Market Deeply

There is no marketing management without thorough market research. It is based on the collection and analysis of data on audiences, competitors, and macro environment that strategies are drawn up.

This knowledge serves to define the target audiences of the brand, better know the competitors, anticipate the risks of opportunities and create strategies that satisfy the consumer. Those who know the market well are already many steps ahead.

Strengthen the Relationship with Consumers

Good marketing management is focused on the consumer. The team needs to know its characteristics and behaviors to create products and strategies in line with its demands.

Thus, the company is able to satisfy consumers, communicate better with them and create a stronger and more lasting relationship of trust with them .

Gain Efficiency in Processes

Without marketing management, activities get messy. There are no processes, strategies or goals to follow. Thus, efforts and investments end up being wasted on actions and campaigns that do not bring any results. 

But with the house in order, the team becomes more productive, improves deliveries and optimizes investments.

Focus on Business Results

Marketing management is concerned with aligning the objectives of the area with the organizational objectives . You can’t settle for an ad campaign that has had multiple views, but has failed to generate the sales that the company expected, for example.

Therefore, well-managed marketing does not seek likes and empty views – it is concerned with effective and sustainable results for the business.

Motivate The Team

Who doesn’t like to work in an environment with well-defined objectives, goals, processes and schedules?

The organization and definition of work structures help in motivation. The employee trusts the company more, understands the reason for his work, what he needs to deliver and how it contributes to the growth of the business.

Generate Insights for Other Business Areas

Looking at the market brings several insights to the marketing strategies themselves, but also to other business areas. Since you know the consumer like no one else, marketing can help you design better sales strategies or define the best delivery channels with Logistics, for example.

What are the Pillars of Marketing Management?

Setting prices, creating campaigns and distributing products are examples of operational marketing activities. But without a strategy behind these actions, they may not make sense.

On the other hand, much is said today about having a strategic marketing management. This is also essential, but the strategy is useless if the company is unable to implement it efficiently.

Therefore, strategic marketing and operational marketing can be understood as the pillars that support marketing management. If there is only one or the other, management does not stop standing.

In strategic marketing, management deals with long-term decisions. At this level, management is dedicated to activities such as:

  • market analysis;
  • company diagnosis;
  • segmentation;
  • positioning.

The market research brings data (quantitative and qualitative) on the microenvironment and the macroenvironment the company is in, while the diagnosis looks at the characteristics and the current situation of the business itself.

To analyze this data, it is possible to use methodologies such as SWOT analysis and Porter’s 5 Forces.

Based on this knowledge about the market, the company segmented its target audiences, which are groups of consumers with common characteristics and behaviors.

From this segmentation, the company defines the target segment (s) to whom it will direct the strategies. And, for each target segment, it develops a market positioning, to achieve a unique and valued position in the minds of these consumers.

Therefore, strategic marketing sets the foundation for putting marketing on the street. Now, from the analytical view of strategic marketing, we go to the commercial view of operational marketing.

In operational marketing , strategies become actions – applied in the short term, but with an eye on long-term goals. At this point, these are the main activities:

  • marketing mix decisions for each target segment;
  • management of the marketing budget;
  • definition of responsible persons and schedules.

So, after strategic marketing defines target markets and positioning, it’s time to put the strategy into practice. For this, management must turn to the marketing mix (the 4 Ps of marketing).

For each target segment, specific strategies for Price, Product, Place and Promotion are created, so that the company meets the needs of the public.

Both in strategic and operational marketing, there is planning, definition of objectives, choice of indicators and measurement of results .

While the strategic level deals with the medium and long term and the marketing area as a whole, the operational level works with the short term in each P of the marketing mix. This breakdown helps marketing achieve its goals and contribute to the company’s macro goals.

In addition, all these strategic and operational marketing activities are still permeated by management issues. Managing people, creating a favorable environment, holding meetings, and talking with other business areas are also pillars for marketing management.

How to Put it Into Practice in Your Company

Putting marketing management into practice does not happen overnight. First, the company needs to understand the importance of marketing for business and the management of this area. Then, you need to have professionals for that and define the ways of working.

Next, we will detail the main points that the company needs to plan to apply marketing management: methodologies, people and structure.

Definition of Methodologies

Management methodologies serve to set organizations on track towards their goals. They can also be applied to marketing management with the same intention. But there are different methodologies for this.

One of the hot methodologies is Agile Marketing, which is an adaptation of the agile methodology for the marketing area. The team works with short cycles, flexible plans, and iterations, with a non-linear, collaborative approach and always focused on the consumer.

It is a methodology designed to respond quickly to market changes .

Visual of agile marketing.
Source: CoSchedule

Agile is a response to the traditional project management methodology in companies, called Waterfall. It works in a “cascade” (hence the name), with a linear and sequential approach: a new stage only begins after the other ends, with no chance of returning to the previous stage.

It is a simpler methodology , but criticized for its rigidity.

Visual of the waterfall methodology.
Source: CoSchedule

The manager can also adopt other management methodologies widely used in the market, such as 5W2H, for action plans, and PDCA, for continuous improvement processes (very close to agile).

The important thing is to choose methodologies that the team understands and embraces.

Team Management

Crucial point for applying marketing management is team management. Marketing teams are made up of several different profiles and skills. The more complete they are, the more robust the company’s marketing becomes.

