Professional Marketing Skills
A summary of the Marketing Professional Skill Areas, complete with definitions and a list of Skill Sub Areas.
Consumer Insight
Using and interpreting consumer research to anticipate and define the motivating factors driving consumers’ brand choice and usage behaviour. Generating and applying consumer insight to drive competitive advantage and business growth.
a) Building holistic understanding of consumers
b) Planning market research
c) Interpreting market research
d) Synthesising and sharing consumer learning
e) Generating inspiring consumer insights
f) Anticipating current and future consumer opportunities
Marketing Strategy Development
Using consumer insight and competitor analysis to anticipate market growth opportunities and to determine the markets, channels and segments to operate in. Challenging the status quo with brand strategies that beat competitors and deliver outstanding levels of profitable growth.
a) Analysing market trends and growth drivers
b) Creating a vision of market and channel potential
c) Anticipating competitor actions
d) Constructing brand portfolio strategies
e) Building required marketing capabilities
f) Providing input into the business planning process
Brand Equity Management
Building a brand so it becomes and remains the preferred choice of consumers. Using the BrandKey to map current and future positioning objectives in a way that guides the brand’s mix development, increasing its consumer appeal, competitive distinctiveness and growth potential. Demonstrating passion for and commitment to the brand, both inside and outside the company.
a) Defining the Key Positioning
b) Developing the Key Vision
c) Formulating Key Extensions
d) Aligning brand business plans with the BrandKey
e) Strengthening the brand mix
f) Assessing brand health
Communication Channel Management
Planning and implementing an integrated programme of brand communication, which uses all available channels to communicate the brand’s messages to targeted consumers in the most cost effective way.
a) Investigating communication channel opportunities
b) Defining communication tasks, targets and budgets
c) Developing creative Communication Plans
d) Implementing integrated communication campaigns
e) Evaluating campaign cost efficiency and effectiveness
Brand Communication
Developing creative brand communication campaigns that achieve outstanding levels of effectiveness, applying the principles and processes of ‘Advanced Brand Communication’.
a) Developing inspiring briefs
b) Building successful agency team relationships
c) Judging creative proposals
d) Developing outstanding communication campaigns
e) Guiding outstanding brand packaging design
f) Evaluating communication effectiveness
Brand Innovation
With consumer insight as the inspiration, working with other professional specialists to create or adopt consumer-relevant innovations that are rolled out fast, using the principles and practices of IPM.
a) Creating a spirit of innovation
b) Exploring consumer and technological opportunities
c) Generating creative innovation ideas
d) Designing winning innovation concepts
e) Managing the innovation project portfolio
f) Driving innovation projects through the funnel
g) Launch planning, implementation and evaluation
Brand Activation
Bringing a brand to life in the local marketplace via creative implementation of its core mix. Delivering brand growth by using all channel opportunities to connect with consumers and deepen their experiences and relationships with the brand.
a) Converting brand strategies into innovative activity plans
b) Developing close marketplace connections with consumers
c) Implementing consumer activation programmes
d) Driving brand visibility and channel presence
e) Managing prices, profit margins and budgets
f) Monitoring market developments and brand performance
Channel and Customer Marketing Development
Collaborating with Customer Management to develop channel and customer specific marketing plans and activities. Ensuring that brand sales are maximised by addressing the current marketing needs and future opportunities of all trade business partners.
a) Assessing channel and customer developments and opportunities
b) Interpreting trade partner marketing needs
c) Contributing to Category Management
d) Developing channel and customer-specific marketing plans