But we know that marketing teams are often lean. Companies of various sizes were interviewed in the Content Trends 2019 survey, and more than half responded that they have up to 5 employees in the area, with many having only 1.

Regardless of the size of the team, the important thing is to assemble teams with complementary skills and coordinate their activities . The manager must provide an environment of collaboration and transparent communication to create synergy in the group.

The chosen methodology also influences the forms of organization. In Agile Marketing, for example, the team is small, has a lot of autonomy, holds daily meetings and gets involved in the entire project.

In Waterfall, meetings are held at each stage and the team is less involved in the project as a whole and more in its stage.

Structure Management

Marketing management also needs to ensure a good working environment for the team . This means not only offering employees autonomy and confidence in managing the team, but also providing good equipment and tools for the job.

Computers, software (analytics, email marketing, social media management, etc.) and the work environment as a whole bring gains in agility, productivity and motivation for the team. Therefore, it brings well-being for employees and better results for the company.

This is a commitment that the business management must assume, but that the marketing manager must guarantee for his team.

How to Measure Results in Marketing Management

Marketing management is focused on results for the business. Therefore, measurement is one of its essential activities.

Results must be monitored at all levels of management, from micro to macro. For this, it is necessary to define objectives and performance indicators when planning each strategy.

For example: the team defines the objectives and KPIs of a social ad campaign, while the manager defines objectives and KPIs for marketing in general.

The manager must closely monitor the assessments at all levels. He needs to understand whether the actions are aimed at the objectives of marketing as a whole and the business. Everything must be aligned – and it is the role of management to ensure this.

In addition to the marketing KPIs, the manager can also adopt management indicators, such as quality and productivity. Thus, management controls all activities and can make decisions more accurately .

The measurement of results also depends on the management methodology that is adopted.

In Agile, the evaluation happens constantly, every cycle, since the team needs to respond quickly to the market. In Waterfall, on the other hand, a complete evaluation is done at the end of the project (which can delay the correction of failures).

How to Amplify Your Results Even More

Now, we want to give you some marketing management tips so that your company has better results in this area. Take the opportunity to optimize your management:

1. Stay Focused on the Consumer

It is not the company, it is not the manager, it is not the owner of the business – the consumer must be the focus of marketing. All marketing mix strategies must meet the target segment and communicate with the persona.

Therefore, a good marketing manager must understand the market and the needs of consumers, through research and interactions with them.

But he must also make that understanding reach the entire team and guide his strategies at all levels. Thus, every decision that is made will be guided by the market.

2. Make Flexible Plans

Current market changes are fast. When you take too long to launch a campaign, you already have a new trend or a new competitor in the market. Therefore, those campaigns that take months to plan and execute are losing space.

The tendency is for marketing to work more with quick and flexible plans, which allow launching and adjusting strategies quickly . It is the idea of ​​agile methodology, which also provides for more autonomy and less bureaucracy for decision making, in order to make responses more agile.

3. Explore the Data

Create data-driven marketing management. This means making only data-based decisions, which bring a realistic view and generate valuable insights when they are transformed into business intelligence.

In market research, in the segmentation of campaigns, in the execution of tests and in the measurement of results, you have a multitude of data at your disposal to assist your management. It also involves your team with a data-driven culture, so that everyone performs their activities with an eye on them.

4. Take Care of Brand Consistency

The consumer can contact the brand through the product, social networks, email, physical store, customer service, among many other channels. And, in all these points of contact, he must perceive a single mark – if not, the message becomes confused.

But, many times, each channel is the responsibility of a different professional or sector. So, how to maintain a unique identity? It is up to the manager to ensure that the brand is consistent across all channels.

For this, it is necessary to build the branding guidelines that the entire team must follow, with a brand personality and well-defined values.

5. Develop Your Leadership

A manager must be seen as a leader. It is this professional who coordinates the activities and leads the team to the best results. So, developing leadership skills and attitudes greatly enhances your work.

So, try to listen to the team’s feedback, understand their pain, and solve their problems. Be close to employees and involve them in decisions so that they feel part of the organization. Promote collective and collaborative sense to create a healthier and more productive work environment for everyone.

6. Embrace Failure

Understand that making mistakes is part of it. Not every decision will be made well, not every strategy will work, not every campaign will work. The difference is in the way that management will deal with errors, which can bring losses but also learn.

If management is averse to failure and punishes mistakes, employees feel overwhelmed. On the other hand, if mistakes are embraced as part of the process, the team feels more free to give ideas, to participate, to contribute . This is essential if you want to build an environment of innovation.

7. Look For Integration With Other Areas

Don’t make marketing an island. This area needs to communicate with all other sectors, and it is up to the marketing management to promote this integration.

Marketing acts as a bridge between the company and the market . He must listen to the other areas and take the information to the market. 

This is what happens, for example, when the Content Marketing team invites an employee to write on the company’s blog.

But marketing can also take the opposite path: listening to market demands and bringing various insights to the business areas.

When marketing receives feedback from the public about the usability of a product, for example, it can take the demands on the development team.

Well, now you know the main guidelines for doing good marketing management.

Even if the company is small or has only one professional in the area, it is important to coordinate activities and adopt work methodologies to organize marketing, which can branch into numerous activities.

Marketing management, therefore, is the way to structure the area and enhance its results. Now, read more about the importance of marketing in our Market category. Enjoy!

Do leave us a comment if you have questions or needs clarifications.

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